Teju Babyface opens up about relocating to the U.S.: “I almost made the biggest mistake of my life”
Nigerian comedian, talk show host and media personality Teju Babyface, born Gbadewonuola Olateju Oyelakin, has candidly reflected on his decision to relocate to the United States and revealed he regretted the move for a significant period.
Why he relocated
Teju Babyface said he was drawn to the U.S. in part because of the assumption that life abroad is automatically better, what he described as the “grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side” mentality.
He emphasised that every environment has its own set of difficulties, and the ones abroad aren’t always visible from the outside.
The struggles he faced
According to Teju, shortly after his move, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic added immense pressure to the transition:
“America has its own unique challenges… then when you add COVID on top of that, ah! For about three years, I was convinced that I had made the biggest mistake of my life. That I had shot myself in the foot.”
He admitted that he was forced to reflect deeply on whether he “should have stayed” in Nigeria instead of relocating.
What changed the narrative
Despite the regret, Teju Babyface noted that the difficult experience abroad led to a new path. He said that his shift into podcasting might not have happened if he had remained in Nigeria.
He sees the move, and the hardship that followed, as having forced him out of his comfort zone and into a new phase of his career.