I am an American white woman married to a Nigerian (15 yrs. and 2 children) and we want to move to Nigeria. Please give me some advice about security, places to live, schools for the kids and what life will be like. My husband also wants to run for some office as he thinks someone must fight for the country. Everyone tells him he's naive. But regardless, we're Nigeria bound. Any advice is welcome.

Come home Nigeria is the best country to live in,choose any school of ur choice ad enroll ur kids in,choose any state of ur choice and lived in a government reserved area. but not this Boko haram state ooooo abeg

Yes o! Also try up your game so your husband don't start pinging the local babes (girls)

If by coming home you mean relocating to Nigeria permanently, l would advise you choose Abuja. Everything you'll need you get in that city - good schools for the kids, nice accommodation, embassy support etc. My second choice is lagos - apart from heavy traffic it is also a nice place to live, but excluding the heavily populated run down areas. There are other decent cities but l would rather you decide for yourself after living in the country for like 2-3 years. In coming to live in Nigeria you should make adequate financial arrangements. I would rather encourage than discourage you. But why not pay a visit first and see thimgs for yourself?

my advice is very simple....stay in Abuja ,it has nice international standard facilities. Other than that u could stay in calabar or uyo....if u enjoy noisy places then lagos should be your number one choice.

hope my advice helps

bigtt76: Yes o! Also try up your game so your husband don't start pinging the local babes (girls)

Thanks but kindly stay on topic; i'm more interested in how we transition there not on
"pinging". In spite of your personal experiences, I"m sure not all Nigerian men are like that. But thanks anyway.

Rejoice5000: Come home Nigeria is the best country to live in,choose any school of ur choice ad enroll ur kids in,choose any state of ur choice and lived in a government reserved area. but not this Boko haram state ooooo abeg

Thanks for your comments. My husband is from Lagos but we are thinking of residing in Ibadan.

mu2sa2: If by coming home you mean relocating to Nigeria permanently, l would advise you choose Abuja. Everything you'll need you get in that city - good schools for the kids, nice accommodation, embassy support etc. My second choice is lagos - apart from heavy traffic it is also a nice place to live, but excluding the heavily populated run down areas. There are other decent cities but l would rather you decide for yourself after living in the country for like 2-3 years. In coming to live in Nigeria you should make adequate financial arrangements. I would rather encourage than discourage you. But why not pay a visit first and see thimgs for yourself?

What do you think of Ibadan to live and start a business?

luvable sam: my advice is very simple....stay in Abuja ,it has nice international standard facilities. Other than that u could stay in calabar or uyo....if u enjoy noisy places then lagos should be your number one choice.

hope my advice helps

Thanks for the advice. My husband is from Lagos but I'm not used to living in a big city.

Ibadan is certainly not a good idea, areas like Victoria Island,Ikoyi,Lekki and Ikeja in Lagos offers real city life settings with standard schools,hospitals and recreation centers for relaxation.
Lagos also offer more security to life and business compare to other cities, talk to your hubby about his bad choice of Ibadan.

That's pretty nice....I've lived in Ibadan for about a year and some months now....I think Ibadan is perfect since you are not a big-town person. The traffic is good, food is ok and the security is superb....
Wishing you all the best as you return....

Lynn48:

Thanks for the advice. My husband is from Lagos but I'm not used to living in a big city.

Ibadan is a nice place since that's where ur huby is from buh I hope u would be able to cope with your in-laws since that's his hime town.how well are u familiar wit his culture?

luvable sam:
Ibadan is a nice place since that's where ur huby is from buh I hope u would be able to cope with your in-laws since that's his hime town.how well are u familiar wit his culture?

I'm very familiar with my mother in law since just spent 2 months with us which is an yearly event. Over the years the whole family has visited. I visited Lagos 13 years ago for a wedding and We are visiting next month. Thanks for the heads up.

Mister Dan: That's pretty nice....I've lived in Ibadan for about a year and some months now....I think Ibadan is perfect since you are not a big-town person. The traffic is good, food is ok and the security is superb....
Wishing you all the best as you return....

Thanks for your feed back. I am thinking about starting a baking business, would you know availability of such ingredients like flour,chocolate,butter and nuts for starters? Also about leasing equipment. Thanks again.

chucky234: Ibadan is certainly not a good idea, areas like Victoria Island,Ikoyi,Lekki and Ikeja in Lagos offers real city life settings with standard schools,hospitals and recreation centers for relaxation.
Lagos also offer more security to life and business compare to other cities, talk to your hubby about his bad choice of Ibadan.

Thank you for your reply. I will keep your advice in mind.

Lynn48:

Thanks for your feed back. I am thinking about starting a baking business, would you know availability of such ingredients like flour,chocolate,butter and nuts for starters? Also about leasing equipment. Thanks again.

I'm sure you'll find the ingredients easily , however equipments to lease are not so easy to find, you'll probably have to buy yours.

Rejoice5000: Come home Nigeria is the best country to live in, choose any school of ur choice ad enroll ur kids in,choose any state of ur choice and lived in a government reserved area. but not this Boko haram state ooooo abeg

Really? On what grounds do you make such bold & ridiculous claims? I really hope this was some sort of sarcasm or irony.

@OP the one & only thing that would determine your quality of life in Nigeria, is the amount of money you have at your disposal, simple!! If you have enough money, then don't worry yourself, you'd be fine!

And it would help going into Nigeria with the notion, you are on your own, expect nothing from the government, I mean nothing!! & be ready to do everything yourself.

Lynn48: I am an American white woman married to a Nigerian (15 yrs. and 2 children) and we want to move to Nigeria. Please give me some advice about security, places to live, schools for the kids and what life will be like. My husband also wants to run for some office as he thinks someone must fight for the country. Everyone tells him he's naive. But regardless, we're Nigeria bound. Any advice is welcome.

Many Nigerian politicians are in offices to make a difference. I wish him luck and safe transition.

Are your children young or older?

Are u really white?? You writing looks fake.
Anyways, all best. Welcome home.

you are welcome

chineloSA:
Are u really white?? You writing looks fake.

Can this, above, be voted the most ridiculous NL comment ever?!

I beseech all of Igboland to disown you and your extreme inferiority complex; what a complete and utter bushmeat you are. I can bet you're as fugly as a Communist German Olympic wrestler!

Even if she is as black as charcoal... how can you be so d.u.m.b (in public)? Tufiakwa.

"Writing looks fake"... doesn't it consist of letters and words? So WTF does that mean?

Cross River State, Calabar Iڪ n should be ur most preferred destination. The reason Iڪ that its so peaceful n D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ people living A̶̲̥̅̊я̲̣̥ε̲̣̣̣̥ so hospitable. U̶̲̥̅̊ can ve access τ̲̅ȍ whatever U̶̲̥̅̊ so desire.

chineloSA:
Are u really white?? You writing looks fake.
Anyways, all best. Welcome home.

if i say u be mumu* na so every body go com vex for me, hope you did not forget to take your drugs yesterday.

VillageBoi:

Can this, above, be voted the most ridiculous NL comment ever?!

I beseech all of Igboland to disown you and your extreme inferiority complex; what a complete and utter bushmeat you are. I can bet you're as fugly as a Communist German Olympic wrestler!

Even if she is as black as charcoal... how can you be so d.u.m.b (in public)? Tufiakwa.

"Writing looks fake"... doesn't it consist of letters and words? So WTF does that mean?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or entitled to ask any question. Considering the number of internet trolls, Its within my right to ask if I wanna ask. If my question ruffles your feathers, so be it.

I think you are the dumbest person, what does my looks have to do with my question. Is there no other argument that you can come up with?

By the way, "fugly" is something very far from my family genes. Its just that I don't like attention, so I refrain from attaching photos . But hey lover boy, I am very good looking Igbo . Family evidence attached on my profile pic

Do you know OP, to defend her that much? Or maybe you aspire to marry white?

The question is still directed to OP and not you.

venatus25:
if i say u be mumu* na so every body go com vex for me, hope you did not forget to taking your drugs yesterday.

, the biggest mumu is you, cant even control your emotions. Poverty surely creates anger. Are you perhaps hungry??
Its within my right to ask if I wanna ask considering the amount of internet trolls.

Its not your birth right to tell me how to express myself.

What really rocks your boat when I direct a question to OP. Do you know her perhaps? Huuuuuh.

chucky234: Ibadan is certainly not a good idea, areas like Victoria Island,Ikoyi,Lekki and Ikeja in Lagos offers real city life settings with standard schools,hospitals and recreation centers for relaxation.
Lagos also offer more security to life and business compare to other cities, talk to your hubby about his bad choice of Ibadan.

Lynn, I can tell you for a FACT that Ibadan is A VERY GOOD LOCATION. My parents have two houses in Ibadan, I schooled in Ibadan and it was the central place for the family as my father worked with the Federal Government and be was transferred around a bit. Ibadan is everything Lagos has but more quiet, less people, cheaper and very friendly. You have lots of places to choose from in terms of accomodation. Oluyole Estate / Ring road, Bodija, Ashi, Jericho, Basorun and new estates toward the rail line (I forget the name now). A bakery business needs customers period and all the good bakeries are usually sold out! I know because the last time I went to Nigeria in December 2012, we would drive to Ring Road to buy bread from Zaartech bakery, one of the better bakeries in Ibadan. There are lots of good schools and I attended the International School, Ibadan on of the best schools in Nigeria then. Today, there must be dozens of more schools like that and with similar orientations.

I hear the current government is fixing up many parts of the state and I did witness significant progress when I visited. You have big markets to shop for local produce, departmental store chains, security is much better than virtually all parts outside the SW of Nigeria and maybe better than Lagos with a much larger population. If you needed to fly out, Lagos airport is a out 1.5 hrs away except you run into heavy traffic which is not news if you have lived in big cities and states with bursting populations like California, New York, Toronto, etc. In terms of overall cost, Ibadan comes out tops compared to Lagos and Abuja. If you have a lot of money to invest and spend, Lagos and Abuja could be good choices too and you can charge more for your products because generally, there is more money in those states and more people than Ibadan.

I wouldn't advise you to choose lagos.
It's one big overpopulated slum except a few areas within lagos like VI, and IKOYI and there is so much pressure on the infrastructure in lagos.
Places like calabar, Uyo,abuja and enugu are home to lots of foreigners due to the organized system of things there and better infrastructure.
I will personally advice you to choose UYO or ABUJA.

chineloSA:

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or entitled to ask any question. Considering the number of internet trolls, Its within my right to ask if I wanna ask. If my question ruffles your feathers, so be it.

I think you are the dumbest person, what does my looks have to do with my question. Is there no other argument that you can come up with?

By the way, "fugly" is something very far from my family genes. Its just that I don't like attention, so I refrain from attaching photos . But hey lover boy, I am very good looking Igbo . Family evidence attached on my profile pic

Do you know OP, to defend her that much? Or maybe you aspire to marry white?

The question is still directed to OP and not you.

Nne, you're bush & you're dumb... it's no big deal! Afterall someone has to be the village id.iot. Biko, just wear the badge proudly... you hear?!

VillageBoi:

Nne, you're bush & you're dumb... it's no big deal! Afterall someone has to be the village id.iot. Biko, just wear the badge proudly... you hear?!

Bush and dumb, that makes us two. Why hate on each other then.

Your prescription : 50mg chill pill X 3/day.

Sloan:

Lynn, I can tell you for a FACT that Ibadan is A VERY GOOD LOCATION. My parents have two houses in Ibadan, I schooled in Ibadan and it was the central place for the family as my father worked with the Federal Government and be was transferred around a bit. Ibadan is everything Lagos has but more quiet, less people, cheaper and very friendly. You have lots of places to choose from in terms of accomodation. Oluyole Estate / Ring road, Bodija, Ashi, Jericho, Basorun and new estates toward the rail line (I forget the name now). A bakery business needs customers period and all the good bakeries are usually sold out! I know because the last time I went to Nigeria in December 2012, we would drive to Ring Road to buy bread from Zaartech bakery, one of the better bakeries in Ibadan. There are lots of good schools and I attended the International School, Ibadan on of the best schools in Nigeria then. Today, there must be dozens of more schools like that and with similar orientations.

I hear the current government is fixing up many parts of the state and I did witness significant progress when I visited. You have big markets to shop for local produce, departmental store chains, security is much better than virtually all parts outside the SW of Nigeria and maybe better than Lagos with a much larger population. If you needed to fly out, Lagos airport is a out 1.5 hrs away except you run into heavy traffic which is not news if you have lived in big cities and states with bursting populations like California, New York, Toronto, etc. In terms of overall cost, Ibadan comes out tops compared to Lagos and Abuja. If you have a lot of money to invest and spend, Lagos and Abuja could be good choices too and you can charge more for your products because generally, there is more money in those states and more people than Ibadan.

Thanks so much for your response, especially, on the specifics to where to stay as well as the general environment as to what to expect. Thanks so much!

Lynn48:


Thanks so much for your response, especially, on the specifics to where to stay as well as the general environment as to what to expect. Thanks so much!

Are you looking for primary or secondary school for your kids?

Mrs.Chima:


Are you looking for primary or secondary school for your kids?

We are looking for both ( 7 & 10 yr old).