Shymm3x:


Anyway, I sincerely apologise for the initial back and forth. It just irks me when folks use Peckham for all kinds of negativity when most don't even know how rich the London Borough of Southwark is. SE1 is just like the City of London and all the monumental landmark bridges over the Thames River that represent London connect Southwark.

I hear that. That's why folks need to stop generalising about Nigerians in the UK cos there are tons of Nigerian professionals making ridiculous money daily. Even a lot of young Nigerians are making it big and it's silly to use the achievement of an average immigrant (which is where majority of immigrants in any country will always fall) to judge everyone. However, I still don't think it's wise to live in those ultra expensive high rise flats in Canary Wharf - when you can use the money for a bigger and better house. Driving around there is also expensive due to congestion charge. Don't even get me started about parking. Ditto the stress of going to an underground parking lot to pick ya car every morning - when you can easily come out of ya detached house and drive off. They're just making the Asians who own majority of the real estate in that area richer.

Apology Accepted.

Shout out to Lolak Afrique restaurant in Peckham!
I stop by every time I drive down to London with the mrs.
Their Amala and Gbegiri soup is one in town!

Great and accurate write up of the realities of African expats in the UK.

That is mainly how those legally residents live, however if illegal many are forced to go into crime to make a living.

Really socially, there is really no life compared to back home, people are economic refugees in UK and 99% would be on the next flight home if the could be guaranteed the same level of security, medical care, children's education and job with a good income.

UK is not as easy for Africans to make money, but every essential is taken care of if you are legally resident, you and family have 100% free medical care. Children get free schooling up and including high school.

You have good security and protection from the law.

If you think Uk is tough, be assured that it is far fairer to Africans than most other European countries.

Excellent read, only error is that Peckham is not in North London, it is South London.

Please note, whilst the article depicts life of vast majority of Africans, There are Africans especially those born in the UK and have been through university who can land very well paid jobs.

Many Nigerian are Nurses and medical doctors earning upto N25m per annum for a top Nurse and up to N50m per year for top Doctors with similar high wages people working in dentistry, and finance accountancy. So it is possible to earn big bucks, but if you are highly qualified and have residence.
It is easier for the generations of young Nigerians that grew up and schooled in UK to land such big jobs.
It is far more easy to hustle your way up to a top paying job in the UK than it is to get any job at all in most other European countries.

However for 90% of Africans the reality is that they would have to do menial jobs.

They say UK is a great equalizer for Africans:
A Banker , University Professor, street sweeper and a Driver from back home often find themselves working together in same menial job like cleaning or hospital porter in the UK.

saintopus:
I carefully read through it.I wonder the point of leaving your country to another man's land hoping to excel. In no too distant future all that will be left is a poor bragging once having a degree in UK.

The point is if you are a Nigerian it is in your best interest to emmigrate LEGALLY as soon as possible. Key word here is "legally". Nigerians have this misconception that you can just wake up one morning and decide you'll emigrate without the right papers to the U.S, U.K, Germany, etc. Wrong answer. Without a legal status is same as being in jail, but with the right status, the opportunities presented to you is unfreakingbelieveable. Whom so ever leaves Nigeria without papers i wish good luck.

ogaju007:


You sound frustrated. Is everything ok? Do you need help? Is something not going according to plan? Speculation is for illiterates you know? Has your benefit been stopped? If you need a helping hand let us know. We are all Nigerians and willing to help. You sound like you just got to Uk and it's shacking you. Or things didn't go as planned? No shame in staying in Peckham but good lord knows the likes of you lot that live there.

It is best that you draw a line in the sand with your anti-Peckham rhetoric, by concentrating on other matters, before you draw even more inbound fire.

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Peter Mansfield - British physicist who was awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Andy McNab - Former British soldier turned novelist. McNab came to public prominence in 1993 when he wrote an account about the failed SAS mission Bravo Two Zero during the Gulf War.
John Boyega - British actor, best known for playing Moses in his 2011 film debut Attack the Block.Boyega will play Finn in the upcoming 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Del Boy - Fictional character in time-honoured British sitcom. A legend of sorts

#ReppingForSE15_From_The_Jump

Alright, having been through the rest of the thread, I see peace now reigns.

Heading back to the trenches, now that I know the subtle denigration of my old stomping ground was borne of a momentary lapse in judgment.

All the European countries are like that,

bonechamberlain:
why be in u.k when there is u.s. haven't seen the reason why I should decide to base in the u.k with all their racism, than in the u.s. but truth be told they are more organized and civilized than the u.s. but u have %70 chances to succeed in the u.s than u k.

You can succeed Here in Nigeria if u are Patient,Diligent,Honest,Focused,Frugal, CONTENTED,PRAYERFUL!!!
The Land is Greener Here in Nigeria trust me!

i live in austria and i can tell u that taxi work is one of the worst work that u can do in europe.the reason is that eveybody is working the whole week to survive and the only time that you can meet with anyone you know is in the weekend and in that same weekend is the time that every taxi driver most work and that is all night if not you will never earn enough to even pay your bills not to talk of eating.this will make you to be totally isolated from this world can can only talk with someone on the phone but never face to face with this work.you may say oh just that but you can never imaging how depressed you will feel.is just like telling someone in nigeria that europe is very cold.anyone in nigeria that have never travel to europe will never understand what you mean because he or she can never imagine it.for the house in lekki.if that guy only drive taxi,he can never buy a house in lekki till he go to die maybe just an apartment.believe it on not.thx

tobimillar:
I read thru every bit of it and first I must say it a wonderful write up and I am disappointed at nairalander's asking for summary above.. please u guys should learn to read.

@topic isn't it funny that a taxi driver in UK is able to build a house in lekki... that is the reason everybody wants to travel even when they know it's not going to be easy.
A graduate working in civil service or even doctors can't build house in lekki except they do illegal runs or have other private businesses

coogar:


those "dirtier" jobs pay more money than most bank managers make in nigeria. it's all about the money money money.

Are you sure, I know a couple of Nigerians in UK who are lookng for 150k per month job in Nigeria, talkless of a Bank manager who earns multiples of that amount and access to multi-million interest free loans.

Dem no dey tell man

Who no go, no know.

bebe2:


nigerians and there obsession with UK, just checkout the number of pple viewing this thread.

but dem go pretend say dem no like london, but wen dem hear the name, them go stand still

well this article doesn't change my mind.. I wish to settle in UK soon, after my NYSC, I beta suffer there dan enjoy here..

Tinyemeka:


I wonder what'd happen if eventually, 1GBP equates to 1NGN?

APC member spotted! In ur Dreams, we are promised 1N=1$

There is no place that is easy to make it. It is even harder abroad, the only difference is they got basic amenities that we lack here. As we grow older we realize these things. Life in general is hard but we keep moving and hoping

ogaju007:


You better be careful before Shymm3x says you're googling names lol. Please would you live in Peckham?

who be shymm3x ,
Do you know when I've been going to U.k?
I can't stay there because I have a good job here and for me to have 10yrs valid visa and 3rd year running,you think say na moimoi?

cyberdurable:
well this article doesn't change my mind.. I wish to settle in UK soon, after my NYSC, I beta suffer there dan enjoy here..

Humans are fond of getting carried away with the moment. When you get there you will understand. The grass is always greener on the other side till you get there and find out it is a mirage. After two years in the UK. you will understand.

coogar:


those "dirtier" jobs pay more money than most bank managers make in nigeria. it's all about the money money money.

You know nothing about economics. Poverty is defined by where you live and not by converting difference currencies. The purchasing power of someone earning 2,000 pounds in UK. is equivalent to someone making 60,000 naira in Nigeria. You need to talk to an economist before typing what you don't understand

ayodele234:


Humans are fond of getting carried away with the moment. When you get there you will understand. The grass is always greener on the other side till you get there and find out it is a mirage. After two years in the UK. you will understand.

So wat are u implying? I graduated few yrs bk, av searched for any kind of Job, even a 20k Job to hold body n soul togeda, I couldn't get.. so I should continue dis way?if eventually I finally get one, non payment of salary jumps in, bro if it is only d stress and strenght to work, I have I cn stand it in UK if I av d opportunity.. even here in Nigeria we r stil Discriminated

Obiwannn:

Are the taxes more than Germany?

don't know about the Germans.

Anglovel:


You can succeed Here in Nigeria if u are Patient,Diligent,Honest,Focused,Frugal, CONTENTED,PRAYERFUL!!!
The Land is Greener Here in Nigeria trust me!

yah I know, just saying I would prefer the u.s anyday to the u.k

All I will say is that I have no dog in this fight. Lol.

bonechamberlain:
yah I know, just saying I would prefer the u.s anyday to the u.k

Ditto. Team USA.

ogaju007:
I thought you knew for a fact that I was in a village in Nigeria but now you think I live in Essex omg. You my friend are unbelievable. Anyways where do you take your C2C from so I can crown you miss Peckham....

you can take your c2c from westham through Dagenham ,Purfleet and essex.

gbosaa:


Read again, the person I quoted said someone could make that amount of money after hustling in the UK for four years and he wrote the article. What are you talking about?

Yes the person said it. Yet the article didn't say it

ogaju007:


You sound frustrated. Is everything ok? Do you need help? Is something not going according to plan? Speculation is for illiterates you know? Has your benefit been stopped? If you need a helping hand let us know. We are all Nigerians and willing to help. You sound like you just got to Uk and it's shacking you. Or things didn't go as planned? No shame in staying in Peckham but good lord knows the likes of you lot that live there.

Peckham Rye market is opposite Peckham library ajegunle of today is better than the market and also see Nigerians coming after you saying aunty come and do your hair as they used to do in yaba marke.

Ilaje44:
Those guys complaining about being targeted by the Police should please go to the State of Bavaria or Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany, they will understand what a police state is.

However, even though there are some overzealous or even racist police officers, some of the predicaments we face are self afflicted. Some of our people like to cut corners, beat the system, and when they're caught, the oyinbo begin to stereotype everyone, we become potential suspects.
Despite all these, UK still offer a better opportunity for you as an "educated" African when you compare it to Germany even though Germany is economically, organizationally and structurally miles ahead of the UK. For instance, it's easier to land an administrative position as an African in the UK than in Germany.
Anyway, the only cure to us being mistreated is to get our country to run. We will earn the respect we crave if our homeland start to show signs of sanity. I'm afraid that might not even happen in my life time considering the situation Nigeria finds itself right now. The mentality of an average Nigerian, the lack of foresight of the political leaders, and the fact that Nigeria has defied reforms that ensure the growth of stable institutions and infrastructures necessary for development among others are very troubling. I wish Nigeria well nonetheless!

Nice post. I have heard many people say that about Germany. But when you consider that Germany has a better immigration law, where would you rather immigrate to? I feel it's because the Germans are not used to blacks bossing over them, that's why this discrimination exists

ogaju007:


You sound frustrated. Is everything ok? Do you need help? Is something not going according to plan? Speculation is for illiterates you know? Has your benefit been stopped? If you need a helping hand let us know. We are all Nigerians and willing to help. You sound like you just got to Uk and it's shacking you. Or things didn't go as planned? No shame in staying in Peckham but good lord knows the likes of you lot that live there.

Peckham Rye market is opposite Peckham library ajegunle of today is better than the market and also see Nigerians coming after you saying aunty come and do your hair as they used to do in yaba market

cyberdurable:
well this article doesn't change my mind.. I wish to settle in UK soon, after my NYSC, I beta suffer there dan enjoy here..

And so shall it be. Ur wish shall be granted in jesus name.

Shymm3x:


Lol. They don't ask folks to "show your papers" in the UK. The UKBA thing you sound on YouTube is something they just do randomly from time to time, just like they do in the US with Mexicans - nothing serious. The only difference is that black people aren't more than 3% of the UK's population, unlike US where AAs make up about 13% and it's easier to differentiate a black person from the UK from an immigrant, by just the way folks dress and mannerism - without even hearing them speak. Hence during the random checks (only in isolated cases), they tend to spot immigrants easily. And folks don't even get deported like that from the UK (The EU laws protect most people) - they just keep them in detention camps and allow them to seek asylum...and after a while the overwhelming majority of them always get released.

Also, whatever the OP wrote up there is the same for all Nigerians living in foreign countries not just the UK. A lot of Nigerians just like picking on the UK for reasons I'll never understand.

- Cab drivers: I'd even wager that there are more Nigerian cab drivers in the US (based on what I know and I've seen) than in the UK. I've never seen a Nigerian black cab driver, or even a proper cab company owned by a Nigerian in the UK - apart from a few part time private hire here and there, and those who do the airport cabbie. But in the US - there are loads of yellow cab drivers in New York City that are Nigerians. And that's just New York alone.

- Nurses and care workers: it's the same everywhere, from UK, to US, to Canada, to Australia. These countries need people in that field - and a lot of Nigerian immigrants, especially females work there. Big deal?

- Security: it's the same everywhere.

The problem is that these folks won't focus on the tons of Nigerian professionals/academics and gazillion of Nigerian business thriving in the UK. I don't think there's any Nigerian diaspora community with more thriving businesses than we've in the UK. Nigerians are everywhere.

Don't even get me started on the young Nigerians doing big things in the UK - making that pounds sterling and living large.

These folks just hate the UK.

two questions. Compare the taxes in the countries you mentioned, I wanna see the least please
Secondly, if the taxi driver can succeed big, how would you rate the prospect of one who studied Engineering for example?

ogaju007:


You better be careful before Shymm3x says you're googling names lol. Please would you live in Peckham?

well there are some places in Peckham so decent but there are too many corrupt people and fast laners there even the Jomos are there,I prefer to be in Camberwell to Peckham ,Peckham is rough and you can't bring up a child there even camden is another worse place.

OnReflection:


It is best that you draw a line in the sand with your anti-Peckham rhetoric, by concentrating on other matters, before you draw even more inbound fire.

Some of our greatest offerings...

Rio Ferdinand - He has achieved 67 caps for the English national team while being selected for three FIFA World Cup squads.
Peter Mansfield - British physicist who was awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Andy McNab - Former British soldier turned novelist. McNab came to public prominence in 1993 when he wrote an account about the failed SAS mission Bravo Two Zero during the Gulf War.
John Boyega - British actor, best known for playing Moses in his 2011 film debut Attack the Block.Boyega will play Finn in the upcoming 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Del Boy - Fictional character in time-honoured British sitcom. A legend of sorts

#ReppingForSE15_From_The_Jump

Kileleyinso?