For 19 years, I dreamed of building a life in Canada with my family, sacrificing everything in Nigeria for this vision. Upon arriving in 2012, I faced harsh realities; despite my 12 years of IT experience, I was rejected for lacking "Canadian experience" and had to work multiple minimum-wage jobs. This created exhaustion and emotional strain, but my family and I persevered.

Canada's failure to integrate immigrant professionals is a crisis, leaving many skilled individuals underutilized and causing economic losses. Fortunately, mentorship and sponsorship transformed my life, enabling me to transition from low-income work to my professional field. Canada must do better—economic immigrants need opportunities, not handouts. When they succeed, Canada thrives. Let’s listen, mentor, and open doors to unlock prosperity together. We can do it.#integrationmatters