Western Citizenship Is An Escape From The Prison Called Nigeria - Ehixjay

After a man celebrated earning Canadian citizenship, the comments became a battleground of opinions about life in Nigeria. One user harshly commented, “Western citizenship is an escape from the prison that is Nigeria.”

This kind of language reflects deep frustration, but it also paints an entire nation as a place without hope. Nigeria has serious problems — insecurity, unemployment, poor governance — but calling it a “prison” reduces millions of hardworking, resilient people to inmates.

Not everyone who emigrates is “escaping”; some seek new opportunities, education, or global exposure. Others remain and build meaningful lives at home. Both choices are valid.

Shaming Nigeria only widens the emotional distance between the diaspora and those still here. We need solutions and accountability, not despair-driven exaggerations.

— The Red Flags