News
Hardship: Northern youths seek relief in Middle East, North Africa
Nigeria’s economic crisis has plunged millions of its citizens into poverty. The situation is dire in the northern region, where insecurity, poor infrastructure and low human capacity development have worsened living conditions. In this report, Daily Trust Saturday captured a migration trend among northern youths who leave the shores of Nigeria in search of better living conditions in the Middle East and North Africa.
Hassan Dantsoho, a graduate of the Yusuf Maitama Sule University in Kano State plans to relocate to Kuwait, one of the world’s oil-rich countries in the Middle East.
Five years after his graduation from the university, Dantsoho remains unemployed but anticipates a better life across Nigeria’s borders.
With a well mapped out plan and an anticipated N40million in fortunes within two years, the 30-year-old is optimistic that by the end of February 2024 he would bid farewell to his family in Kano, North West Nigeria, for a new life in Kuwait.
“My plan is to start a travel agency when I make it to Kuwait,” he told this reporter in December 2023.
“I will then focus on health personnel and other skilled and unskilled persons in Nigeria who want to migrate.
“If you take plumbing for example, the Arab do not delve into such menial jobs, but if you take our people to Kuwait they will do it and earn at least N600,000 as monthly income,” Dantsoho said.
Dantsoho is already building a network and scouting for big companies in Kuwait that require employees from Nigeria, especially from the medical field.
“As a doctor in Kuwait you can earn a salary of at least N6million a month. So, with that you won’t need to return to Nigeria; instead, you can invest by building a hospital in the country,” he said.
Faced with unemployment at home, Dantsoho is one of many Nigerians from the northern region whose dream for a better life is pushing to seek better opportunities in foreign lands, such as Kuwait, Qatar, Algeria and other Middle East and North African countries.
Records show a growing migration trend in Nigeria, with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) tracking about 243, 121 persons who migrated from Nigeria to different countries in 2022.
The record, which is based on migrants’ health assessment, shows that 196,695 Nigerians migrated to the United Kingdom, while 40,706 persons migrated to Canada and 2,428 persons to the United States of America in the same year. It also captured 3,280 persons who migrated to Austria, while 12 persons migrated to unspecified destinations.
News
See Photos of World’s Tallest and Shortest Women Meet for Afternoon Tea in London
The world’s tallest woman and the world’s shortest woman met for the first time this week, sipping tea from china cups — and bonding over what they have in common while celebrating their differences.
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Rumeysa Gelgi, from Turkey, stands at 7 feet and 0.7 inches, while Jyoti Amge, from India, is 2 feet and 0.7 inches.
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
“You’re so beautiful,” said Gelgi, 27. “Thank you — you too,” replied Amge, 30.
Their meeting, over afternoon tea at London’s Savoy Hotel on Tuesday, came ahead of Guinness World Records Day, which is held annually in November to mark record-breaking achievements and encourage people to attempt records. The pair have been honored as “World Record icons” in the 70th anniversary edition of the Guinness World Records book.
Story continues below advertisement
“Meeting Jyoti for the first time was wonderful,” Gelgi said in a release Wednesday. “She’s the most gorgeous lady. I was waiting to meet her for a long time.”
Gelgi said the pair bonded over their love for makeup, jewelry and doing their nails.
Video footage showed them sitting down for tea, cakes and sandwiches stacked next to them, with the London Eye visible from the window.
Amge said in the release that she was “so happy to look up” and see the world’s tallest woman, whom she called “good-natured.” She added that it was difficult at times for the pair to make eye contact “due to our height difference.”
“Guinness World Records is all about celebrating differences,” its editor in chief, Craig Glenday, said in a statement ahead of Guinness World Record Day, which is on Thursday.
“By bringing together these two amazing, iconic women, they can share their perspectives on life with each other and, also, with us,” Glenday said.
Gelgi’s record-breaking height is due to a rare genetic condition called Weaver syndrome, which causes rapid growth, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
Story continues below advertisement
The primary symptom is growth and bone development that occurs faster than usual, making those affected taller than average. People with Weaver syndrome may have rigid muscles and difficulty extending their elbows or knees.
Gelgi used a walking aid for support during the pair’s meeting. Her case of Weaver syndrome was the 27th ever diagnosed and the first in Turkey, according to Guinness World Records.
Weaver syndrome is generally caused by changes in the EZH2 gene, according to the NORD, though the organization notes that some people with Weaver syndrome do not have a mutation in the gene.
Story continues below advertisement
Amge, an actor who played the character of Ma Petite in the television series “American Horror Story,” has a genetic growth disorder that occurs in the early stages of fetal development, known as achondroplasia.
According to Johns Hopkins, the condition causes shorter bones, abnormally shaped bones and shorter stature. While the genetic defect can be passed from parent to child, in about 80 percent of cases, achondroplasia results from a spontaneous mutation that occurs in the developing embryo.
On Thursday, Gelgi shared photos on Instagram of the two exploring London despite the cold weather, posing side by side in front of Tower Bridge.
News
Speaker Abbas Decries Gross Inadequacy In Health Sector Despite Annual Allocation
News
Reps Demand Details Of Project Undertaken From Ministry Of Solid Minerals In 2024 Budget
-
News16 hours ago
DHQ Gives Updates on on Arrest, Trial of Simon Ekpa in Finland
-
News16 hours ago
Japa: 1 of 4 Nigerians want to leave the country – NBS
-
News15 hours ago
Senate mandates military to free LGs under B’Haram control
-
News15 hours ago
OUTREACH: Senator Manu concludes 2-day ICT program for constituents, distributes over 500 laptops to students (Video/Photos)
-
News15 hours ago
2027: Obasanjo’s knock on INEC reopens push for electoral reform
-
News16 hours ago
I’m not too young or inexperienced to run for Lagos Governor – Speaker Obasa
-
News16 hours ago
Simon Ekpa Sent To Prison
-
News16 hours ago
Nigerian Catholic religious Sister Uti wins $1.2 million Opus Prize