By Pascal Praise Mumbere
“I never thought I would ever leave my country for a degree,” said Paul Ifemene.
A Nigerian student at Uganda Christian University.
“At first, I did not want to come to Uganda, but African parents will be African parents,” he added amidst light chuckling.
On August 31, 2023, Paul Ifemene Chukwumaobim left Nigeria. Leaving family, friends, and the only home he had ever known in Anambra State, in southeastern Nigeria. His destination, the main campus of Uganda Christian University (UCU), is in Mukono, central Uganda. His goal is to graduate from the institution with a bachelor’s degree of science in Information Technology (BSIT).
Ifemene did not know much about Uganda, nor did he plan on going there, let alone flying there for university. He had his mind set on Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State. Hoping for a feel of the security that comes with proximity to home.
His parents, however, had different plans for him. His father, Kenneth Ifemene, had learned about UCU from a family friend, Henry Okeke, whose son had graduated from UCU in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in law. He had made up his mind already about sending Ifemene to UCU. Despite his pleas for going to Nnamdi Azikiwe University, his father would not let it be. His fate was sealed. He was going to UCU.
The whole concept of having to adjust to a new life and culture and being away from home was a bit scary for him. But he had to make peace with it.
Like any other young man with ready and available access to the internet, Ifemene started his research about Uganda online. Using social media sites like X, Instagram, and TikTok. His friend, Ozor-Obi Chimdindu, a Nigerian who had spent some time in Uganda, assured him that Uganda was actually a beautiful and fun place to be.
On September 1, 2023, Ifemene landed at Entebbe International Airport, and as the plane wheels hit the tarmac, reality dawned on him. He was now in Uganda, and he had to accept it.
“I had no choice but to accept it,” said Ifemene.
“It was quite hard, the first few days. My accent was very thick, and most Ugandan accents were very hard for me to understand. We would both be speaking English, and I would hear a completely different language, Ifemene said.
“The first time I interacted with a classmate, a girl walked up to me and said, ‘Hi.’ I said it back, and that was where everything went overboard. I just keep saying “pardon” until we just gave up on the conversation, he added, laughing.
With the help of other international university students like Isaiah Barde, who had been in Uganda for over a year before Ifemene, he was able to blend in and learn a few life hacks to help him while in Uganda. It was Barde that introduced him to better production. A chapatti stand that makes what he terms as, “The most delicious Rolex he has ever tasted.” A Ugandan street delicacy that combines chapatti, fried eggs, and vegetables like cabbage.
He added that the experience in Uganda has helped him expand his knowledge about Africa. Helping him appreciate different cultures from different nations. “I now like it here. I have amazing friends and have met several people of various nationalities. “Before, I could not recognize one’s nationality by their accent. But now, because I have had a chance to interact with students from Congo, Kenya, Liberia, and many more, I can now hear someone’s accent and be able to approximate their nationality. I got to see several cultures from various countries and their food during the international students’ gala, and it was such a beautiful experience,” said Ifemene.
Ifemene says the Uganda he saw online is quite different from the Uganda he has experienced. According to him, there is so much attention given to the beautiful scenery and flora and fauna, usually leaving little to no representation of the beautiful people. He also says the lifestyle is different. He says most youths in Nigeria, when not in school, are focusing on hustling to make a dime, cultism, and “mafia”-like tendencies. However, to the best of his knowledge, he says most of the Ugandan youths he has interacted with, when not in school, are looking forward to going to a nice restaurant to try the food there, get together and enjoy each other’s company, or take a breather from the demands of being in the transitional stage from teenage life to adult life.
“It is also fascinating how conducive the UCU environment is,” Ifemene said, in reference to the serene and tranquil environment at UCU.
He was, however, shocked at how large the Ugandan currency notes were. “The largest note we have in Nigeria is a one-thousand note. Here it is fifty thousand. How?”
Ifemene is among the many international students in UCU who have come to love being in Uganda.
