Ghanaian Kofi Nyarko, currently based in the UK, appeared on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show with DJ Nyaami, where he shared thought-provoking insights about life abroad, success, and family sacrifice.
According to Kofi, success isn’t solely about where you live. He explained, “Riches don’t come from your location, but sometimes, your location can influence your opportunities. Even in the Bible, God instructed a prophet to relocate before things worked for him.”
He recalled a story from 2012, where a friend returned to Ghana and became successful, while another friend who refused to return ended up homeless and now begs for food. “Riches depend on you. If you want to move to the North, study the trades of the people there, learn a skill, and adapt,” he advised.
Before permanently settling in the UK, Kofi took six months to study the system. He emphasized that planning is crucial.
“I knew I was going to join the UK army, and I had to consider if I would come with my wife or not. Living abroad requires sacrifices. Your wife in Ghana may not accept you being with another woman abroad, so weigh the risks carefully,” he warned.
He narrated how a young man once wanted to pay £7,000 for a visit visa. Kofi discouraged him, and the man later got proper documents.
“He thanked me because if he had used the visit visa, he wouldn’t have had the right papers to survive in the UK.”
Touching on the flashy lives of some returnees, Kofi said many Ghanaians see borgas building houses quickly back home, but they don’t realize the difficult lives they lead abroad. “You won’t believe the struggles some of them face. Even worse, many parents abroad lose their children emotionally — these kids grow up and barely remember their parents.”
Kofi advises that it’s better to raise children in Ghana with a strong foundation and good schools, and only allow them to visit abroad later in life. He shared a sad example of a man whose son, raised in the UK, was arrested in Ghana for drug trafficking to Dubai. When asked to pay GHC 400,000 for his release, the father reportedly said, “Send him to jail.”
He debunked the common Ghanaian mindset that children will automatically care for their parents in old age. “That philosophy is flawed. Get a pension plan and build a life that doesn’t depend on your kids. What if something happens to them?”
Kofi also criticized older borgas who discourage new migrants instead of guiding them. He said buying a house abroad isn’t always necessary — “If you can’t pay, the bank will sell it and refund your money.” He added that age matters when relocating: “Most of us start in warehouses or cleaning jobs, which are physically demanding. At an older age, doing that 24/7 takes a toll.”
To wrap up, he mentioned his latest creative project — a song titled “Ebesesa” released on June 21.
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