Is Life Really Better Abroad?

Wow, I seem to have made quite a number of enemies. Please note I did not state what I earn, you can check my posts. I repeat again, someone asked me how many under 35's I know that earn up to £30,000 and I replied saying that people I know earn that and are way under 35. I haven't lived in America, I was only assuming that companies pay their graduates $80,000 which was why I said correct me if I am wrong. I don't care what graduates are paid in America, I was only making a comparison. You guys have made such a big deal out of the earnings which I wouldn't even have discussed if someone else hadn't brought it. I mean I put up links to substantiate my claims of salaries for grads so people don't accuse me of making up stories. I even did not add my company in the list because I already said what I earned was personal. Now you suggest that perhaps my mother who lives in Nigeria is a major shareholder in a fortune 500 company, I say amen to that for her. I wish she had that sort of connection so I did not have to work so hard to get my dream job.

I did not go to an Ivy league school but I went to a good school.  I know that in America it is not as important as it is in the UK to attend a good school. In the UK, if the name of your school doesn't ring a bell with HR sorry no hope. The top companies visit only certain schools to  recruit candidates and that is why I said it is important to attend a good school not necessarily an ivy league one. I learnt this the very hard way and since then I have passed on this bit of information to those who care to listen. Ask anyone who made the mistake of going to a rubbish school in the UK, they end up going to do a Masters at a top university or get stuck in a dead end job.  It is not hard to get into a good school , it might be hard to get into Cambridge but I never said you need to go there, there are plenty of reputable schools in the UK.

This thread has made me realise what a funny world it is. If I told my friends that people are screaming because I said grads earn £35,000, I am sure they would laugh. Am not bragging or anything but it is a normal occurence for people I know and everyone of them has worked so hard to earn their jobs and they truly deserve it. I already started a thread for grads in the UK on this forum. As I said earlier, I learnt the hard way what education and career was about in the UK and I plan to get a website up and running (as soon as I can) with the help of people I know that have also managed to get it right so as to help others. I don't know all the answers but I have certainly learnt a lot form my job hunt and am not selfish, I want everyone esp Nigerians to do well. Please note that I did not come here to brag.

somebody calm down, You're on the defensive. When i was typing those words it was not to attack you or your position.  I don't know anything about the UK, so i am not commenting on that i was only commenting on what you said about fresh grads making 50k-80k with NO EXPERIENCE in the US. !

I agree with you about IVY league schools.  or top schools, but if someone can't make it into the top schools ( they are extremely  competitive) he/she might as well make the most of what they have.!

 

@Toniaslim, try preaching it to a civil servant back home who has been owed three months salary, and he will 'reason' with you for choosing to stay back in Naija, even if he wins the green card lottery. Try explaining your discourse to a pensioner, who has not received his benefits, for no apparent reason. Try and convince a University student in Nigeria who has lost an academic year, because of Asuu strike, and is desperate to come to America and further his education. And moreso, tell a university graduate who has been unemployed for 4 years, because he has no connection, that he should stay back home, because Nigeria stands to lose a lot, if he 'checks out of the country' to America for economic reasons.

we are economic refugees in obodo oyinbo 

@candylips
you don come again 
when una run finish agarasha must come back 

dependin on how u want to look @ it,there are good and bad side of binin in yanki and in Nigeria,it ol depends on who you re,

@ somebody
NOW YOU ARE LYING. See post 443

It was because you posted that you are not doing odd jobs and suffering and earn more than £30k and don't consider £30k a good salary, THAT prompted Chimaze to ask how many people you know under the age of 35 who earned such. And you have identified you and your acquiantances and your friends and your counterparts and your cousin.

You also mentioned that everyone should strive to get into a good school in order to get a good job and neglecting the obvious fact that age is not on everyone's side.

In such ideal situation, everyone seeking greener pasture from Nigeria would have to be between sixteen and eighteen years of age, get their A levels, foundation and university education at a cost of roughly £12,000 per annum for international students tuition fee and boarding fee.

Anyone older than this wold have to compete with younger graduates like yourselves and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figu7re out who is going to get the job
 

@ big_bumper, am lost. What did I lie about? I responded to Chimze because he goes on and on about this £30,000(other threads)and I said I disagree because if as a graduate you can earn £30,000 then that is not the average salary. Obviously a grad salary should be the least salary someone should earn and that must mean it is not great. And I said £25,000 - £37,000 not £30,000.

But please tell me what I lied about.

@ somebody,

Don't mind these peopz.
I believe LIFE IS WHAT U MAKE IT.
If someone decides to work as a cleaner for 20 years at MacDonalds, so shall it be.
If anutha head decides he wants to push up his career by taking management courses then he will earn more.
Thats just the way life is in abroad.

There are some mouth-watering jobs in the UK that does not even need u to be a University graduate.
Just take the courses, pass it and get paid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nigerians are taking advantage of these things and they are living comfortably well.
UK/USA is gold for the smart ones and could be HELL for the IGNORAMUS.

High cost of living High standard of living 

Quote

1) What is the percentage of  people from ethnic minority that work in such places you mentioned?

have you asked what the percentage of ethnic minorities are there first place
What is the percentage of unemployment in _{Nigeria that is if there is a figure}

Quote

2) Is there any killings in UK?
    Please watch channel 4 news for just 2 days. There is plenty of killings in UK for just no reason.

there is plenty of killing in Nigeria for money rituals/inheritance feud,political gains, and thousands for no reason and they never appear in the news- are these killings OK or we just got use to them?

About 20 banks have been robbed in the last 6 months, several people killed/injured commando style robbery
1) was in the news for more than 1 day?
2) what did the police say about it?
3)what are the police doing about it
4) those that were injured, what happened to them?
5) what happens to the banks?

Quote

4) who are the pedophiles and what is their mission?

who are the rapists in Nigeria and what is their mission, how many have been caught,how many have been publicly named and shamed?

_{The only stories that are not paid-in-full are of the schlock-horror variety: a bushy area near a busy road in Ikeja with where women are taken to be raped every night (torn underwear litters the scene); 20 people shot dead in eight separate armed robbery attacks on banks in Lagos in one day last week etc. If any one of these stories occurred in the West, there'D be inquests and analysis and endless discussion (witness the ongoing East Anglian prostitute murders). Here, as soon as they appear they are yesterday's tragedies and silently forgotten. One only hears police sirens in Nigeria when a big man is being carted from A to B - never would you hear the police rushing to the plight of an ordinary mortal.}
Naijablog

Quote

5) How many people resident in UK are can afford to send their kids to private Nursery and primary schools in UK?
    Please don't preach the quality of their schools to me.

how many people in Nigeria can afford to send their children to private schools
hmm someone said obsanjo doesn't care about the poor- i think  "some Nigerians" don't even notice they exist!


how many people are/were apply when they received their monthly pay slip?
pay slips mini documents an employee gets every week/every month showing their earnings. not 6months later not 3 years later


how many graduates can afford 2 year advance payment for a flat in Abuja/Ph/Lagos? 

how much do u spend
bribing police man
bribing nepa
bribing the area boys
bribing the officials just to get you i.d

are these taxes? or just "normal"

yes individual choice, is it possible to allow you kids play football in the field, is it okay if they are not reading 24/7, is it okay to allow them choice their own profession or career path? is it okay for your neighbours to call you kids to get water for you?



 

story   

In answer to Akolawole's questions

1.95% of ethnic minorities I know work in such places. Go to all the top companies, you will see that they are a lot of Asian employees (who are also ethnic minorities) but less blacks. And it is because of attitude that black people are not there, they simply don’t believe they are good enough or they believe they would be discriminated against.

2.I don’t need to look far by going on TV to see how many killings occur in the UK, my father was killed in Nigeria or maybe you think they have reasons for killing people in Nigeria.  None of my relatives have been killed in London so for me that is a non-issue. It might be different for someone else

3.Drug problem is one of the reasons girls turn to prostitution. At least I know the Ipswich prostitutes are drug addicts and use the money they get to fund their habits. That is nobody’s fault but theirs.

4.Paedophiles are everywhere even in Nigeria. Go and ask some young girls, some grown now whose driver, uncle or father raped or touched them indecently. The Nigerian society is such that the people involved are not exposed but that doesn’t mean it does not happen. At least they have sex offender’s register here, what do they have in Nigeria to combat it?

5.The people I know send their kids to private schools or public schools as they are called here. Even the worst school in Britain cannot be compared to the worst school in Nigeria. Why bring in quality of education when the comparison is between UK and Nigeria. Are you somehow trying to say Nigeria has better quality of education?

6.I don’t know how many people were happy with their P60. I know how much tax I pay so why should I be sad or happy when I see my P60?

7.Do you know there is tax system in Nigeria but thanks to corruption and Naija mentality, employees pay tax on very small incomes and claim the rest of the pay package is allowances(so they don’t pay tax on that)? You want to live in a society where everything works and you don’t want to pay tax. You want the income from oil to provide healthcare, good roads, transport system etc in Nigeria abi?

8.Am sure you are very smart, go and find out how much all those things cost. Congestion charge you pay when you drive into a specific zone. What does it have to do with anything?

9.I don’t have a child minder so I wouldn’t know how much it costs. People I know that have kids hire an au pair or bring someone from Naija.

10.It depends on how old my kid is. If they are old enough, I would let them go to the next building unsupervised. And I would probably be more worried in Nigeria.

or perhaps he is happy being a bouncer 

mr akolawale

@ somebody,
U couldn't have done a better job.
You are spot on.

@ Akolawole,
I think we have discussed this topic before but let me break u something proper once and for all.
Living abroad is miles better than living in Nigeria because there are so many factors u are not considering.

Majority of the people doing odd jobs have no legal documents to stay in the UK or have no required qualifications to get good jobs.
It is easy for people to say they are graduates but graduate in what discipline is what counts?
Can a graduate in Yoruba work at T-mobile or BT? These are the questions u need to ask.
I still don't know the kind of Nigerian people u know but there are young and succesful Nigerians living an opulent life in the UK.
Life is what u make it.

let me answer your questions-------------

U cannot compare the percentage of the ethnic minority to the English folks working in big companies because the last time i checked its their country(The UK).
Its like saying whats the percentage of the population of Nigerians in the UK compared to the English men in the UK.
They outnumber other ethnic groups so they tend to dominate every sphere of life but it does not mean u wont find Blacks, Asians and Eastern Europeans in good companies.

There are killings everywhere. New York has the highest crime rate in the world so does that make it worse than Nigeria?
Where on this earth has a crime-rate of 0%? NULL.
How often in the UK does this grievious crime occur in a year as compared to what happens on the streetz of Lagos?
How many incidents gets to the media in Nigeria as compared to the efficiency of the British Press?
Ritual killings, Armed Robbers, Police shooting drivers because of 20 Naira, Ghastly automobil accidents because of bad roads and so on n forth.
The list is endless.
People don't sleep with their 2 eyes closed in Nigeria for the fear of men of the underworld.
Taxis are death zones, Buses are death traps and even passenger planes are crashing every now and then.


Prostitution as we all know is the oldest profession in the world.
Girls go into prostitution to feed their habits in the UK.
Nigerian gals do it to eat, cloth and wear Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags.
There's nuthing anyone can do about that.
Can u compare the level of prostitution in UK to what i saw at Kuramo beach, Allen Avenue and Surulere?
Nigeria is the only country where prostituion can be any age between 8-90.
Akola, please don't let me spill my guts on this one so lets shelf it.
U and I know Nigeria's moral decadence is second to none.


Paedophiles will exist more in Nigeria than UK.
How many victims get to report these incidents to the Police when they are attacked by Uncles, Drivers and House-boys?
How many times have i seen okada men touching boobs and butt freely on the streets of Lagos?
What is the Nigerian Police doing to combat RAPE in Nigeria?


Private Education in the UK is not compulsory unlike in Nigeria.
The Education given in the public school is good enough to train a child and help the child achieve his/her goals.
Tell me a reason why i should enrol ma child in the private school when quality education thrives in the public schools?
Teachers don't strike, Students don't demonstrate so whats the fuss?


The Tax system keeps the country running.
Constant electricity, good roads, drinkable water, efficient Police, Fire and Ambulance and so many other basic amenities.
The last time i saw a pot-hole in the middle of the road was in Nigeria.
I am sure everyone in Nigeria will pay cut-throat taxes to keep ONLY electricity stable, let alone other essentials.
Besides, there are tax-refunds if u know your way about it.
Ring me up to lecture u on that.


I don't know why u need to worry about 'em bills.
When u enjoy a facility then u must pay for it.
Do u know it is possible for Nigerians to be paying more than UK residents concerning these basic essentials.
The money spent by an average dude in Nigeria to bribe alone is stupendous.
NEPA, NITEL(do they still exist?) Police, Area Boys, Water Corporation, Petrol Attendants, LASTMA, LASACO, and so many other groups.
Add all that together and do the percentage of what an average Nigeria spends on an uncertainty.
I'D rather pay 1000 pounds on a sure thang than pay 30 pounds on a temporary solution.

Congestion charge is not compulsory. It only applies in the city(West End)
Nigeria once practised EVEN and ODD numbers on people's VRN to reduce the congestion on Lagos Island.
It is only a deterrent to motorists plying the roads in the city.
Imagine Oxford street without a congestion charge!!!!!


I don't have a child as well so i can't be bothered about Child minders.
If i do have a child eventually, i will pay to take care of my child.
There are day-cares lying everywhere and a father has to do his own quota in raising his child.
I am sure the population explosion in Nigeria wouldn't have happened if people were forced to pay handsomely to raise their wards.
Being a father does not amount to getting on top of a woman alone like people do in Nig.
A father must be ready to take all responsibilties attached to his kid to give him/her a better life.


Its a matter of choice.
I might not allow my kid to roam to the next building without supervision for fear of kidnappers and paedophiles.
In this case, my child will stay at home and watch TV or play computer games.
He/She will be safer in my house.
Can u tell us anywhere safe for a child in Nigeria?
Both staying at home and going out is dangerous in Nigeria.
Buildings collapse in Nigeria or have u fotgotten the kids that lost their lives in their homes.
Kerosene explosion is there as well. Midnight marauders also have their share in maiming and killing whoever crosses their paths.
Power lines snaps and electrocute children because these facilities are not well maintained.
So tell me anywhere safe u can keep your kids in Nigeria.
Even an Attorney General was murdered in cold blood so whatz the life's worth of an average Nigerian?



STOP DELUDING YOURSELF.
Life Abroad is billion of miles better than the life in Nigeria.
The white folks u see in Nigeria working are the people that loves the sun and they enjoy being treated ROYAL by Africans.
They don't suffer like normal Nigerians. They are living a quality life they cannot enjoy in UK/US plus the good sunshine.

The dude working as a bouncer with his Masters degree has derailed and has misplaced his priorities.
U never know, he might be enjoying seeing strippers every night to warm up his lusty appetite.
Why should someone qualified with M.Sc be working as a bouncer when Project Managers earning between 500-900 pounds per day don't even have Bachelors degree.
Take management courses and pass it is all u need to stay on top of the echelon in UK.
PRINCE 2, Software Testing, Programming, Test Mangement, Cisco and various IT courses can put any individual on 300 pounds a day on the average.