Life in the diaspora: The Nigerian experience in the UK – Food, faith and friendship – holding on to home
By Mary Opii
If you ever want to find a Nigerian in the UK, just follow the scent of fried plantain on a Saturday morning — or head to the nearest African food store on a Sunday evening. In a land where the culture, climate, and conversations often feel foreign, food and faith become our anchor. They remind us of who we are, and where we come from.
There is something deeply comforting about cooking Nigerian food abroad. For many immigrants, it is one of the first ways we reconnect with ourselves. Whether it is ogbono, egusi, jollof, or okra, these meals are more than just nourishment — they are memory. They transport us back to our mother’s kitchen, to roadside bukas, to festive family gatherings back home.
Of course, sourcing ingredients isn’t always straightforward. You quickly learn which stores sell yam that won’t go bad in two days, which butchers offer goat meat that tastes like the real deal, and which market days are best for stocking up on ‘kpomo’ and dried fish. It is not cheap either — £10 can barely get you a decent portion of dry crayfish. But we buy it anyway. Because it tastes like home.
Some days, we try to “adapt” and cook with what is available. Spinach becomes a substitute for ugu leafs. Tinned chopped tomatoes stand in for fresh ones. You learn to work with what you have, because food isn’t just survival — it is identity. It is resistance. It is self-love.
Alongside food, faith is one of the strongest cords that ties the Nigerian diaspora together. For many of us, Sunday morning is sacred; not just for religious reasons, but for community. It is a time to catch up with our friends and to share our experiences, opportunities and challenges.
Nigerian churches in the UK are more than places of worship, they are homes away from home. From the moment you walk in, greeted with “You are blessed, my sister!” and the sound of a full gospel choir, you are reminded that God followed you across the Atlantic. Church is where we gather, laugh, dance, cry, and recharge.
Whether you attend RCCG, Christ Embassy, Winners Chapel, MFM, or a local “white” church, the themes are often the same: perseverance, favour, destiny, breakthrough etc. These messages hit differently when you are navigating immigration stress, night shifts, and rising bills. Faith keeps you going or grounded. It gives your hustle meaning.
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Life in the diaspora: A Nigerian’s experience in the UK
And it is not just Christians, Muslims in the diaspora also find solace in the mosque, in community prayers, in the rhythm of Ramadan observed in a new land. Whatever the form, faith remains a constant source of strength.
Beyond food and religion, we hold on to “home” through one another. A smile from a fellow Nigerian on the street. A party where the DJ plays Kizz Daniel, then switches to King Sunny Ade. Naming ceremonies, birthdays, weddings that start late and stretch into the night. Even when we are tired, we show up; because in showing up, we stay connected.
There is a peculiar joy in gathering with people who understand your jokes without explanation, who know why you switch to your native language mid-sentence, who laugh at the same Nollywood memes and complain about “NEPA”, even from thousands of miles away.
This is how we survive. This is how we stay sane. In a system that often feels impersonal and isolating, we create pockets of familiarity; through food, through faith, and through fellowship.
We carry home with us. In our pots. In our prayers. In our people. Proudly Nigerians!
- Mary Opii, a former staff of TheNiche, is a Nigerian writer, lawyer, HR professional and community advocate living in the UK. Passionate about storytelling, she shares through this column, every week, real-life experiences of immigrants navigating life in the diaspora, blending insight, humour and hope in “The Diaspora Diary” column.
