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Wole Akinyemi

In Wole Akinyemi's hometown of Idatam, Nigeria, lots of things are different than in Columbus.

The tropical climate is hot, the infrastructure is not as well developed, government is the main employer, the vegetation is dense and democracy is new.

But the main differences, he says, are cultural, centered around how much time you spend on your own and with immediate family members as opposed to with other people.

"The lifestyle in the U.S. in general and also in Columbus is very centered around you and your immediate family, whereas the lifestyle in Nigeria is generally much more extended. You have a lot more interaction with friends and extended family members. They form a very big part of your day-to-day activities and you typically plan things around those kinds of interactions," he says.

Idatam is a city of about 500,000 people, the former center of government in colonial times, but is westernized and has some industry and much commerce.

Nigeria has been an independent country for only since 1960, and was previously under military rule.

Under military rule, he says there were instances of strongarm tactics by the government that shouldn't have occurred, and things done by the government that were covered up. But life was generally peaceful with a forced order and life planned by the government. Restrictions of freedoms were not apparent to average citizens, he said, but pressure was felt by those who took a stance critical of the military rule.

Nigeria is now a fledgling democracy, and Wole says many haven't seen the benefits yet. When the structures of the military rule are removed, chaos can result as the freedom of democracy replaces the discipline and order of the old rule.

"You should appreciate the opportunity to participate in government that democracy offers," he says.

An engineer at Cummins Inc., Wole has been in the United States since 1990, and in Columbus since 1997, moving here from Boston. He is married and has three children, and obtained a graduate degree at MIT.

Life in Boston was a faster pace than Columbus, but there was even less social interaction there than here. Because life is slower here, it's a good place to work and raise a family and it's easier to get around.

But the access to shopping and the opportunities for different experiences are less than in a larger city, he says. But he is quick to dismiss any stereotype of small town America as being less tolerant of people from different ethnic groups. He says he has had no negative experiences since moving here.

He encourages others to read and study, to be curious and find out things about other cultures.