Nigerian comedian and television host Teju Oyelakin, popularly known as Teju Babyface, has opened up about his relocation experience to the United States, revealing that he once deeply regretted the decision due to the unexpected challenges he faced.
In a recent video shared on his YouTube channel, the entertainer reflected on how people often romanticize life abroad without understanding the realities behind it. He explained that many individuals suffer from what he called the “grass is greener” syndrome — the assumption that life is automatically better elsewhere.
“The issue with life is that we almost suffer from ‘the grass is greener on the other side syndrome,’” Teju said. “When we’re standing in one position in life and looking at another from our vantage point, that other place looks very green, very rosy, very appealing, and we want to be there. The problem is that we don’t see the challenges of that side from where we are standing.”
According to him, the decision to move to America initially felt like the right next step in his personal and professional journey. However, the reality soon proved difficult, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic began just a few months after his family arrived in the U.S.
“When we were leaving Nigeria, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was the necessary next step in my career evolution,” he explained. “But when the challenges started, particularly with COVID on top of it, I was convinced I had made the biggest mistake of my life — that I had shot myself in the foot.”
The comedian said the experience left him feeling lost and uncertain about his future. He described that period as one of deep reflection, admitting that it made him truly understand a line from King Sunny Ade’s song for the first time.
“I had a phrase for it,” he shared. “I was convinced that I had taken a ruinous risk — the kind that leads to ruin. But in hindsight, it became a lesson in patience, perspective, and understanding that every place has its own share of struggles.”
