Japa: Why you should learn to cook your favorite local dishes before you leave

So you’ve finally decided to japa. Congratulations! Your visa is approved, your passport is ready, and you've started learning how to speak in that sweet foreign accent.

But wait! While you’re busy packing winter jackets, taking 100 farewell photos, and giving loads of testimonies in worship centres, there’s one important skill you might be ignoring: cooking your favorite local dishes. Yes, you heard that right. Learning how to cook can be what saves you on rainy days during your stay abroad.

Before you start living your “soft life” abroad, let’s break down exactly why you need to master that pot of egusi soup or that legendary amala and ewedu combo.

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Yes, you heard that right. While moving abroad can open the door to loads of adventure, it'll also mean paying more for basic foods. The plate of eba and ogbono soup you used to buy for 2k in Surulere will suddenly cost enough money to make you think twice when you want to purchase. Imagine needing to pay $25 for one tiny plate of jollof rice - and that's not even including meat. Convert that money and you'll realize that cooking your own meals is a huge necessity.

When you get abroad and you’re tired after a long day, the first thing your soul will crave is not pizza or salad - it’s that smoky party jollof, the peppery goat meat, or a fresh bowl of pepper soup. Unfortunately, you'll hardly find these foods around, unless you're ready to cook. If you can't, then you'll find yourself stuck with foreign foods that won't satisfy your cravings.

Let's face the fact: nothing draws people together like good food. I mean, Nigerians abroad hardly get opportunities to eat well-made Nigerian foods. So their stomachs will definitely leap for joy when they smell the Eguisi soup bubbling in your kitchen. That's a huge attraction that makes them want to be in your circle - because how else can they get a taste of what you cook?

Plus, it's an opportunity to introduce your foreign friends to the real African culture, beyond Afrobeats and Ankara. Don't be surprised if they soon start calling you chef.

Life abroad comes with endless bills: rent, transport, Netflix subscription, and that random winter jacket you never knew you'd need.

Knowing how to cook means you save money by avoiding overpriced Nigerian restaurants. That extra cash can go towards your survival kits - like buying thick socks, or sending “urgent $20” home.

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In a new country, everything can feel foreign - the language, the weather, even the air. But your kitchen? That can be your tiny piece of home. When you’re tossing in crayfish, cutting ugu, or pounding yam, you’ll feel closer to Nigeria than any WhatsApp family group chat can make you think.