Friends. I am desperately in need of some advice here. I am doing very fine here in Nigeria, my Telecomms business generates me over N15m profit annually, but I am faced with pressure from my wife who thinks relocating to UK or US will not be a bad idea.

I have been to US before briefly but it never crossed my mind to stay back and live there. What are your advices, will I still be able to maintain my business tempo and have a better life abroad or should I just stay back and develop my business further.

Consider your choices carefully! What I would advice you is this - Whatever move you decide to make, don't and DON'T SELL OFF YOUR BUSINESS!!!!

Why try to fool/mock us?? You make 15m and u want to throw that away and start from zilch abroad? BTW ur telecomms biz na career?

Please dont even think of abandoning your cushy life in Nigeria for a life of uncertainity abroad. Most definitely, you will live to regret it. I know of at least, an individual, (and they are many of them in the USA), who fell for the razzledazzle life of the Western world, only to find out that it is just a flash in the pan.

Why dont you just visit, like during the summer?

why do people lie?

I wonder o!

This is the wrong place to exhibit your deficiencies, if you don't have useful advises which i quite understand, why don't u just stay out.

Guy, go thru your initial post again and see how it does not make sense! U make 15 million annually here in Naija and u wanna throw that all away??

Don't do it, bro!!! Sit your butt in naija and expand your bizness within naija and beyond. Since it's that profitable, you can always afford to come abroad on holidays and even as often as you want sef. Bro, don't believe the hype. At best, 'abroad' is best suited for up and coming [relatively young] folks who still have a lot of years to spare in 'paying their dues' after they arrive here; starting from scratch, adapting/blending into the system, and then working their way up -- THAT WILL TAKE YEARS!! You sound like you've 'been there done that' already and attained an enviable measure of success there in naija, so why risk throwing all that away? IMO, don't rock the boat. Tell madam to relax and not get too excited about this going 'abroad' bizness.  You fit try pacify her with a promise of frequent shopping trips to the U.K and America.

Stay back in 9ja mate,it is a rat race out there.Take it or leave it.

@poster

relocate to wherever you want to relocate to. Your children have a better future.

i think u have to look out for the benefits,i.e what u stand to benefit in one year abroad and your 15m in nija. if it will pay u better and life will be bearable, then why not
after all you r working just for u and your family. but first, put your assets/liabilities in each of the evironments and see which one pays you better.
dont forget i am a job seeker, i will need your help if you can
chaw!!!

Think of issues such as your kids' future, their school, exposure, do u think Nigeria will be good for them? think about the security of life and property in both countries, economic stability, the limits of growth potentials etc, carefully consider these issues and then take ur decision. Look at the future benefits too. whatever decision u take, stick to it and use do all that u can to gain advantage from it. If i were in your position, i will relocate as long as it will be comfortable, i mean i wont have to strife so much to surive where i am relocating to. Be sure that if you dont relocate, your kids will never forgive you.

Question: If you do relocate, what'll be your status wherever you go? If youre going wherever with a visit visa then just forget it. Do you want to start off there doing ANY job that'll barely take care of you let alone your family just because you want to live abroad? If you have residency status or better, then you will have to decide for yourself after carefully considering all factors. But for someone who earns N15m annually here I expect the challenge to be how to increase your income instead of how to move continents? Listen to lafem and don't rock the boat, especially when youre most likely gonna want to come a settle in naija eventually.
With your kind of income, it shouldnt be difficult to visit many world destinations for the exposure your wife craves so much.
My advise: Every year, decide with your wife where you guys'll visit as tourists (and not necessarily UK/US, there are just too many other options).

@lagbaja,
im sorry im going to have to take the same path that Loverbwoy and Kitaun took by saying that it would be extremely stupid for you to leave a rosy life in Nigeria and come here to face an uncertain future.
Even those of us here are constantly looking for job opportunities in Nigeria.

Seriously speaking, consider the pros and cons

Nigeria is your country, No need for visas/ residential status palaver
No racism, if any other ethnic group  hala u, u hala am back
No second class status problem
No need to start learning oyinbo accent (u will never blend perfectly once ure over 14)
No need to start from scratch, ur kids can go to private schools/Uni in Nigeria

The problems of Nigeria are just electricity, security (which is bot as efficient sef) and water

If u actually earn 15m a year, live a posh life in Naija and visit US/UK for holidays. Full stop

Keep one foot in naija and one foot abroad.

one foot in naija: your biz, house, assets, culture, children (secondary school time)

one foot abroad: children (when they are of schooling age), work (one u can easily abandon when you are bored with the place).

Many people are doing it this way, and I am considering it myself. As I tell people, abroad is like the leprechaun (sic) who went on a hunt for the legendary pot of gold only to end up finding the pot was filled with corn flakes. Also, don't forget the story of Lazarus and the rich man in the Bible - Not all those abroad will tell you the truth with respect to how life is with them there

Good luck!!

@   lagbaja
Did u really mean to ask this question?,
U don't mean to, do you?
r u 4 real?
u need my advice? just 1million naira, and u get the best advice that'll change ur life 4 good!!!
 

Lonchi, what exactly are you writing? His kids wont forgive him for not relocating? Are you kidding us? Is the respondent really serious, to think about it, that someone would dump a 15 million naira a year job in Naija to fulfil the wishes of their spouse and come to America? Since he makes that kind of money, I am sure, he will be exposed to know that abroad is not the fabled land of milk and honey, but also a land of hardknocks.

Bottom line: If he abandons his cushy lifestyle in Naija to America and work in Macdonalds as a cleaner, what do you think would be his family reaction?

The answer is blowing in the wind.

na waa oh! dnt get it! well all the rich people i know in naja never ask this emm i mean this question oo! most of them de in nigeria de come here on holidays!

so where do u belong now! my crocodile eyes no understand oo!

I say don't waste your time trying to move to USA bcoz trust me you won't be able to make the kind of money you make in nigeria, forget about the hype that life is good in america, and when you come here you end up working from hand to mouth, i wish i had stayed in 9ja, i know i would have had a better life, which is why i am moving back permanently this year.

Honestly, i dont think you should relocate at all. i have been here 4 a while and i am so home sick. its true the opportuinity to become someone is huge here but i dont think its wise to move
this is my stand

give birth to ur kids here (if they r not already born) so they would neva have to struggle to get a visa in the future and also so that they can have the option of going to sch there at a lower cost withour dealing with international fees and also they would be able to work cuz they r citizens.

But i dont think you should relocate. if i had my way, i would just visit. TRUST ME!!!  the details r beyond this, they go on and on . . .

Dont relocate. An average american makes nearly $39,000 per year which is about half a million naira. Plus they have to pay taxes. You are making $288,461.54 per year based on what you gave. Now compared it with $39,000 and tell me which one is better. America is headache.

I have a friend who did telecoms in the UK and Masters in systems engineering in the US, he is comming to nigeria next year to work because it does not worth living here. So my brother. Stay put because nigeria is way much better.

Relocate your children my dear, at least its the best legacy you will be giving them. When they grow up and find it easier to visit the north pole than even south africa, they wont forgive you for wasting an excellent opportunity.

The world is getting smaller so are the opportunities that exist. A few yrs down the line it would be virtually impossible for africans to visit European or American countries as they too begin to tighten immigration rules. I dont intend to live in the US forever myself and my kids WILL school in Nigeria by God's grace but the best you can do for them is get them a foreign passport!!!

But dont abandon your naija business o!!!

Some people yarn dust as if they know everybody's situation, what is wrong in making 15m in naija and contemplating relocating?

My advice, if you are a biz man, forget it, it means you dont even have a resume to start looking for a job abroad. And business in naija, and abroad can be very very different in concepts and mark-ups.
Maybe you let your wife go abroad with the kids.

I know of someone who earned 8m naira, relocated legit and earns $90k after 1 year. Its not the same story for everyone, but this dude was employed by a multinational and was always on training abroad before he made his move.

If you are a business man, try open a branch abroad, let madam start running it and see how it goes from there but dont leave now.

i think u wrong and im afraid might always be haha!

not too sure about that

LAGBAJA<

i will advise you the way i would advice my family member. pls if you know that naija is being good to you like you said and the pressure is from your wife, i would advise that you send her here to start the struggle, before you now make up your mind to join.

because america is not like naija that if you don't have a job you can borrow and repay, nobody will borrow money to and for you and you cant borrow from the bank because you will not have good enough credit.

struggling in america is horrible
the people that come home to show off, have really gone tru alot here.

america is not fun like it is portrayed, it is a scheduled land as in you work with time and it is either you are on time or behind. IT IS A FREAKING CRAZY LAND.

i had biz in naija b4 i sold it to come here and struggle thinking it was the best land, but my story was not as i pictured it. it is very ruff.

my final words are if your wife is pressurizing you send her here to get herself first while you stay back in naija and continue your business.

wait i am not predicting bad things but she will surely need to change naira to dolls when she first starts here. people that come to america dont stand until like 2 -- 3 years on the average and that is worrysome,


just make sure you pple dont come together so you don't regret it like some ppl i know of wella.


JUST BE PRAYERFULL AND DONT COME TOGETHER!!!!!!


CASPER

@my2cent

men i must say u really right that the best advice to give the guy
i think he confuse and he need to be convice about he abroad and career
issue, but u na pastor u no tell me when u start to dey preach for Nairaland o,

Later na.

Stay In Nigeria.

Your Kids Cn Vaction in The US. They Can Have Their Under/Postgrad Here.

You And Your Wife Can Holiday Elsewhere. There Are A Lot More Cheaper And Better Locations Than The US.

I Assume You Are Above 28 years. Any Relocation After 28 Can May Only End U In Regrets.

Believe Me Or Ask The Leprauchaun If U Have His Email: "All That Glitters Aint Gold"

well with 15m u can get a good life here in nigeri.so i dn't think relocation is advisable

I think you should try to come overboard and do your buisness
there's alot of oppotunity in America especially

My brotha dont fall for the lie that most of our people are decieved by! if you have your money, naija is the best place to live in this world. its only when you dont have that its tough. Abroad is worse! I know too many talented nigerians that were working in banks and other good place that went abroad and becoz of no job started driving cabs! i know even more that have thier marriages break up becoz the husband stays here and decides to send the wife and kids, then some lady or man capitalizes on the absence of either partner and they start having affairs. if you have the money it is better to go abroad on holiday and come back. send your children to school there probably at university level (so they dont lose their identity) and invest your money here. You have been advised!