“We Are Not the Burden; We Are the Backbone”

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A bold and thought-provoking message is gaining attention across social media as Nigerian professional Tolulope Ariyibi-Oke challenges global narratives around migration, race, and identity. In a post that has sparked widespread discussion, Ariyibi-Oke confronts the subtle — and not-so-subtle — discrimination faced by African migrants and dismantles the Western double standards that label one migration as “exploration” and another as “desperation.”

“Migration is not African. It is human,” she begins, drawing historical parallels that remind the world of who really moved first — and at what cost. From the British to the Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese, she recalls how these powers didn’t just migrate — they looted, burned, and colonized. “They stole — and then rewrote history to make it sound noble,” she writes. “And yet… we respected them.”

The crux of her message: why is African migration, often rooted in education, skill, and hard work, still met with suspicion and shame?

Using sharp contrasts, she points out how Western migrants are praised for “global mobility” while African migrants are accused of being “economic burdens.” She calls out the polite rejections, the microaggressions, and the veiled criticisms often directed at diaspora Africans: “Fix your home first.” To that, she responds: “What do you think we’re trying to do?”

Citing data from 2023, she notes that migrants in the UK sent £9.3 billion in remittances back home — with Nigeria among the top recipients. “That’s billions of pounds flowing not as charity, but as investment, sustenance, and strategic growth,” she writes, emphasizing that migrants are not just contributors, but silent nation-builders.

Ariyibi-Oke also does not shy away from addressing corruption — both in Africa and in the West. While African leaders are often criticized for misgovernance, she reminds readers that Western countries profit from dirty money too, hiding behind offshore tax havens and arms deals. “Let’s not pretend corruption has an accent or a skin tone,” she argues. “It wasn’t born in Africa.”

The viral post closes with a rallying cry to reclaim the dignity of the African migrant experience:

“We are not the burden. We are the backbone.
We didn’t imagine the elephant.
We’ve been carrying it — and it’s time we said so.”

Her message is resonating widely, especially among young Africans in the diaspora who are constantly balancing dual identities, global contribution, and local loyalty. It’s a timely reminder that migration is not a weakness, but a strategy — and that the world must learn to value the builders just as much as it once glorified the looters.