My name is Chidi Akabogu, I am from Enuwu-Uku, Anambra State. I am the Managing Director of STEINBERG LTD.
QUESTION AND ANSWER:
Q. Please give a walkthrough of your background and how you got to (the country you lived in before coming home).
A. I left University of Benin, Nigeria after a brief study of Computer Science for the UK, where I enrolled to study economics at the University of North London, Holloway RD. As a young man still willing to explore, the allure of living and studying in the United states was so intense thatI finally left the UK for the U.S in 1992. I would later call Houston Texas Home. I later graduated with a BA in Economics at the Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston Texas, USA.
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Q. So, the big question, why did you move Back to Nigeria?
A. I moved by to Nigeria because spiritually I was tired of Life in the diaspora and wanted to be home badly.
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Q. Are there similarities between England and Nigeria?
A. Yes. The similarities are that they drive to be successful in the US as it is also in Nigeria.
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Q. What are the challenges you’ve faced so far since moving back?
A. The challenges Ii faced so far is that the average Nigerian Institution does not appreciate merit and perfection.
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Q. What were your expectations and fears?
A. My expectations were that coming from the diaspora that I would immediately make an impact within my immediate environment for fears, I didn’t have much fears.
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Q. What have you been up to, did you continue in a certain line of work or have you changed course due to the big move?
A. I moved back in 2001 and I have since nuttured a growing environmental and construction business supplying environmental products to Enugu State Government etc.
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Q. Coming to Nigeria, did you ever feel like you needed to readjust to life back in the country?
A. Yes, I have done a lot of adjustments.
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Q. How do you deal with issues such as traffic and the power situation?
A. I live in Enugu, so the issue of traffic does not come up as Enugu is quite sleepy town with a small population. For power, I have enjoyed 23 hours of Power in the last one year.
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Q. If you had to do this all over again what would you do different?
A. Nope.
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Q. Finally, what advice would you give people moving back to Nigeria from the Diaspora?
A. My advice is to have an open mind. It’s your country, you will have bumps here and there, but stay focused on that which you want to do and you will surely get through the bad time. And don’t wait until you have million dollars. It’s best you come with little cash so you will not suffer the effect of Coming in big and running out of cash in the middle of the acculturation.
