Your Village is Always With You

First, when we talk about village, we mean your true home, the place your family comes from. It is where your parents say you are from. It could be where you were born or where you grew up. It may not even be where you spent your childhood, but where your parents call their home, a place they left behind after moving. This village is not about geography or size. It could be a big city or a small town in the countryside. What matters is the emotional connection you have to it, a place where you feel you belong or wish to return to.

This village is a starting point in both real and imagined ways. It is real if you have a close connection to it, and imagined if you feel a distant link to it, like many children of migrants do. What role does this village play in our lives? How does it shape us socially, economically, and culturally? And how is your village keeping up with you?

In this context, how do we think about movement in life and how we remember or forget these villages? How do they help us feel we belong or make us feel out of place? These questions have been on my mind for years as a communication scholar. I want to clarify that when I say your village is following you, I do not mean it in the way people joke about village people in Nigeria, where it refers to witchcraft or bad luck.

In this context, bad luck is often blamed on people in the village who do not want you to succeed. But that is not what I mean. The focus is on a real or imagined connection to a place that serves as a point of belonging, where you feel nostalgia and a desire to return, either for visits or in the future.

The hope for a permanent return is often there, but it does not happen, especially if you have settled well in urban areas or in other countries. Life in these villages is often tough, with limited opportunities. Many people live off the land and rely on farming. With few options, they look for better lives elsewhere, which leads to migration as they seek education, jobs, and better living conditions.

But moving away does not erase emotional ties to your village. These ties can change over time. They may be strong at first but can weaken as you settle into your new life. When you understand why you left, it can lessen your emotional bond. But if you don’t think about it much, you might feel more connected and want to return sooner.

Today, technology has made it easier to keep in touch. The boundaries of your village and where you live have blurred. Digital tools like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and X help migrants stay connected to their home. WhatsApp is especially useful because it allows for group chats and constant communication, no matter the distance. People create town groups where they discuss issues and support each other.

Through messages, voice notes, and photos, villagers can stay linked, share ideas for development, send money, and volunteer their time. This has become a virtual replacement for the village square. With people from different places involved, the feeling of distance disappears, and a sense of togetherness emerges.

Memories are shared as belonging is nurtured. Media has become a tool for sharing experiences across distances, helping emotional well-being grow among participants. While there can be issues like conflicts or misunderstandings, the common psychology remains strong, especially when disputes are resolved. Media helps maintain focus on home, boosting productivity and helping achieve goals.

When migrants succeed, their villages benefit too. They might send food home, build houses, or support local projects. These homes symbolize success, even if they are rarely lived in, except during holidays or family events. Many people also see their village as a final resting place, where they want to return when they die, reflecting the cultural belief about burial practices in Nigeria.

In the past, leaving home meant being out of touch. Communication was slow, relying on stories from returning migrants or letters that took weeks or months to arrive. Now, with mobile phones and social media, this is no longer the case. People can easily check on each other, and the village feels less distant.

Today, villagers often visit each other without notice, claiming they just came to see how the host is doing. This habit can lead to misunderstandings in urban areas where people expect prior notice. While it takes time to adjust to new social norms, some old habits remain, especially when migrants return to their villages.

Mobile phones have changed everything. People are now always in touch, and technology helps maintain connections between past and present. Memories, identities, and traditions are not fixed. They are now flexible and can be shared across digital spaces. This means that your village follows you, whether in real life or in your feelings.

But how does this work? Technology is advancing rapidly. It simplifies our lives and communication. We can talk to people far away in real-time, unlike before when it took weeks for messages to get to someone. For those moving from villages to urban centers or abroad, technology eases their journey.

Movement used to be tiring and stressful, requiring a lot of planning and resources. But now, technology makes it easier to stay connected and informed about each other’s lives. Social interactions now happen more smoothly through digital platforms, which allows for more frequent communication.

Distance is no longer an issue as voice notes, photos, and memories travel with people. They carry their homes with them in their phones, making it easier to keep in touch. Forgetting is now a choice. People can easily reach out or check on each other, making it hard to feel disconnected.

In the past, memory was difficult to preserve. Now, it's easy for people to keep in contact through calls or social media. They can check on each other, share news, and ask about any issues at home. Your village remains part of you, even as you move around.

Information does not get lost; it just changes form. The village can follow you through your devices. These devices are not just tools. They carry voices and memories of loved ones, making them precious. They help connect people regardless of location, allowing both real and imagined connections.

When migrants cannot be reached, worries grow. For example, Madam Adeshola, who had just retired, could not be reached by her mother in the village for days. Concerned, her mother called her son for help. He rushed to Abuja, only to find that Madam Adeshola had passed away. This shows how technology can connect and also reveal absence.

The village is no longer distant. It is everywhere the migrant goes. The updates from their village come through family and friends. The people they communicate with shape their understanding of home. The village is a memory that follows individuals everywhere, creating a sense of community, even for those who have moved far away.

Now, the village is not just a physical place but a network of connections. WhatsApp groups replicate village life. Roles have changed, with admins taking over from traditional village leaders. Digital spaces make it possible to maintain memories, making forgetting nearly impossible. The village becomes a cloud of memories, always present.

While the village offers support, it can also feel controlling. Members must navigate the balance of care and oversight. The online community remembers its members through photos and messages, making forgetting nearly impossible. Yet, members are aware of the risks of sharing too much online.

Even in the digital space, identities can be layered and complex. People can belong to multiple groups, making their identities diverse. Roles change, and new ones emerge. Gossip spreads quickly, often outpacing the truth. The village is not perfect; it can face issues with the law or reputation, leading to challenges.

The digital village also remembers the deceased through chats and digital mourning practices. This is not just about the living but also about those who have passed but remain present in digital spaces. Communication can now bridge the gap between life and death, allowing people to connect with ancestors.

The village has turned into a relationship built on digital memories. It follows migrants through their daily lives, creating a sense of belonging. The village is with them all the time, rekindling community memories. As we adapt to new realities, policies must also change to reflect this new way of life.

In the past, we left our villages behind. Now, they are with us, shaping our identities and connections. We are no longer just from one place; we are from all the places that remember us. Distance has faded, but belonging is stronger than ever. This is the world we live in now, where we are always connected. Thank you for paying attention.