I was going to die a poor person if I remained in Ghana so I moved

Former Metro TV presenter Riyah Abdul has explained why she decided to leave Ghana and move to Nigeria in search of broader opportunities in media.

Speaking in a conversation with Nigerian television host Chude Jideonwo as monitored by MyNewsGh, Abdul said she felt her abilities were not fully recognised during her time working in Ghana.

“I knew that I was too talented for Ghana,” she said. “I felt like I was being undermined. I had a lot of talent and I was just doing playlist and it was a two-hour show.”

According to her, the role did not give her the exposure she wanted.

She explained that the decision to relocate was also influenced by how she viewed Nigeria’s entertainment and media space.

“Let’s be honest, when you talk about entertainment you talk about Nigeria,” she said. “Nigeria is like New York. If I blow in Nigeria then I’ve blown everywhere.”

Abdul said the thought came suddenly one morning while she was reviewing the work of several presenters online.

“I went through the Instagram pages of some big presenters and I said to myself, if these people can do it, I can do it,” she said.

She added that she respects many Ghanaian media personalities and insisted that her comments were not meant to undermine the country.

“I’m not trying to shade Ghana,” she explained. “I’m Ghanaian and I would never shade Ghana.”

However, she believes stepping outside one’s comfort zone is sometimes necessary for growth.

“To get to a certain level you need to leave your comfort zone,” Abdul said. “For me that comfort zone was Ghana.”