The young, the old, and the middle aged all seem to have one reason to leave Nigeria: for a 'better' life.
From finding a new career path to seeking a new lease of life, there seems to be no end to the reasons why Nigerian celebrities leave the country.
What is certain, though, is that as time passes, the list of entertainers and personalities who have left the country's shores keeps growing.
The young, the old, and the middle aged all seem to have one reason to leave Nigeria: to gain fame and/or fortune abroad.
Below is a continuation of the list of famous Nigerians residing abroad. You can read part 1 here, which includes Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Dbanj and several others.
Karen Igho
Prominent in the list of those who have relocated is the winner of the sixth edition of the now-rested Big Brother Africa, Karen Igho-Rakos.
Ms Karen was shot into the limelight after winning the Big Brother Africa reality show in 2011. She was the first African and Nigerian female to win the reality T.V. show after carting home the sum of $200,000 alongside Wendell Robert Parson from Zimbabwe.
The actress married her long-time fiancé, Yaroslav Rakos, at a private event in Jos, Plateau State, in 2014. The couple welcomed their kids in 2015 and 2017.
Upon relocating to the United States of America, Ms Karen attempted to break into Hollywood with an appearance in a romantic comedy-drama, 'And Just Like That'.
Lola Alao
As an actress, Lola Alao first won the hearts of Nigerians with her performance on the Nigerian television program 'Ripples'. Her talent went on to win her leading roles in more than 100 films.
The actress currently lives in Canada with her family. Recently, she fought for and won custody of the children of late Nollywood actress Aisha Abimbola, making her their legal guardian.
Though based abroad, the actress has not deviated from her love for movies, as reports say she has produced a couple of films in Canada.
Lanre Dabiri (Eldee the Don)
Also on the list of Nigerian entertainers who have left the country's shores is rapper, Lanre Dabiri, popularly known as Eldee the Don.
In a recent chat on Twitter, the rapper explained why he left Nigeria and relocated to the United States of America.
According to him, he needed to protect his physical, social, and mental health.
Bukky Wright
Unlike her colleagues, actress Bukky Wright seems to have a solid reason for leaving the country.
In an interview, the US-based actress, who is also a certified Information security analyst, said she needed to further her studies.
Ms Wright, who began her acting career in 1996, also said that she needed to be close to her two sons, who also lived in the United States.
In 2014, she contested a seat in the Ogun State House of Assembly under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform led by former Governor Olusegun Osoba.
Toyin Adewale
Toyin Adewale gained fame in Nigeria by starring in some of the most acclaimed Yoruba genre Nollywood movies. This was before she relocated abroad a few years ago.
She now lives in Maryland in the U.S.
She joined the movie industry professionally in 1988 and has featured in over 200 movies.
Deji Adenuga
Before relocating from Nigeria, Deji Adenuga was a big name in the movie circles.
Although he now lives in the Republic of Ireland, he has not given up on acting.
Last year, he was part of a Netflix T.V. drama series production crew there in Ireland. He had also registered at the Nigerian Carnival Ireland.
His wife recently emerged as the first black woman to be elected into the county council in Ireland.
Femi Brainard
Little is known about this Nollywood actor and his decision to leave the country's shores.
However, Femi Brainard, a playwright, poet, filmmaker, producer, director, model, and dramatist, now lives in the United States of America.
Although he started acting professionally in 1991, his role as Oscar in the Nigerian soap opera 'Domino' endeared him to the movie-loving public.
Comedienne Princess
For about a year, popular Nigerian comedienne, Oluwadamilola Adekoya, better known as Princess, has been in the news.
She had levelled charges of child molestation against her colleague Baba Ijesha, for having inappropriate relationships with her foster daughter.
The case, for which Ijesha has been found guilty and sentenced, greatly divided Yoruba Nollywood.
Information has it that the actress received death threats, causing her to flee the country.
Years back, the actress sent tongues wagging when her marriage to a Yoruba movie actor/producer, Jeremiah Adeshola, lasted two weeks. Princess resides in the U.K.
Freestyle Essien
One of the pioneers of rap music in Nigeria, Mfon Essien, popularly known as Freestyle, was part of the defunct music group Tribesmen.
The singer, who featured in the rave-making songs 'Sip Easy' and 'Ole' by 2baba, has not only relocated to the U.S. but also joined the U.S. Navy.
In 2015, the rapper married his heartthrob in an intimate ceremony held in Maryland, United States of America.
His co-traveller, Eldee, was among those who attended the ceremony.
Femi Ogedengbe
Also in the league of those who have relocated to the United States of America is famous actor Femi Oggedengbe.
He is now a security man in America, according to reports.
On why he chose to leave the country, he said that he could not cope with how his life was going in terms of poverty.
"I saw myself as one of the very great actors in Nollywood. In 2005, I discovered that the Nollywood industry, where I belong, was becoming more and more a tribalistic industry because a few financiers throwing in money for productions dictated who appeared in the movies," he said in an interview.
Etcetera
Nigerian musician and producer Pascal Uche Ejikeme, popularly known as Etcetera, also recently took the bold step to begin his career in the United States of America.
According to information, Etcetera has been playing underground gigs in the United States of America and has now hit the studio to begin recording as an independent act.
Tekno
That Nigerian singer Tekno has left the country is not in doubt. What is unclear is his reason for going.
Recently, the singer, who lent his vocals to 'Buga', one of the biggest songs in the country this year, announced that he has moved out of the country and is now based in the United States.
According to the 'Pana' crooner, he left Nigeria because the country's name was 'changed' to UAR. He said he would only return when the name 'goes back to Nigeria.'
He possibly was keying into the mockery that greeted the submission to the House of Representatives that Nigeria's name is changed to the United African Republic.
Tekno currently lives in America.
Adekunle Gold
Adekunle Gold has left the country, and just like Tekno, his reasons are shrouded in secrecy.
Gold, married to Simi, with whom he shares a child, announced his relocation when he dropped a cryptic message on his Instagram page.
He wrote, "90219 babies! Zip code changed, and so did the price moafuckers!"
Interestingly, Gold and Simi welcomed their first child about two years ago in the United States. The couple is now based in the U.S. and shuttle between the states and Nigeria.
Samklef
When it comes to making music, Samuel Oguachuba, aka Samklef, is no pushover.
He has produced hit songs for artists like Olamide, Wizkid, and Simi.
Samklef is reputed to have produced a large portion of Wizkid's acclaimed album 'Superstar'.
Samklef now resides in the United States but still makes Afrobeats music, according to information.
Last year, he bragged on social media that he and his manager raked in $32 million in income.
Florence Onuma
Nigerian-born Nollywood actress, producer and businesswoman Florence Onuma gained fame in the early days of the Nigerian film industry for her motherly roles in movies, before she relocated to Maryland, U.S.
Ms Onuma started her acting career in the 1990s and featured in over 60 Nigerian movies before she emigrated to the U.S., where she now lives with her family.
Helen Paul
Unknown to many, Nigerian comedienne, actress and mother Helen Paul, popularly known as Tatafoo, has relocated to the United States of America.
Ms Paul, who recently bagged a PhD, now lectures and runs a clothing Shop in the U.S.
Sam Adeyemi
According to information, Pastor Sam Adeyemi, the founder of Daystar Christian Center, has relocated abroad.
He was said to have relocated shortly after the #ENDSars protest of 2020, which shook the country to its roots.
According to the pastor, his decision to relocate stems from the need for peace of mind because specific individuals attempted to have him and others convicted for supporting the youths in the protests.
Mr Adeyemi currently lives in America and shuttles Nigeria.
Miracle Igbokwe (BBNaija)
After emerging as the winner of the 2018 edition of Big Brother Naija reality show, Miracle Igbokwe, who was then in flight school, announced that he would be going to complete his training as a Commercial Pilot Licence.
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Miracle, who clinched the N45 million prize of the show, said that he had always been passionate about the aviation industry.
Rather than complete his training in Nigeria as scheduled, he opted to travel out of the country.
Since then, he has lived in the United States, where he is reported to have gotten married and then divorced.
Busola Dakolo
In the list of personalities and entertainers who have relocated abroad is Busola Dakolo, celebrity photographer and wife of singer Timi Dakolo.
The mother of two recently alerted her fans that she now resides in the U.K., where she has gone to further her studies.
She photographed herself posing inside a lecture hall of Loughborough University in the United Kingdom with the caption, "nothing is too late."
According to information, Timi presently shuttles his time between Leicester, the U.K., where his wife and kids are based and Nigeria, where his business interests are.
Chidi Mokeme
For years, Chidi Mokeme lived the role of the typical Nollywood bad-boy heartbreaker.
The actor, who has starred in several acclaimed movies like '76', 'Critical Condition' and 'Who Will Tell The President?' held television audiences nationwide spellbound with the way he anchored the Gulder Ultimate Search reality show.
On April 28, 2012, Mokeme married Dr Jean Chinwe Olumba, who works as a doctor and a pharmacist in the United States.
Although he tried remaining in the country to continue with his acting career, at some point, he had no choice but to join his wife, with whom he shares a son, in the U.S.
Conclusion
It does not seem like the rate at which Nigerians leave the country will decline any time soon.
On social media, there have been heated debates on the pros and cons of the 'Japa' phenomenon though some have argued that immigration is an age-long factor in human existence.
Only recently, former Big Brother Naija star, Erica Nlewedim, made a case for those hoping to travel out of the country, stating that Nigeria is not worth dying over.
She tweeted, "Nigeria is not worth dying over. The Nigerians don't care, so if you have the money, let another country be your plan B!"
