Japa: I work in Luxembourg and Germany for enough money to send home  —  Rolake

By Bayo Wahab

Getting a job abroad is usually not easy for young Africans seeking greener pastures in Europe. But for Rolake, who left Nigeria for Luxembourg in 2021, it was a positive experience that came with a ‘black tax’ burden.

Rolake left Nigeria with a work visa through which she secured an accounting job with the help of her brother, who lives in Luxembourg. With this, she was less dependent on her brother, even though she was living under his roof.

“I moved here in 2021 after COVID. I secured a work visa, which was possible at the time because Luxembourg was open to Africans as the country needed workers,” she recounted her journey in an interview with Vanguard.

Rolake’s earning from her accounting job was enough to pay her bills with ease. Hence, she moved to a new apartment “which cost €2,000, plus electricity at €150 and internet at €60.”

As she struggled to settle in the Western Europe country to plan and save for future, an (un)expected challenge popped up  —  the black tax.

In the context of ‘Japa’, black tax is the financial burden placed on Nigerians abroad to support their less-fortunate family members, especially parents, siblings, and other relatives. 

Interestingly, this situation is often seen as a family responsibility by both the taxers and the taxees.

Rolake reckoned that black tax is an economic bane that restricts Africans from growing. But despite this realisation, she could not afford to ignore family and friends when they call for financial assistance.

“This expectation (to send money home) does not make us grow quickly. The level I am, I’m still balanced. I can afford my rent because I have two room apartment,” she said.

According to her she sends up to N800k to family and friends in Nigeria every month.

“I find myself sending up to N500k, N600k sometimes going to N800k. I send to family every month. I just cut short the money I sent back home recently because I’m planning to do some other thing.

Even after committing her resources to language and driving classes, the young mother of one could not ignore the call for help from friends, families and acquaintances back home.

“I’m not the type that is strict with money,” she said.

So, to continue to help them, she decided to double her hustle by travelling to Germany every weekend to work as a hair stylist just to have enough funds to send to her dependents without touching her main income source.

“I’m working as an accountant. I’m getting money which I’m satisfied with, but I still work on weekends. I make hair for a lot people. I even go to Germany because Luxembourg shares a border with Germany. I go to Germany to make hair as well. So, from this hair-making thing, that is the money I use to send to people back home. It’s not from my main salary,” she said.

In order to reduce the black tax burden, Rolake’s husband and her child just joined her in Luxembourg in November 2024.

Vanguard News