Mo' Sibyl

미국 시민권을 향한 13년의 여정| Stars, Stripes, and Stories - Mo!'s Path to American Citizenship: Episode 12 (2024)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 미국 시민권을 향한 13년의 여정| Stars, Stripes, and Stories - Mo!'s Path to American Citizenship: Episode 12 (2024)

Today’s episode is extra special for me because we’re celebrating a big personal milestone—my U.S. citizenship! I’m super excited to welcome back my dear friend Olabimpe Shode to the podcast. Bimpe and I took a walk down memory lane, chatting about my immigration journey, from those early days on a student visa to finally becoming a citizen. We talked about the stress, the challenges, and the joy of every step forward. Bimpe also shared her own inspiring story.

One highlight was talking about my time at the University of Oklahoma, where they really supported me through visa transitions and the green card process. It’s a refreshing take against the usual stereotypes, showing a journey full of support and success. I also opened up about the complexities of changing my name after marriage and balancing my personal identity with my professional life.

We also discussed the struggles faced by undocumented immigrants and the importance of preparation. This episode is a powerful testament to strength, community support, and the unyielding quest for better opportunities.

Here's some exciting news—The More Sibyl Podcast has been nominated for two APVA Awards! The Diasporan Podcast of the Year and Personal/Self-Development Podcast of the Year. We’d love your support, so please vote for us daily in both categories until August 16. Just follow this link: [ https://awards.apva.africa/voting/ ]. Every single vote makes a difference, so feel free to spread the word and get your friends and family involved too.

Thanks for being a part of our journey!

우리의 여권| The One with Two Nigerians - Renewing your Nigerian Passport in the US: Episode 36 (2019)

우리의 여권| The One with Two Nigerians - Renewing your Nigerian Passport in the US: Episode 36 (2019)

Ha! My dearest Nigerians! It’s that time of the year again when the holidays are around the corner and a lot of you are considering flying back to Nigeria to celebrate with family (don't do it)! But then you remember that your passport is expired and you are dreading to get it renewed.

Fret not, dear friends! This episode will help guide your passport renewal process, especially whether or not you have a US passport and if you need to apply for your underage child(ren). Knowing how scary the Nigerian embassy can be like, my guest – Dr. Temitope and I will be holding your hands all through with our detailed description and plentiful tips that abound in this episode. Whether you end up doing it in DC, Atlanta, or New York, know that a lot of these passport officials are still as scary and irksome as can be – so pop a Xanax or two beforehand (and don’t forget your Hail Marys and prayer beads too) because two angries don’t make a right.

If it’s of any consolation, the Nigerian passport renewal process is lots better than Zimbabwe’s (listen to find out how so). Also listen to our suggestions to the Nigerian Immigration Service on how the renewal process can be made better, especially leveraging already existing technology in the US.

All in all, I hope that we can enter the passport office one day and be greeted with smiles, top-notch customer service, and certainly no NTA playing on an analog TV caged to the window. Or even better still, scrap the mandatory, costly trips to the doggone embassies and do the whole process online! A girl can dream.

If you liked this episode, please let me know and don’t forget to share. God bless Nigeria!

𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙊𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙨𝙞 𝙅, 𝙊𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙚 𝙎, 𝘼𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝘼, 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙖 𝘼, 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙅 (𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙕𝙞𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙬𝙚), 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙙𝙖 𝙐, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨.

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with the Prof. Umez - Nigerian Passport Renewal in the Diaspora

It’s about time for me to renew mine and if there’s anything the last two renewals taught me, it’s that it’s a stress-inducing expedition coupled with perhaps, the worst customer service experience I have ever had. I did not want to make the trip to any of the Nigerian embassies in Atlanta, DC, or New York (partly to save time and money), so I searched Google for nearby Passport Intervention activities. What I stumbled upin was startling to say the least, especially an article written by today’s guest – Prof. Umez - on what he uncovered. There are several reports and eyewitness accounts of extortion and corruption by those entrusted to provide this public service to Nigerians. Prof. Umez is the president of the Nigerian Foundation in Houston, Texas and the Founder of the Nigerian Leadership Council in the United States.

In a few days’ time, the Consulate General of Nigeria based in Atlanta will be holding a Passport Intervention in Houston, Texas (see link below for more details). This episode highlights the ban and warning already in place to prevent innocent Nigerians from paying additional charges for this services.

Please share this with every Nigerian you know.

Thanks!