Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,155,658 members, 7,827,423 topics. Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2024 at 11:47 AM

Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians - Travel (3) - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Travel / Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians (13852 Views)

Abuja Aka Roc City, The City Built By Nigerians Not The British!! / United States Of America Vs United Kingdom / What Do You Think Of America? (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (Reply) (Go Down)

Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by InvertedHammer: 8:34pm On Dec 04, 2012
No where is easy o! The difference b/w USA and Nigeria is that in Nigeria you can make all the effort you want, you still need prayers, hope and connection to survive.
You could be the smartest chap in Nigeria, graduate, get a job and at the end of the month, you wont get paid... Talk about killing morale!
In USA, the effort you put in is what matters most. If you work, you are guaranteed to get paid at least.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by chirpywest(m): 8:38pm On Dec 04, 2012
axponline: I have read this type of thread many times in the past without commenting. Here are the points to note

Many Nigerians come to the US after between the ages of 25-35 and some even in thier 40's. For these folks, its like life is starting all over again.
America is about careful planning. The system is built on careful planning and the concept of you get what you have earned. I used to work in Nigeria in a bank where you would get your housing allowance in Jan as a lump sum. You can never get that kind of cash in the US unless
a) you borrow
b) you steal
c) win the lottery

Carefully plan each dollar making sure you save at least 20cents on each dollar and when the hard time comes (and they will come) you have a fall back position.
If you anticipate a major expense coming up, plan for it. (i.e save)
I appreciate the fact the America has gotten harder in the past few years. The jobs available are often high skill jobs in IT and health care etc. The usual low skill service jobs that many of our folks get stuck with are getting few abd far between. The idea is to continually improve your self and the jobs will look for you.
I can readily testify to that. By the grace of God, I have a job where I work from home. I dont leave my house unless I want to. I get paid more than a US senator. I have excellent health care benefits paid for by my employer. I have plentiful savings. My wife has never worked for 1 day since we came to the US. I once started a business and ran up $80k in debt. I paid off the debt all from my salary. And I know many Nigerians here in the neighbourhood that I live that can tell the same story.

I strongly beleive God can bless you wherever you are. If God has brought you to America, utilize the opportunity (and it is a good opportunity) to the fullest and STOP comparing yourself to your mates back home. It is 2 completely different worlds and systems.

he willprovide


I absolutely subscribes and believe in your ideology.We all know that there is nowhere in the world u can rake money in the street be it Nigeria or USA but with careful planning and upgrading one can fit in to something reasonable. I love your post sir and would like to know the nature of your job as you said that you work from home because I will like such job as I will be jetting out to USA with my wife next february.
We won DVlottery and we both have our Bsc in Economics but will like to further our study there and I believe that with your type of job by God's grace, we won't find it difficult to school there. Thanks in anticipation that u'll educate me more. My email address is chirpywest@live.co.uk. Plz email me
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Nobody: 8:41pm On Dec 04, 2012
Image123:
hmmm, OP dey build house for Abuja with which money na. You no want more nigerians to build house for Abuja ko? Monopoly business man, make we come bi your tenants instead of to go amerinka.

Lmao it;s a 4 apartment building i already have tenants there are 3 houses on the compound and the 3rd one is my last then I'll come back.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Nobody: 8:43pm On Dec 04, 2012
ESULAALU: Spot the difference

Thank yo for the corrections. And by countries you don't belong to I meant U.S.A, England all countries that aren't Nigeria.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by babeface3: 8:44pm On Dec 04, 2012
grin shocked
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Limaoscar: 10:32pm On Dec 04, 2012
And that's the misconception there are people who get fired just for being bald or for being of a different race. I know this I live here in America in the[b]Bronx,NY[/b]to be exact. But you're right Nigeria will get there.

Now I know why you dey protest..... i beg go back home.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by ayobase(m): 10:41pm On Dec 04, 2012
Stella_Bella: America is a country defined by hardwork,
you WORK hard, you EARN hard cash regardless of your race, your creed or your sex.
Nigeria is still young and we will get there.


I was actually expecting you to comment!
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Nobody: 10:50pm On Dec 04, 2012
Limaoscar:

Now I know why you dey protest..... i beg go back home.


Excuse me DO NOT DISRESPECT ME. You have no basis for such a comment.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by tosrich(m): 12:52am On Dec 05, 2012
Ofonagoro :


Excuse me DO NOT DISRESPECT ME. You have no basis for such a comment.

Ofonagor, the moral of the story is that you dont generalize when in topic like this.....for the fact that you find it difficult out there, is not enough reason to create topic like this to brainwsh the unsuspecting public.
Its not the same situation everywhere.. If oversea does'nt favour you, you still have your green passport and if it has expired, you can go to Atlanta, its faster to get at the Nigeria Embassy...
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Nobody: 1:13am On Dec 05, 2012
tosrich:

Ofonagor, the moral of the story is that you dont generalize when in topic like this.....for the fact that you find it difficult out there, is not enough reason to create topic like this to brainwsh the unsuspecting public.
Its not the same situation everywhere.. If oversea does'nt favour you, you still have your green passport and if it has expired, you can go to Atlanta, its faster to get at the Nigeria Embassy...

I was born here my mother came in 1987. I'm not trying to generalize I'm trying to stress that I've seen this first hand. I do apologize if you got the wrong idea. I'm not trying to brainwash anyone, what I said was exactly what is happening, and if you don't believe me you can search the internet for more info.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Nobody: 2:35am On Dec 05, 2012
God bless America! lobatan

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by anonimi: 7:34am On Dec 05, 2012
caseless: Oh my God! I'm not advocating for any half-baked guy like the one u voted for in the last election. Com'on, are doubting all the attributes i outlined are seen among nigerians? So u think everybody in this country is like any half-baked guy leading the country or holding any public office? Do have a rethink....bro are u saying most of our leader got to their various positions by popular votes? Do u think our votes count?

Yes. Our votes count when we actually go out to vote.
We cannot sit on our buttocks and keep complaining while touts and thugs do the voting on our behalf.
Did you have preferred candidates in the last elections?
How many candidates did you campaign for in the last elections?
How much did you contribute to any candidate's elections?
If you did not and the candidate used his money and/or that of a godfather to whom should he have allegiance?

Did you volunteer for any of the candidate's campaign?
As we make our beds so we have to lie on them!!!

Yeah, no doubt those so called leaders were once part of us , but there is an outright disconnection once they are voted to a particular position between them and the people that voted them in...who do we blame for that? There is a wide gap between us and our leaders, so we can never get it right until that gap is bridged. If those leaders got there by election and not by selection, we wldn't have been where we are today.... They dont get there by our votes, so they don't care about us.....u knw this....bro.

If we decide not to ACTIVELY participate in the political process and only a few of us show up just to vote then we can only expect that the leaders will not be very accountable to us and remain disconnected until the next voting season. QED.
When we are ready to take part actively from the LG Councillorship level upwards we will start to see changes and less need to be second class citizens in places where we are not welcome.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Caseless: 5:18pm On Dec 05, 2012
anonimi:

Yes. Our votes count when we actually go out to vote.
We cannot sit on our buttocks and keep complaining while touts and thugs do the voting on our behalf.
Did you have preferred candidates in the last elections?
How many candidates did you campaign for in the last elections?
How much did you contribute to any candidate's elections?
If you did not and the candidate used his money and/or that of a godfather to whom should he have allegiance?

Did you volunteer for any of the candidate's campaign?
As we make our beds so we have to lie on them!!!



If we decide not to ACTIVELY participate in the political process and only a few of us show up just to vote then we can only expect that the leaders will not be very accountable to us and remain disconnected until the next voting season. QED.
When we are ready to take part actively from the LG Councillorship level upwards we will start to see changes and less need to be second class citizens in places where we are not welcome.
in as much as i can't find anything to throw out of ur points above, i stil don't agree with the part u said my vote does count. Ur points are wonderful, but i'm not the architect of the structure i'm part of now. I dont like it the way it is, i've tried to change frm my own corner but all work done equals to zero . My singular effort go unnoticed due to the size of the rot in our system. I blame the leaders for our woes and blame the citizens for being non-challant....we let things go without doing anything to correct it..... The is found everywhere in our society, so where do u start the correctio? I've been doing my part by voting and speaking against anything wrong in this country....maybe things havn't changed simply becos others are not doin their own bit. Thank u!
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Ugosample(m): 1:23pm On Dec 09, 2012
axponline: I have read this type of thread many times in the past without commenting. Here are the points to note

Many Nigerians come to the US after between the ages of 25-35 and some even in thier 40's. For these folks, its like life is starting all over again.
America is about careful planning. The system is built on careful planning and the concept of you get what you have earned. I used to work in Nigeria in a bank where you would get your housing allowance in Jan as a lump sum. You can never get that kind of cash in the US unless
a) you borrow
b) you steal
c) win the lottery

Carefully plan each dollar making sure you save at least 20cents on each dollar and when the hard time comes (and they will come) you have a fall back position.
If you anticipate a major expense coming up, plan for it. (i.e save)
I appreciate the fact the America has gotten harder in the past few years. The jobs available are often high skill jobs in IT and health care etc. The usual low skill service jobs that many of our folks get stuck with are getting few abd far between. The idea is to continually improve your self and the jobs will look for you.
I can readily testify to that. By the grace of God, I have a job where I work from home. I dont leave my house unless I want to. I get paid more than a US senator. I have excellent health care benefits paid for by my employer. I have plentiful savings. My wife has never worked for 1 day since we came to the US. I once started a business and ran up $80k in debt. I paid off the debt all from my salary. And I know many Nigerians here in the neighbourhood that I live that can tell the same story.

I strongly beleive God can bless you wherever you are. If God has brought you to America, utilize the opportunity (and it is a good opportunity) to the fullest and STOP comparing yourself to your mates back home. It is 2 completely different worlds and systems.

he willprovide
The best post so far! One can succeed anywhere if he puts his heart to it and stop comparing himself with others!!
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by Ugosample(m): 1:24pm On Dec 09, 2012
axponline: I have read this type of thread many times in the past without commenting. Here are the points to note

Many Nigerians come to the US after between the ages of 25-35 and some even in thier 40's. For these folks, its like life is starting all over again.
America is about careful planning. The system is built on careful planning and the concept of you get what you have earned. I used to work in Nigeria in a bank where you would get your housing allowance in Jan as a lump sum. You can never get that kind of cash in the US unless
a) you borrow
b) you steal
c) win the lottery

Carefully plan each dollar making sure you save at least 20cents on each dollar and when the hard time comes (and they will come) you have a fall back position.
If you anticipate a major expense coming up, plan for it. (i.e save)
I appreciate the fact the America has gotten harder in the past few years. The jobs available are often high skill jobs in IT and health care etc. The usual low skill service jobs that many of our folks get stuck with are getting few abd far between. The idea is to continually improve your self and the jobs will look for you.
I can readily testify to that. By the grace of God, I have a job where I work from home. I dont leave my house unless I want to. I get paid more than a US senator. I have excellent health care benefits paid for by my employer. I have plentiful savings. My wife has never worked for 1 day since we came to the US. I once started a business and ran up $80k in debt. I paid off the debt all from my salary. And I know many Nigerians here in the neighbourhood that I live that can tell the same story.

I strongly beleive God can bless you wherever you are. If God has brought you to America, utilize the opportunity (and it is a good opportunity) to the fullest and STOP comparing yourself to your mates back home. It is 2 completely different worlds and systems.

he willprovide
The best post so far! One can succeed anywhere if he puts his heart to it and stop comparing himself with others!!
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by oguguo11: 11:20am On Mar 14, 2017
Wallie:

Hi wallie.love to connect with u on omaluv04@yahoo.com. thanks
I disagree with most of what you wrote not because they do not contain an element of truth but due to your over-generalization. You keep saying "America" like every single state or even counties within a state are the same. How many States have you lived in?

My point is that things are generally hard as could be seen by the unemployment numbers but the same is true for almost every other country in the world. Prove me wrong with stats if you feel otherwise. I’ll even give you the leeway of choosing any country on earth.

The only thing great about Canada is the ability to easily get your papers if you go to school. Canada is actively trying to grow their tax base. If Canada is so great, why are there only 35 million people there - a country bigger than the US? The US has 315 million people and US citizens do not need a visa to travel there. Canada is just a big and empty country with nothing going on but cold weather.


To people trying to immigrate to the US, do your homework! If you have no professional skill to offer, you will probably find it very difficult to live the lifestyle you see on TV. It is a capitalist country and only the fit will grow into a fat cat.

It is true that manufacturing jobs (mostly of the unskilled types) are off-shored to Asia and as such, makes getting jobs in that industry particularly challenging.

If you’re also relying on your Nigerian degree to work here, forget it because you will be competing with people that schooled from known schools. If I’m looking to hire someone with a degree, why would I hire someone from an unknown faraway place with a questionable degree? Most Americans are ignorant about Nigeria except for the negative things they hear on TV. The only people that can truly evaluate the worth of your degree are those in charge of college admission.

The types of people most likely to succeed in America are those that continued their education over here or have a special skill to offer. If you want to live above minimum wage, try furthering your Nigerian education over here. I personally know of friends that make well over $120k and they got their undergraduate degrees from Nigerian universities (Unilag, Ife) but they continued their education over here. One is a CPA and the other a network engineer. The funny thing is that the network engineer does not even need his engineering degrees (BSEE, MSEE) to get a job but his certifications (CCNP, CCNA, MCSA, CCDP etc). In other words, you can get a job that pays well over $100k if you can get the necessary cisco certifications but you will be tested to demonstrate your skill on actual hardware during most interviews.

And one last thing; people always complain about going to school and not being able to get a job afterwards but they never tell you have well they did in school. You cannot just go to school just for the sake of getting a certificate. If you do poorly in school (low GPA), you will find it hard if not impossible to get a job.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by IbeOkehie: 11:46am On Nov 05, 2023
dasparrow:

So my point is, things are hard in America now. Even those born and bred in America are finding it difficult to find a decent paying job
All that glitters is indeed not gold.

So this is over 10 years later. I wonder if you still have the same opinion. 🤔 Because it seems things are hard in Nigeria now.

Good Luck wherever you are.

1 Like

Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by nifton(m): 12:57pm On Nov 05, 2023
IbeOkehie:


So this is over 10 years later. I wonder if you have the same opinion now. 🤔 Because it seems things are hard in Nigeria now.

Good Luck wherever you are.
I like how you always bring out the reality many years later.
#Respect boss.
Re: Common Misconception Of America By Nigerians by ahmedio2017(m): 4:00pm On Nov 05, 2023
IbeOkehie:


So this is over 10 years later. I wonder if you still have the same opinion. 🤔 Because it seems things are hard in Nigeria now.

Good Luck wherever you are.



Honestly I have interest of traveling out but no money, I just stuck here since 2011 na wa ooo

(1) (2) (3) (Reply)

Pictures Of Gabon! / Fake Marriages In Ireland: Nigerians Involvement / Lone Accident Kills Truck Driver, Conductor In Anambra

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 55
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.