“I Thought My Football Scholarship to the UK Was a Scam” — Abroad Life

October 16, 2026

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The Nigerian experience is physical, psychological, and often worldwide. Nobody understands it much better than the fantastic individuals on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we information and check out Nigerian experiences while living abroad.

Niyi got a chance to relocate to the United Kingdom in September 2023, which was the start of all of it for him. In this edition of Abroad Life, he informs us how a not likely sporting chance took him to Wales, how he’s developing a profession, and why going back to Nigeria isn’t an alternative for him today.

Where do you live at the minute and when did you leave Nigeria?

I presently reside in Wales, United Kingdom. I left Nigeria in September 2023

Why did you leave?

I got a scholarship for my master’s and likewise to play the sport I like.

After I got my university degree in English from Obafemi Awolowo University in 2019, I felt the nation was not assisting young graduates like me. After COVID-19, it ended up being clear that things were getting even worse. Jobs were limited, and even when you discovered one, the pay was frequently bad. I understood I would leave one day.

Leaving was constantly the strategy?

Yes, I thought about locations like Luxembourg and Lithuania since I desired someplace I might reasonably manage. The chance to play American football in the UK came along, and I ended up in Wales. Recalling, it was among the very best choices I’ve made.

How did American football get in the photo?

I was doing taekwondo full-time in Nigeria. I contended as a student-athlete for Obafemi Awolowo University and likewise took part in open competitors in Osun and Lagos states. Taekwondo wasn’t paying the costs. It was something I did out of enthusiasm, and when you’re ending up being an adult, your moms and dads naturally anticipate you to begin working and preparing for your future. I began looking for chances in another sport I enjoy: American football.

Why sports and not academics?

I was great academically, however I didn’t truly desire the traditional workplace life. I wished to do something various.

Does this run in the household?

Amusing enough, my household has an athletic background. Among my uncles ran for Lagos State, and I nearly represented Nigeria. No one in the household had truly pursued sports as a profession.

How did you begin your journey to play American football abroad?

It was 2023, after the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). I had a lot of time on my hands since NYSC publishing was postponed. One day, I arbitrarily encountered The Express, a 2008 movie about American football gamer Ernie Davis. I discovered the story intriguing, therefore I went on Facebook to search for American football groups in Nigeria. There were just about 10 groups in the whole nation at the time, and among them was the Lagos Marines.

They had to do with 3 hours far from me, however I began taking a trip from Ife to Lagos for training. I was finding out the video game from scratch. I wasn’t a starter or among the group’s greatest gamers when I signed up with, however I believe my taekwondo background provided me a benefit. Within 6 months, I was beginning as an essential gamer on the offending line, playing right deal with.

What occurred after?

I got a chance to play college football in the United States, however it wasn’t moneyed. My moms and dads could not manage to sponsor me, and the American group wasn’t going to cover the expenses either.

I would have had to return to college rather than continue from where I was academically, and it felt like going in reverse. We let that chance go.

How did the UK enter into the image?

While with the Lagos Marines, a few of my colleagues were called by groups that discovered us on Instagram. The Lagos Marines’ page was still active then, and the South Wales Warriors ultimately connected to me too.

In the beginning, I believed it was a fraud. I resembled, “How are you playing American football in the United Kingdom?” It sounded weird, particularly due to the fact that rip-offs were all over in Nigeria at the time. I didn’t react.

The group then called my coaches, who connected to me about it. Even after that, I wasn’t encouraged. They dealt with much of the procedure by speaking with my father due to the fact that I really believed the entire thing may be a rip-off.

It wasn’t up until I began choosing visa visits and medical tests that I understood it was genuine.

Was it fully-funded?

Yes, and it likewise featured a Master’s degree program.

What did you study for your master’s?

I studied and finished with a master’s degree in Management from the University of South Wales in 2024.

What was your household’s response when you understood you were in fact going to the UK?

It was frustrating since it was something we had actually been wishing. The UK was a nation we could not quickly manage to relocate to at the time.

We had actually been taking a look at more economical locations, and all of a sudden, I was going to among the nations we ‘d constantly thought about tough to reach economically. I was likewise going there to play a sport I liked, with the chance to study. It seemed like a great deal. It was God’s grace.

What was it like signing up with the South Wales Warriors as a Nigerian gamer?

When I signed up with, I was the only Black individual on the group and their very first global hire. The gamers were inviting, however there was that preliminary surprise when they saw somebody who looked various from them.

I’m likewise a huge guy, so I most likely fit the stereotype individuals in some cases have of Nigerians as huge, aggressive guys. My very first training session included an individually drill versus somebody who considered himself among the very best gamers on the group. I controlled that session, so I believe that assisted me settle in.

Exists any distinction in the method the video game is played in the UK compared to Nigeria?

I rapidly found that American football in the UK was various from what we had actually been playing in Nigeria.

The video game here was far more tactical. In Nigeria, we played really physically. It in some cases seemed like we were attempting to eliminate ourselves on the field. We would be informed to run a play, do something, and struck someone.

Here, there was an entire intellectual side of the video game I had not comprehended. Every group had a playbook consisting of the plays and techniques the gamers were anticipated to discover. You could not simply be physically strong. You required to comprehend the strategy and understand your function in every play.

That was why I invested much of my very first season as a backup. I was discovering the playbook, which was massive. It was annoying since I was physically capable, however I still had a lot to discover psychologically.

How did your very first match go?

In our very first video game of the season, among the beginning gamers on the offending line got hurt around the 2nd half. We were losing, so the coaches needed to bring me in.

They streamlined a few of the plays to assist me discover them rapidly enough to play without interrupting the tactical plan. I wound up winning the MVP award for that video game since I made a game-saving deal with and obstructed throughout without making any errors.

I still completed the season as a backup, however that year was considerable for the group. In the previous 10 years of its presence, the Welsh group had actually never ever made the playoffs. We made the playoffs in my very first season.

That was an incredible sensation. By my 2nd and 3rd seasons, more Nigerians had actually signed up with the group, so I wasn’t the only Nigerian gamer any longer.

Outdoors football and school, what was adapting to life in Wales like?

I was lucky since I showed up in a home with a variety of Nigerians living there. I didn’t have household in the UK, and I was fairly young, so having a neighborhood around me made a huge distinction.

On my opening night in the nation, somebody I had actually simply satisfied in your house prepared Nigerian spaghetti and chicken for me. That was how inviting individuals around me were.

My very first task in the nation likewise came through somebody because home. Individuals shared chances with me, and some even used me tasks I didn’t ultimately take.

I’ve remained in boarding school considering that I was 8, so adjusting to various environments and dealing with various individuals wasn’t especially challenging for me.

The weather condition wasn’t much of a problem either. Even when the temperature level dropped listed below absolutely no, I would still use shorts and a T-shirt. My buddies would take a look at me like I was insane.

Exist things you didn’t get utilized to rapidly in Wales?

Something that took some getting utilized to was how individuals smiled at complete strangers. In Nigeria, if somebody you do not understand smiles at you on the street, you may question what they desire. Here, individuals would smile or welcome me merely since they were getting along.

I likewise saw individuals gazing at me due to the fact that Wales didn’t have as lots of Nigerians around when I initially got here. Many people weren’t being ill-mannered; they wondered and in some cases asked individual concerns due to the fact that they wished to know more about me.

The cigarette smoking and vaping culture was another surprise. You ‘d see grownups smoking cigarettes and youths vaping in public locations. It wasn’t something I was utilized to seeing so honestly in Nigeria. Ultimately, I comprehended that individuals had various social standards, even if I wasn’t especially comfy with all of them.

What were your most significant obstacles when you initially got here?

Discovering a task was among the greatest obstacles. It wasn’t simple to discover work that matched my certifications or the sort of profession I desired.

My very first task was as a stocktaker. It was a good beginning point, however I was still attempting to determine how to construct an expert profession beyond football. Ultimately, I got another task with the Ministry of Justice, which assisted me move towards the expert profession I desired.

Any distinction in the academic system there?

In Nigeria, I was utilized to studying for evaluations, memorising info and recreating it. Here, I needed to believe more seriously and show that I comprehended what I was studying.

You could not merely stuff whatever and put it out throughout an assessment. You needed to evaluate things, make arguments and reveal that you comprehended the product. As somebody who had actually been accustomed to memorising info, I needed to work more difficult to adjust.

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What’s been the most gratifying part of living abroad?

Having the ability to look after my household is a huge one. At the age I was when I left Nigeria, it would have been tough to discover a genuine task that paid enough to support both myself and my household back home.

Here, I can work, earn money and assist my household without needing to do anything unlawful to generate income. That indicates a lot to me.

I likewise value the method the system works. You can do your task and anticipate to get your income at the end of the month. You do not need to invest your time pleading a company to pay you for work you’ve currently done.

The fundamental things you require to live are more available. You can cross at a zebra crossing and anticipate chauffeurs to appreciate it. You can leave your parking lot without continuously stressing that somebody will take its parts. You do not need to feel nervous whenever you see a policeman since you’re questioning whether you’re about to be bugged or obtained.

Health care is offered through the National Health Service (NHS), although the NHS is under pressure and waiting times can be long. You might not constantly get attention as rapidly as you ‘d like, however there’s a system through which you can access care.

The Nigerian neighborhood I’ve satisfied here has actually likewise been helpful. Individuals look at one another, share chances and watch out for one another. Even associates at work make an effort to ask how you’re doing.

For me, the most significant distinction is that the system works, and there’s a benefit for labour. You work, and you earn money. You’re able to prepare your life and look after your obligations.

What do you do now, apart from playing American football?

I still play American football, and I deal with the NHS. I began as a receptionist, however I presently work as an executive assistant to the medical board. I’ve been able to construct an expert profession together with my sporting profession. That’s something I’m grateful for.

Do you miss out on Nigeria?

Obviously, I miss out on the food. I prepare Nigerian food here, and I’m even preparing to begin a food service quickly. There are minutes when you simply wish to consume something that advises you of home.

I likewise oddly miss out on Lagos traffic. There’s a specific enjoyment that features remaining in Lagos, and I miss out on a few of those minutes. The energy is various.

I do not miss out on Nigeria as a nation in the sense that I desire to return and live there now. Going home has actually ended up being scarier due to the fact that of how hazardous the nation feels. Individuals are being abducted, consisting of individuals who aren’t stars or public figures. It seems like regular individuals can end up being targets.

Would your life have ended up the very same or perhaps much better if you had remained in Nigeria?

I think of it in some cases. Would I have discovered a task that permitted me to look after my household? Would I still be playing American football? Would I have had the ability to pursue the important things I desired without continuously stressing over survival?

I can’t state precisely what would have occurred, however I understand that the chances I’ve had actually here have actually made a distinction. If I had actually remained in Nigeria, I may have reached a point where I felt forced to do things I had actually constantly guaranteed myself I would never ever do simply to earn money. I have actually constantly wished to make a truthful living, however making it through in Nigeria can put individuals under huge pressure. I was this near to doing things I would not take pride in to earn a living.

I may likewise have actually stopped playing sports due to the fact that Nigeria does not motivate individuals to pursue those dreams seriously.

What’s your understanding about Nigeria’s sporting system?

Nigeria does not assist sporting dreams. That’s how I would explain it. I wanted sports, however it wasn’t something I might quickly develop into a sustainable profession in your home. I needed to look somewhere else for a chance to keep playing and develop a future.

Individuals have skill, aspiration and the determination to work, however the environment does not constantly provide a sporting chance to be successful. I left since I desired a much better chance to develop my life. I discovered that chance, and I do not believe you always miss out on the important things you needed to leave from even if you’re living elsewhere.

Do you see yourself going back to Nigeria one day?

Not anytime quickly. I can’t state I’ll never ever return, however provided the method things are right now, I do not see myself returning.

Is that so?

I was currently stressed over the instructions Nigeria was heading throughout the 2023 election project. I felt things would become worse, and I think what has actually occurred ever since has actually strengthened those issues.

What annoys me is that numerous individuals have the chance to require much better from their leaders, however the nation keeps discovering itself in the exact same circumstance. When individuals continue to support a system that isn’t working for them, it’s challenging to see how things will alter.

In the meantime, I wish to keep developing my profession, playing football and looking after my household. I do not wish to go back to Nigeria and discover myself having a hard time to make it through once again.

I miss out on home, however missing out on home isn’t sufficient factor to return to a location where I do not think I can construct the life I desire.