What is it really like being a Jamaican living in Nigeria? Meet Cherise Ige, a Jamaican professional now living and working in Lagos. Her journey from Kingston to the UK and eventually West Africa has taken her across cultures, continents and life experiences she never imagined.
In this episode of Jamaicans to the World, I sit down with Cherise to talk about adjusting to Nigeria’s fast pace, navigating everyday challenges, building community and finding pieces of Jamaica far from home.
From Mountain View to London to Africa
Before she was Mrs. Ige she was born Cherise Howell at Jubilee Hospital in Kingston and spent her early years between several communities, including Mountain View, Langston Road and Jake’s Road. Her family roots stretch across the island, with her father from St. Mary and her mother from St. Thomas in the Blue Mountains.
She attended Norman Garden All-Age School before earning a place at Campion College, giving her exposure to very different sides of Jamaican life. Growing up between Kingston’s inner-city neighbourhoods, rural family communities and one of the island’s top high schools shaped Cherise’s understanding of Jamaica’s diverse social and cultural landscape.
After high school, Cherise moved to the UK for university and later began her professional career there. She eventually took on a role that led her to Ghana as part of her company’s African expansion, and later to Nigeria, where she now lives with her husband.
What is it like Living in Lagos?
Cherise admits that her initial impression of Nigeria was shaped by negative stereotypes, but living in Lagos gave her a more nuanced understanding. The city is intense and competitive, with heavy traffic and infrastructure issues, but it is also full of energy, opportunity and a vibrant social scene.
Working in Nigeria, Cherise explains, is both demanding and eye-opening. With more than twenty million people in Lagos alone, competition for jobs is intense, and Nigerians often pursue multiple degrees to stand out, even for entry-level roles. She notes that the workforce is highly educated and relentlessly driven, operating in an environment where long hours are the norm.
Daily life, however, is shaped by infrastructure challenges such as inconsistent electricity, unreliable internet and heavy traffic that can stretch commutes to several hours.
Cherise also points out the stark disparity between locals and expatriates: while many Nigerians struggle with rising costs and limited resources, expatriates earning foreign currency often experience a far more comfortable standard of living. Despite these inequalities, she says Nigerians remain hardworking, resourceful and determined, creating a dynamic but highly competitive professional landscape.
Staying connected to Home
In Lagos, Cherise stays connected to home through the Nigeria West Indian Association, a long-standing group that brings together Caribbean nationals living in Nigeria. The association hosts cultural events, charitable activities and an annual Caribbean tropical fiesta, helping members maintain a sense of community far from the region.
Cherise has become an active part of this network and was even crowned the group’s “Caribbean Queen,” a role she embraced as a way of celebrating her heritage and keeping Caribbean culture visible in Lagos. She also gets her Jamaican food fix at egusi, a small but well-loved restaurant run by a Jamaican chef, while still exploring local favourites like pounded yam and egusi, even if Nigeria’s famous spice levels often test her limits.
She has travelled widely across Africa, visiting countries such as Tanzania, Senegal and South Africa, and often finds unexpected similarities to Jamaica. She notes that Jamaicans are warmly received in places like Ghana, and that many Africans feel a cultural connection to the island.
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Advice on Living and Working in Nigeria
Her advice to Jamaicans considering a move is simple but grounded in experience: do your research, speak with people who actually live in Nigeria, understand the realities of cost, infrastructure and daily life, and prepare yourself mentally for a demanding but potentially rewarding transition.
Cherise stresses that Nigeria is one of the toughest African countries to adjust to, with a fast pace, significant competition and infrastructure challenges that can overwhelm newcomers. She believes that many misconceptions about Africa lead people to underestimate the complexity of living there.
By going in informed and with realistic expectations, she says Jamaicans are more likely to succeed, find community and appreciate the opportunities Nigeria can offer.
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