If you study abroad or in Nigeria & you can't get a white collar job, try enterpreneurship. Go & learn a trade & with hope, start with any little capital.

coogar: Foreign Degree & The Nigerian Reality

On a lighter note, be ready to become a Bible carrier, a “practising Muslim”, or a strong adherent of African Traditional Religion. You will be ridiculed, excluded and mocked the moment you attempt to convince your mates that there is so much poverty and ignorance in Nigeria, not because one is not a follower of any religion but because we have over the years, been ruled by visionless men and women whose major pre-occupation was looting our resources and banking same in foreign banks. Has that situation changed?
by John Chikadibie Okafor.

Jeeeeesus is Lord!!

dayokanu: If you have a foreign degree its better you stay back in the country you got it and try to work with it

Coming to Nigeria after spending millions on your degree and Someone would look at your resume See

Duke university or Brown university and would ask "Shey na school be this one? We no dey h-employ ppl from Yeye school o". (Degree you got with over 7m Naira

The person interviewing you probably did long distance degree at Maiduguri Polytechnic

Bwahahhahaha! Faints!!

dayokanu:
Both options are preferable than going back to naija to be humiliated.

so getting caught, humiliated, jailed and deported is better than going voluntarily to nigeria? i cannot seem to work that out in my head.

I have several friends who went back immediately and have tales of woe. One guy last year July from University of Sheffield still doesnt have a job till today and while in UK was hustling and making ends meet in his little way (Working call center).
Now he is the chairman of "newspapers free readers association in his area where he is giving out knowledge"

i think the best thing is to go back with your own money and start a small micro-company. like i have been told, even if you land a job, the dishonesty and the criminal activities in most of the companies would not sit well with you. if you complain - you get sacked or killed!

dayokanu: If you have a foreign degree its better you stay back in the country you got it and try to work with it

Coming to Nigeria after spending millions on your degree and Someone would look at your resume See

Duke university or Brown university and would ask "Shey na school be this one? We no dey h-employ ppl from Yeye school o". (Degree you got with over 7m Naira

The person interviewing you probably did long distance degree at Maiduguri Polytechnic

Bros ye, like say you dey read my mind oh. Had a guy with undergrad from Georgia Tech, Masters from Princeton who went to test the waters and the employer told him at the interview that his undergraduate degree is worthless that why didn't he just go to Yaba tech. Ol boy, the guy paid KLM 250 bucks and rescheduled his flight bk to yankee straight

Academic knowledge is not valued in Nigeria. HR people and recruitment agencies like summoning foreign degree holders to interviews just to deceive themselves and their clown bosses that they are doing their jobs. On employment day, they know who they are going to buzz...the connected dude. Anyway, the multinationals still hire on merit at graduate trainee level. At experienced level, its mostly a networking thing to get a job. But always remember that God works wonders...be prayerful.

I do agree with the OP that many Nigerians do not realize that the employment situation is a result of bad leadership. When a country is progressing, the citizens progress along with it. It does not matter if it is a Christian Nation (USA), Muslim nation (UAE) or Buddhists/Atheists (China)...good leaders make good nations.

You talking about a Bank loan for your business in Nigeria? A Lebanese chap will get a loan from a Nigerian bank before a Nigerian businessman. The fact that Nigerian banks sometimes get their fingers burnt by those Lebanese men doesn't change the dynamic.

A-town:


Bros ye, like say you dey read my mind oh. Had a guy with undergrad from Georgia Tech, Masters from Princeton who went to test the waters and the employer told him at the interview that his undergraduate degree is worthless that why didn't he just go to Yaba tech. Ol boy, the guy paid KLM 250 bucks and rescheduled his flight bk to yankee straight

Imagine Georgia Tech na him dem dey yawa like dat.

Ask the interviewer to take SAT twice and add the scores together he still wont get into GATECH

dayokanu: If you have a foreign degree its better you stay back in the country you got it and try to work with it

Coming to Nigeria after spending millions on your degree and Someone would look at your resume See

Duke university or Brown university and would ask "Shey na school be this one? We no dey h-employ ppl from Yeye school o". (Degree you got with over 7m Naira

The person interviewing you probably did long distance degree at Maiduguri Polytechnic

A-town:

Bros ye, like say you dey read my mind oh. Had a guy with undergrad from Georgia Tech, Masters from Princeton who went to test the waters and the employer told him at the interview that his undergraduate degree is worthless that why didn't he just go to Yaba tech. Ol boy, the guy paid KLM 250 bucks and rescheduled his flight bk to yankee straight

this is sad......
is there any solution to this or should this generation just fold it's arms and watch quality graduates become "free-newspaper" readers at T-junctions?

What most of us fail to realize is, there are very few white-collar opportunities in Nigeria, compared to most other countries where the degree came from.
Less than 10% of graduates from local universities are likely to get any type of white-collar work in fact. After all, there is a reason why the UK and many other countries are eager to see foreign grads out the door ASAP. White-collar work is dwindling globally.

Plus it's not like the old days, when foreign degrees were a rarity. Nowadays people show up with degrees from Greenland, Thailand, and any type of land. Even Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. It gets worse when you don't have any work experience to speak of. Sad, but there it is. It's a matter of demand and supply. Nepotism is a natural consequence when there is scarcity. Even kids of big shots are not having a nice time of it, as their parents have to lobby and beg to get them into the few available jobs.

coogar:

so getting caught, humiliated, jailed and deported is better than going voluntarily to nigeria? i cannot seem to work that out in my head.

If you consider the other option waiting you in naija you would rather stay back. My friend just went back to Naija to visit He said all his friends that were bragging to be enjoying in Naija when he got back na all of them dey confess say things are at breaking point and asking how dey can bail out even those with 2 kids already

i think the best thing is to go back with your own money and start a small micro-company. like i have been told, even if you land a job, the dishonesty and the criminal activities in most of the companies would not sit well with you. if you complain - you get sacked or killed!

Lemme ask you, How much do you think you would need in Nigeria to start the kind of company you have in mind?

Until we fundamentally change our value system. Insanity continues.

dayokanu:
If you consider the other option waiting you in naija you would rather stay back. My friend just went back to Naija to visit He said all his friends that were bragging to be enjoying in Naija when he got back na all of them dey confess say things are at breaking point and asking how dey can bail out even those with 2 kids already

but why this deception?

Lemme ask you, How much do you think you would need in Nigeria to start the kind of company you have in mind?

£10,000 or $15,000

Hah! one would think that foreign degrees would be in demand in Nigeria, like all things foreign.

Now why don't they extend this attitude towards foreign degrees to the expats coming to Nigeria? Or are foreign degrees good on a selective basis?

Funny country, funny people.

My friends younger brother went for NNPC interview in 2011 I think in Abuja when he came back to tell us the tales of what goes on there. You would be shocked

This guy prepared for the interview reading slides about the Oil industry when he got there the interviewers could barely speak English. Some were eating Kolanut at the interview.

One woman couldn't hide it that she wanted to go for Lunch and was complaining throughout how hungry she was.

Another one asked what state he was from and started gisting about his NYSC in that part of the country.

I spoke to him like last year and he said they haven't heard anything back from NNPC since

Olodostein: Until we fundamentally change our value system. Insanity continues.

Me says until when we stop all the favouritism, all the employing people based on who you know and not by merit, until they stop putting a local farmer where a skilled doctor should be.

In NIgeria, it's about who you know. Even if you graduated from Osu or Aba polytechnic and you know someone, you'll definitely get a job ahead of someone from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cornell, John Hopkins etc.

Another reason why people from foreign schools don't get jobs is because some employers cannot pay them. Even people from UNN, UI, OAU, LAG and other premier universities are finding it very hard these days because a lot of companies especially banks will rather employ HND and OND holders that they can pay peanuts.

dayokanu:

Both options are preferable than going back to naija to be humiliated.

I have several friends who went back immediately and have tales of woe. One guy last year July from University of Sheffield still doesnt have a job till today and while in UK was hustling and making ends meet in his little way (Working call center).

Now he is the chairman of "newspapers free readers association in his area where he is giving out knowledge"

Free of charge!!!

coogar:

but why this deception?

The same reason everyone on NL claims to be related to Dangote. Heck were you not there when some people said 900k na small money. How many %age of Nigerian workers earn that a year. But online everyone na Adenuga

£10,000 or $15,000

$15,000 What kind of business? Where do you plan to locate it? Is this just the running capital or everything you plan to spend? How much for rent? For utilities(light,phone,internet etc), How much for the raw material, staff costs, Bribe to everyone authorities, area boys, OPC security guards etc?

Unless the business is to sell Pure water, Recharge card and Viju milk in traffic

This is a very nice post. I hate to be negative, but unfortunately, this is one of the main reasons Nigeria cannot move forward. They are just not interested!

Check the key people in some strategic positions (especially government related posts), they have no clue as to what is required of them. They are just 'placed' in those positions due to the fact that they happen to be in good standing with the 'main people'. It is just utterly appalling.

They are not really interested in getting people who can do the job. Just imagine one aboki, probably with maximum of an A level certificate, heading a major organisation, e.g Federal Mortgage Bank. Come on, what exactly would he know?

Nigeria is the way it is, because of bullshit like this. People are hardly employed based on merit, but on the basis of 'who they know'.

Wonders shall never cease

Does this quote about "who you know" apply to expat job applicants?

Afam4eva: In NIgeria, it's about who you know. Even if you graduated from Osu or Aba polytechnic and you know someone, you'll definitely get a job ahead of someone from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cornell, John Hopkins etc.

Another reason why people from foreign schools don't get jobs is because some employers cannot pay them. Even people from UNN, UI, OAU, LAG and other premier universities are finding it very hard these days because a lot of companies especially banks will rather employ HND and OND holders that they can pay peanuts.

nnenna.1:
Hah! one would think that foreign degrees would be in demand in Nigeria, like all things foreign.

Now why don't they extend this attitude towards foreign degrees to the expats coming to Nigeria? Or are foreign degrees good on a selective basis?

they respect white people more - once they know you are nigerian, they don't give a damn. i experienced that nonsense several times in lagos.

Brother man i feel you to the bone man, meanwhile shout out to all the yahoo yahoo boys and all the aristo ladies. If you're wise enough to critically look at the situation on ground, omo mehn they are the wisest amongst their peers. A country where youths aged 18-30 mostly depend on their old folks for feeding, transportation, clothing, etc. Most Nigerian graduates travel out of the shores of the country to better themselves by studying abroad with huge amount of money, after facing facing different kind of challenges from social discrimination, racism, and hard labour(cleaning, warehouse jobs, lets say hard menial jobs) they come out in flying colors(i can give you a endless list of guys and ladies who made distinctions) they find it hard getting good jobs abroad(UK government cutting down on immigration, companies are finding it hard to sponsor international students, even brits are finding it hard nailing jobs in their country) coming back home who become a liability big time. No infrastructure in place for you to run your personal business, project, entrepreneurship etc, the jobs also are not there(still wondering why we have bunch of indians doing jobs Nigerians can do) so these distinction students takes advantage of the PSW and do menial jobs.Now, that the PSW has been cancelled, wetin remain?.


NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT I REFUSE TO BE BAMBOOZLED!!!!, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE JOB CREATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PLAN ON GROUND FOR YOUTHS.

NOW SOME BASTARDS WHO ARE SLAVES AT THEIR WORK PLACE(LIVING UNDER 50K) WILL COME HERE AND JUSTIFY BULLSHIT, AND THOSE MEDIOCRES THAT GOT THAT POSH JOB VIA FAMILY AND FRIENDS GO COME DEY RUN MOUTH. Bleep ALL THE YOUTHS IN THAT GOD FORSAKEN COUNTRY.

dayokanu:
The same reason everyone on NL claims to be related to Dangote. Heck were you not there when some people said 900k na small money. How many %age of Nigerian workers earn that a year. But online everyone na Adenuga

$15,000 What kind of business? Where do you plan to locate it? Is this just the running capital or everything you plan to spend? How much for rent? For utilities(light,phone,internet etc), How much for the raw material, staff costs, Bribe to everyone authorities, area boys, OPC security guards etc?

Unless the business is to sell Pure water, Recharge card and Viju milk in traffic

start from home!
ship as many 2nd hand blackberry phones as possible to lagos. sell at a profit and recycle!

blackmann:

Me says until when we stop all the favouritism and nepostism, all the employing people based on who you know and not by merit, until they stop putting a local farmer where a skilled doctor should be.

Those are the isms that should be tackled. But guy with BSC and MSC in computer science, you should have known before hand to think out something, cause you have all the tools at your disposal in yankee.... There are tonnes of solutions yet to be developed for the Nigerian market...

coogar:

they respect white people more - once they know you are nigerian, they don't give a damn. i experienced that nonsense several times in lagos.

Most don't even know the difference between a Caucasian, Lebanese, Iraqi or Indian.In Nigeria, they are all whitemen with special powers.

Olodostein:

Those are the isms that should be tackled. But guy with BSC and MSC in computer science, you should have known before hand to think out something, cause you have all the tools at your disposal in yankee.... There are tonnes of solutions yet to be developed for the Nigerian market...

Therein lies one of the problems, actually.

Do you really need a Bsc and Msc in computer science to develop solutions for any market?

Study in UK, Work in UK
Study in Nigeria, Work in Nigeria
Study in Ghana, Work in Ghana
Study in Russia,Work in Russia
Etc!

dayokanu: My friends younger brother went for NNPC interview in 2011 I think in Abuja when he came back to tell us the tales of what goes on there. You would be shocked

This guy prepared for the interview reading slides about the Oil industry when he got there the interviewers could barely speak English. Some were eating Kolanut at the interview.

One woman couldn't hide it that she wanted to go for Lunch and was complaining throughout how hungry she was.

Another one asked what state he was from and started gisting about his NYSC in that part of the country.

I spoke to him like last year and he said they haven't heard anything back from NNPC since

Lol. We are a funny country indeed. If you see how hardworking and efficient the average American is, you would understand why the country is number one in the world.

Back to topic:

Many Nigerians are walking around with foreign degrees and jobless in Nigeria. The truth is that you cannot compare education fron USA or UK to a Nigerian education. Period. Even the Chinese and Indians send their kids to USA and UK for a quality education, even though those countries have far better education system than Nigeria. Many countries sponsor citizens to study in these countries so as to come back and work in civil service and benefit the country. So the question is this: why should Nigeria have such well trained individuals roaming the streets? What a waste of talent. Can we not employ them into the civil service to move that sector in the right direction? China hires most of its USA trained population into its civil service. Chile's great economic plan was crafted by Chileans who graduated from University of Chicago. We are just a visionless nation.

nnenna.1:
Does this quote about "who you know" apply to expat job applicants?

Definitely not.