@Oga Jarus,

I understand where you are coming from and the young lads success story,kudos to him. Here's my point: for every one of your guy(s) story there are about 3 from the otherside of the divide. That's where I'm getting at. For example, you talked about a 2012 recruitment in SHELL. It so happens that I know about 4 people that participated in that recruitment. 2 of them are still waiting to resume after having done their medicals (they both graduated with first class engineering degrees).For the sake of discretion/common sense I would've typed a ladies name that currently works with SHELL that served with them and was retained. During the interview process for the job her contact asked her to send him her SRD number. When it was time for her to make a presentation and answer question from the assessment day exercise she was excused. I mean she didn't do a darn thing but today she works there. I also know or rather I heard of another guy that has been waiting to resume since 2011 (after doing his medicals too). But here is the real poser- why keep all these top engineers: scrutinized and approved by your process on a waiting list only to commence another recruitment process for another year? Does it in anyway infer that their positions have been given out?

Also you talked about his(your lads) stint with IPS, working for Oando etc. I remember clearly stating that some form of experience pertinent to the applied job also does help. I didnt say the whole merit thingy has been done away with, far from it! The niggling issue (I dare say) is that the meritorious recruitment has seriously waned.

At a more experienced stage the process is quite better but I can assure you at the entry point its worse off. Albeit I believe that Chevron has the least recruitment malfeasance, the magomago is still there. Their facilities recruitment was good but what became of their Petroleum engineering one? After the whole recruitment process they still gave the job to their staff on contract.I have stories about Addax too but they(all the IOC's) are better than AGIP. Those ones won't even advertise sef yet they'd be recruiting people every year. Risible.

This is Nigeria!

AjanleKoko:

Most of them commenting are kids, still in school or something. I doubt if any of them even work or have worked in any multinational. They just assume that an ExxonMobil or Chevron would allow their multi-billion dollar ops in Nigeria to be run like PHCN or even NNPC.

Say what you know, please! What's there is these companies that a brilliant secondary school student can't handle properly? Lemme say this and repeat it again and again, there is nothing scary or big about working in Exxon Mobil or other oil coy. Just a routine, boring and unchallenging task from January to December. Stop making it look as if a 3rd class Nigerian graduate can't handle the task excellently.

Wetin be big work for hourly checking and recording the pressure of an in-line process line or sending mails directing field technicians the next date of routine preventing maintenance? My 2 years old son can do that within 30 minutes of telling him what to do. Abeg fashi that side.

Not that some people can't get recruited base on merit and all that. But what I hate is lying and denial or trying to start bragging with "yeah, I'm now working with shell, cos I'm the best" when in real na pady pady runs carry you go there. The MNC is turning into family business, where members of family rotate recruitment slots among their siblings.

Lemme call some names to buttress my point. Do you know that Demiji Isiaka, Dotun Isiaka and Razak Isiaka are thesame family members working in EXXON MOBIL?, May be na dem sabi book pass wey 3 people and their 4 in-laws will be working in EXXON MOBIL . . . Don't come here to tell me about Exxon Mobil, a place I know like the tip of my dicck. That place is like a family reunion, where members of thesame family work in different department.

mba emeka: @Oga Jarus,

I understand where you are coming from and the young lads success story,kudos to him. Here's my point: for every one of your guy(s) story there are about 3 from the otherside of the divide. That's where I'm getting at. For example, you talked about a 2012 recruitment in SHELL. It so happens that I know about 4 people that participated in that recruitment. 2 of them are still waiting to resume after having done their medicals (they both graduated with first class engineering degrees).For the sake of discretion/common sense I would've typed a ladies name that currently works with SHELL that served with them and was retained. During the interview process for the job her contact asked her to send him her SRD number. When it was time for her to make a presentation and answer question from the assessment day exercise she was excused. I mean she didn't do a darn thing but today she works there. I also know or rather I heard of another guy that has been waiting to resume since 2011 (after doing his medicals too). But here is the real poser- why keep all these top engineers: scrutinized and approved by your process on a waiting list only to commence another recruitment process for another year? Does it in anyway infer that their positions have been given out?

Also you talked about his(your lads) stint with IPS, working for Oando etc. I remember clearly stating that some form of experience pertinent to the applied job also does help. I didnt say the whole merit thingy has been done away with, far from it! The niggling issue (I dare say) is that the meritorious recruitment has seriously waned.

At a more experienced stage the process is quite better but I can assure you at the[b] entry point its worse off[/b]. Albeit I believe that Chevron has the least recruitment malfeasance, the magomago is still there. Their facilities recruitment was good but what became of their Petroleum engineering one? After the whole recruitment process they still gave the job to their staff on contract.I have stories about Addax too but they(all the IOC's) are better than AGIP. Those ones won't even advertise sef yet they'd be recruiting people every year. Risible.

This is Nigeria!

More like 1: 10
Completely agree with all the bolded

Yea, it's quite easy to just accept that "there are no good jobs out there", but the thing is it depend on you.

If you're good and you groom yourself (speak good english, dress for the job you want, LEARN BASIC INTERVIEW SKILLS (this one is very very important) and have the right attitude), the jobs are there.

I've seen people (that I knew before "hammering" & still know) who had no connections and did not school abroad, who have gotten good jobs.

If you've got yourself a foreign degree, good for you. One good advice - drop the accent , it pisses interviewers off . Every interviewer wants to be sure in his/her mind that you can fit in (and work well in teams made of poeple - who are Nigerians living in Nigeria)

Encoredme:
Such are very rare cases, it takes a miracle to secure such

I don't think it's a miracle. Saying it's a miracle makes it seem like it's some almost impossible thing. When my ATBU guy first came to Lagos and was introduced to me, from my one day interactions with him, I knew this guy had stuff to compete at highest level. So despite his limited exposure pre-Lagos, I knew he was a raw gold, only waiting to be refined by the information mine that is Lagos. He served in Oando (by God's grace, courtesy me, although more of his hardwork, because if he hadn't passed the test, I wouldn't have been able to help). He was able to widen his horizon, serving in corporate Lagos. I'm not surprised Oando, NNPC, Shell and Total all came for him!

Ditto for other guys I know that made it into Shell and Chevron. These guys are hot and able to withstand the competition. It's not that rare, except you think Shell will employ 1 million people. They don't need more than 5 commercial and maybe 10 technical entry level positions in a year (where at least 10,000 qualified grads - from home and abroad - are jostling for it) and that's where the competition is.

InvertedHammer:

Ok. Not to burst your bubbles...Is it that the barber has no skills or the razor is blunt?

I will blame Nigeria schools too. They do not prepare their graduates with job search
skills in terms of how to write good resume's (CV), interview skills, etc.

I was perusing through some desktop files in a cybercafe' one time and unluckily read
one lady's CV. I had to call her and implored her not to submit that CV to any company as it would
earn her automatic disqualification.[b] I have seen CVs written with crossed-out words, erased
words and worst, words typed over a white-out portion. Goodness gracious! The packaging was
just outrageous.

If the person doesn't get the job, he/she will blame it on nepotism, uncle in the village,
witches and wizard.

A good number of job-seekers in Nigeria lack proper 'packaging' and I blame the Universities
for this trend.[/b]

Are you for real?

Donxavier:

More like 1: 10
Completely agree with all the bolded

+100

Rhino.5dm:


Wetin be big work for hourly checking and recording the pressure of an in-line process line or sending mails directing field technicians the next date of routine preventing maintenance? My 2 years old son can do that within 30 minutes of telling him what to do. Abeg fashi that side.

Your 2 years old son ain't going to be able to fault-find and provide solutions when things go wrong though. Yes most jobs are repetitive and anyone with an iota of sense should be able to pick up the routine stuff with minimal fuss.

I'm in sync with donxavier and rhino.5dm especially on Exxon because I experienced that one first-hand!

Working for Exxon or SHELL and co won't help them make the billions of dollars they currently make( they we're making it without you and still would after they don't employ you) so its not like your half class or whatever thrills them. Some that were privileged to have joined the companies earlier on could even do that with a lesser degree. One of my best friends father graduated with a 2'2 but he works with Exxon. Why won't he feel that 'anybody' too can work there? But if he is to pick between me and his son (assuming us both have a first class degree with a foreign degree Msc) you know who he'd select. That's the connection thingy at work. Period.

mba emeka: @Oga Jarus,

I understand where you are coming from and the young lads success story,kudos to him. Here's my point: for every one of your guy(s) story there are about 3 from the otherside of the divide. That's where I'm getting at. For example, you talked about a 2012 recruitment in SHELL. [b]It so happens that I know about 4 people that participated in that recruitment. 2 of them are still waiting to resume after having done their medicals (they both graduated with first class engineering degrees).[/b]For the sake of discretion/common sense I would've typed a ladies name that currently works with SHELL that served with them and was retained. During the interview process for the job her contact asked her to send him her SRD number. When it was time for her to make a presentation and answer question from the assessment day exercise she was excused. I mean she didn't do a darn thing but today she works there. I also know or rather I heard of another guy that has been waiting to resume since 2011 (after doing his medicals too). But here is the real poser- why keep all these top engineers: scrutinized and approved by your process on a waiting list only to commence another recruitment process for another year? Does it in anyway infer that their positions have been given out?

Also you talked about his(your lads) stint with IPS, working for Oando etc. I remember clearly stating that some form of experience pertinent to the applied job also does help. I didnt say the whole merit thingy has been done away with, far from it! The niggling issue (I dare say) is that the meritorious recruitment has seriously waned.

At a more experienced stage the process is quite better but I can assure you at the entry point its worse off. Albeit I believe that Chevron has the least recruitment malfeasance, the magomago is still there. Their facilities recruitment was good but what became of their Petroleum engineering one? After the whole recruitment process they still gave the job to their staff on contract.I have stories about Addax too but they(all the IOC's) are better than AGIP. Those ones won't even advertise sef yet they'd be recruiting people every year. Risible.

This is Nigeria!

Good points you made no doubt, but a few further comments on the bolded.

1, Shell usually doesn't have more than 15 (sometimes as low as 10) entry level openings in a year, spread between technical and non-technical (less non-technical). I was part of 2008 exercise (got to final stage - SRD, but didnt attend). One of my friends made it then. He told me about 7 of them made the final cut (for non-technical positions) and there were 4 immediate openings. He was lucky to be among the 4 that resumed immediately. Others were put on waiting list for up to a year before being called. Another friend, made the 2009 exercise, but no immediate opening, so he waited for up to a year before he resumed in November 2011. My ATBU friend has also done medicals since November 2012 and still on waiting list. So tell your friends to be patient. That's how Shell does. They normally take everyone that did very well in their SRD, even when more than they immediately need. Sometimes up to 10 can be successful in a SRD, whereas there are just 5 immediate openings. The backlog was the reason why there no recruitment in 2010. They just called those on their waiting list. I however have another friend that waited on their list (after medicals - which he sneaked into Nigeria from Italy to do while on Saipem training in Milan) but after one year on waiting list, he recieived the unpleasant email of 'sorry blabla'.

jay bee:
Your 2 years old son ain't going to be able to fault-find and provide solutions when things go wrong though. Yes most jobs are repetitive and anyone with an iota of sense should be able to pick up the routine stuff with minimal fuss.

The bottom line is the task is never a challenging one. The only thing that kept me going then was the handsome monthly pay check. . .and yes, most of the field task is contracted out to 3rd party companies. T

Rhino.5dm:


Done with the name thing. In all, I just wanted to make a point that merits is fast fading away like the dummy cloud. Like I said earlier, it's easier to move from one company to another when you have some degree or level of experience. The problem is at entry level, and if the entry level recruitment is bad, then we can safely conclude that everything is bad. How can one get the required experience if the selection process was based on "who you know"? It means the cycle of employment will keep revolving around those with "giant foot"!

The HR guys in various MNC's usually make available the test questions and solutions to their cronies ahead of the examination date and there by undermining the process.

I can vouch for chevron alone for now, but shell? Those guys are pretenders. Lemme do away with the name calling here, there was this guy(a friend with degree in geology from Delta) that applied for a position in shell and didn't even qualify for that position, so he was not shortlisted. . . .He contacted his towns man from Delta State, a senior manager in shell and the manager gave him a condition of marrying his daughter in return for the job offer. . .Fast forward, he got the job and married the girl( very black, ugly and short thing like that).

If MNC's are microcosm of Nigeria, why then do we expect them to be immune from corruption and nepotism?

Shameless father and daughter. Yuck, some girls are crazy and desperate. When the father retires nko? Which shouldn't be too long in the future. Na wa o.

Okay guys.
Here is a real job opportunity for you.
If you have five or more years experience in technology sales or presales, and is bilingual in both English and French, send me a PM.
I have a business development opportunity I can recommend you for. No kidding.

AjanleKoko: Okay guys.
Here is a real job opportunity for you.
If you have five or more years experience in technology sales or presales, and is bilingual in both English and French, send me a PM.
I have a business development opportunity I can recommend you for. No kidding.

Bros, make I go learn french. wait for me pls.

Rhino.5dm:



Lemme call some names to buttress my point. Do you know that Demiji Isiaka, Dotun Isiaka and Razak Isiaka are thesame family members working in EXXON MOBIL?, May be na dem sabi book pass wey 3 people and their 4 in-laws will be working in EXXON MOBIL . . . Don't come here to tell me about Exxon Mobil, a place I know like the tip of my dicck. That place is like a family reunion, where members of thesame family work in different department.

ROTFLMAO. Guys don vex o. Naming names

afroxyz: My problem with all these folks with a foreign degree is that they still have the Naija mentality: 'Looking for a job. Can't you create one? Apart from your foreign degree what else can you offer. It beats me that with all the 'exposure' you get abroad, a foreign degree holder can't create a job, meanwhile they are people do it here in Nigeria. You think the country owes you something because of your foreign accent? Abeg park well. These folks are so quick to point out how the educational system is better, yet they still 'look' fo jobs. Get off your high horse and get something started. Shiekina

So on point. If you claim to be so highly educated, why not start something, however profitable.

Slant77: Yea, it's quite easy to just accept that "there are no good jobs out there", but the thing is it depend on you.

If you're good and you groom yourself (speak good english, dress for the job you want, LEARN BASIC INTERVIEW SKILLS (this one is very very important) and have the right attitude), the jobs are there.

I've seen people (that I knew before "hammering" & still know) who had no connections and did not school abroad, who have gotten good jobs.

If you've got yourself a foreign degree, good for you. One good advice - drop the accent , it pisses interviewers off . Every interviewer wants to be sure in his/her mind that you can fit in (and work well in teams made of poeple - who are Nigerians living in Nigeria)

Abeg forget that thing, if you see me dress up for an interview you will think I'm a CEO, I speak very well so its not by that. I can hold very intelligent conversations so stop saying what you don't know

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

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

How easy is it for the business to survive considering the bad nature of the society where firms don't compete truly?

Truth be say your village people are involved. Because people with foreign certificate are usually first choice in any employment situation

mygirrl:

Abeg forget that thing[i][/i], if you see me dress up for an interview you will think I'm a CEO, I speak very well so its not by that. I can hold very intelligent conversations so stop saying what you don't know

lol. while I don't claim to know it all, how about basic interview skills and your attitude?

FACT : Most Nigerians that get their degrees from foreign universities have this sort of superiority complex, like they could just walk into any company and land a juicy job, well sorry to burst you bubble, that is no longer the case, piece of advise, once u land @ MMIA, drop the accent (fake or otherwise) and become a Nigerian, learn how to relate and humble urself a bit...yeah I know spending all that money isn't easy but u know what, nobody really cares anymore...so do your research and don't believe people promising you jobs (na bobo) and I believe you can still land that job, I know peeps wey no know anybody @ their place of work yet landed the job
PS:somebody made mention of how employes would bypass his foreign degree and go for even a third class graduate from a Nigerian University, this is an example of the superiority complex I talked about,apart from this as an insult to a third class or Nigerian University degree holder, some of the most intelligent minds I have come across are third and 2.2 class degree holders and yes from Nigerian Universities...I guess @ the end of the day, you would have to proove you can function in my company because as for me, if u like get your degree from the sun, all that matters is are you the guy am looking for!

Look, if you have a Masters degree in ANY SUBJECT, you OUGHT to be able start a thriving enterprise in today's Nigeria. If you can't, it's simply because you've underestimated the value of what you've learned on your course.

ROSSIKE: Look, if you have a Masters degree in ANY SUBJECT, you OUGHT to be able start a thriving enterprise in today's Nigeria. If you can't, it's simply because you've underestimated the value of what you've learned on your course.

Question: Have you started yours?

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"

yeeee! "newspapers free readers association". U no go kill person

Donxavier:

Question: Have you started yours?

Very soon.. by God's grace

Pathetic .....reminds me of my spending on foreign education with no reply on job applications back in naija then. My friends opt for private lecturing as not to waste the knowledge. One must be ready to really get dirty and shabby deals in naija, which i wasnt ready for. That alone can kill the spirit ! Thanks to Almighty God, the source of life! He can do exceedingly all things....its not by power, nor by most read, its the Lord that show mercy.

I click like one thousand times,

I strongly agree with you bro

few years ago, some of my friends that we studied in UK decide to relocate to Nigeria that they will get a good job but all was wasted effort, I advice them to have a plan B, get your stay here if you want to try Nigeria fine if unsuccessful relocate back to UK quick at least you will be hoping you will get a better job someday.

our leaders are the doom for this great country called Nigeria

hardbody: I feel the post and all you guys commenting. I do admit that some foreign degrees are superlative when compared to some Nigerian degrees. However, it does not necessarily follow that head knowledge and experience acquired abroad are always better than their local counterparts. My company, publicly quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, after the consolidation, recruited professionals from UK and US primarily. Some of those guys were earning more than the then MD/CEO. They were coming with Britico expertise to change the industry and teach the local boys how that business is done. 4 years down the line, of the 6 recruited from off shore, only one is remaining in the system, and he is basically doing everything to retain that slot. My point? When you acquire those skill set abroad, use them to impact your environment as your skills must have been taught with the benefit of your locality. Let the mediocre Nigerians as you guys are won't to tag them continue with applying their skills acquired the Nigerian way in Nigeria. Some of us are sick and tired of all these showy display of better quality degree and certificates. As for me ooo, my degrees are not in any way secondary or subservient to another on the same course irrespective of where the other one is obtained. And yes, I am pursuing a PH.d abroad, just because of the certainty in duration of the course not because I feel that the training back home will not be worth it. In all, let us appreciate the little we have and continually build on it.

And by the way, I have held some 4 jobs, and in none was I recruited because I knew any one,it had always been walk in interviews and I got placement on merit. So letbus stop making faulty generalizations.

I think one of the challenges the abroad trained have is that our work culture differs from what they are used to. Let me give an example, when I was in one of the banks I worked with, there was a lady that was recruited from JP Morgan who had so many awards for being excellent. Unfortunately, as much as she tried to change her unit and the bank through her unit, everyone felt she was overdemanding and at some points the bank had to sack her despite we all seeing her impact. Bottomline is that most times our work places do not allow those people have the impact they should because of the very bad politics we play, our destructive mentality and above all, our pull down syndrome all because of our inferiority complex. Read through many post and you would sense the bias although not directly implied and until we all come to terms that there is no need for competition but the need to harness each others potential, we are not ready to move forward.

Jarus:



ROTFLMAO. Guys don vex o. Naming names

I tire
So it is improbable for these people to have all been recruited on merit?

Allow me to drop my 2 cents on this foreign degrees debate. In my present organization, we bought into this obodo oyinbo craze during the boom years of banking and ended up making a lot of terrible recruitment errors (a vast majority of our foreign-degree hires were largely either incompetent,over-paid - often both). More than anything, we learnt to take foreign degrees only at face value - in the end, on the job competence boils down to the individual; no amount of foreign accents or "OMG" gesticulations would change this.

I find it hard to understand why holders of foreign degrees with no work experience would aspire for more than entry level - especially in finance. The only peeps that might get a step higher are probably CFA charter-holders and trust me, those positions are few and far between. Sans relevant and quality work experience, trust me, you wont make it past entry level.

As for experienced hires, things get easier, but then again, getting a job to an extent also depends on your network in the sense that a great deal of top executives almost always move with their tested and trusted teams. It is not uncommon in banking for say a GM to move to another bank with 6 Senior Managers who in turn move with 3 or 4 junior officers apiece. In the end, the GM's movement would also result in an additional 25 people (minimum) moving to the new bank.

And as regards that man-know-man issue, does it happen? Yes it does. But, I stand to be corrected that for the most part,it is minute. YES I SAID IT! I have friends in different industries working in HR. What often happens is that these "special candidates" are granted priority hearing but in the end, who wants to hire a doofus? The days when one Baba can just snap his fingers and get you a job are gradually declining. Do you know how many top shots in Nigeria put calls through to Executives daily? How many can the Executive absorb? Unless its the bloody president, senate president or them IBB dem, its not guaranteed. I have seen CVs from 1st class Obas just sitting in my inbox - story. These days, parents are even lobbying for the 70k jobs for their kids with foreign degrees just so they dont stay idle. Go to LIRS and see how many peeps there have an M.sc from U.K and U.S (on N60k salary ooo). The jobs just aren't there.

ROSSIKE:

Very soon.. by God's grace

Amen. God help us all

Most people I know that left Naija abroad to do masters left cos they couldn't get good jobs after school and went for it soas to boost their chances in the job market. I doubt if they wanted to start businesses. Do you really need to have a masters degree to start an enterprise? I honestly don't think so . Infact, most entrepreneurial dudes don't have paper degrees and all. We left so we could all get good jobs... that's the crux of the matter.

And to be honest, not everybody is cut out to be a business owner and for most people they need to work for some years to even manage their own business. Nigeria isn't like the US or Canada where you can start a business right after school or without going to school at all.
Imagine a Nigerian graduate that the only work experience had is the 6 months of IT and then teaching for a year during NYSC and then they want the graduate to pioneer a business right out of school. He is not even exposed to the nitty gritty of how business works and how to manage people. What about money? Unless you are Dangote's kid or Padddy Adenuga where will you get the money? I could go on and on and on.

I know there are the bill gates and aliko dangotes of this world, but those dudes are the exceptions rather than the rule. What do I need billions of dollars for?
Just a decent paying job is enough for most people. Is that too much to expect in a useful country?

coogar: Foreign Degree & The Nigerian Reality

Nigeria is a highly blessed country to an abundance of mineral wealth and an energetic work force sadly, it is easier for a Senator to disclose how much he earns than for one to land any gainful employment here. Thus, in a bid to stand taller than most of my peers in the labour market, I joined the league of those who travelled to the United Kingdom for further studies. As a warning, those of you still contemplating returning to Nigeria for good should either look away now, or be ready to be jolted.

When I decided to relocate to Nigeria after a little under a decade in Europe, I did not imagine it would be easy to start a better life here; a life powered by a lucrative job. I did not reckon I would still be grappling with the viciousness of the Nigerian situation more than a year after I returned. I had many job promises from friends and contacts that gave the impression they had something to offer. I was very confident and couldn’t wait for my flight to depart London Heathrow Airport for the journey back home.

Finally in Nigeria, the euphoria of being back to a place I call home started to wear off after a month. As a man on a mission, I started moving round the country armed with my CV and a strong faith in Nigeria. I thought my newly acquired British accent and my UK certificates would make a difference. Well, my certificate has not made any difference and my “fake” accent only made most interviewers unfriendly. The only difference I have noticed is that the soles of my shoes have started wearing off due to trekking and my London clothes have started “fading”.

I have attended many interviews, passed all of them and asked to “be ready to resume in two weeks”. Well, it is gone past one year now, and I have finally given up on this country. One thing though is clear, people such as Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe might disagree (who cares?), but about 90 per cent of jobs in Nigeria go to cronies of either those in government or those working in places where such vacancies exist. Merit has been thrown to the dogs and that is why you find all manner of unintelligent people working in sensitive positions all over the country.

Well, why not start something on your own, don’t expect the government to do everything for you, you know? What have I not tried? Even though it smirks of having a pessimistic disposition towards striving to make a living here, the fact remains that the government of Nigeria has not put the enabling environment in place for the advancement of private enterprise. That may well explain why you notice that only those that are close to the government make the list of “20 richest Nigerians”.

It is really a harrowing experience having to explain to friends why a business plan you thought was going to work out perfectly in Nigeria collapsed the very moment you stood up to try it out. Nigerian banks are not helping matters either; it is easier for a Boko Haram chap to embrace Christianity than for a Nigerian bank to agree to give you a loan to start a business. Be ready to produce all manner of “collateral”, your great-grandfather’s living next of kin, among others. This is the first step towards being disillusioned here.

If eventually you manage to establish something that has a semblance of a consultancy, or able to team up with an already established practice, you must be ready to deal with the realities on ground. Warning number one. Do not expect to see everybody exhibiting that rare sense of honesty. If you want to show most people that the way things are done here should be dumped for the better ways you learnt abroad, you will find out that you would be on “your own.” Ours is a system whose major fuel-source is corruption ­­— be ready to play ball, or at most, do not attempt to rock the boat.

After a while, you begin to ask yourself if it was really worth the stress-going to spend some good money studying abroad only to come back to Nigeria armed with a foreign certificate, an accent that makes you sound funny. Well, given another opportunity, I will do it again, and again. Quality education is power.

But then, what is the way forward?

I believe strongly that Nigeria remains one vast and lucrative market. Whoever that is daring will surely hit gold here. However, the key is to discard any false hopes that suggest that having a foreign degree is an assurance to some splendid employment. That was in the past.

Secondly, it is better to do a research on your intended engagement before you jet into Nigeria. From experience, all I had going for me was a luggage filled with job promises and a conviction that my foreign certificates would speed up the process of getting a good job. Wrong. People here excel in promising what they know is not within their power to do.

Thirdly (maybe most importantly), save up some cash before relocating to Nigeria-at least, enough cash to last you for about a year. Friends are many when you are “fresh” from overseas but the vanishing acts commence the moment you start moaning about paucity of funds and no employment. Most “friends” have a mental problem that makes them run faster than Usain Bolt the moment they suspect you will start asking for a loan. So, make sure you pinch your resources till you are sure of a regular income.

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?

Finally, Nigeria is a beautiful country with a majority of the people willing to work to make a living. However, years of poor leadership and a docile citizenry have made living in Nigeria appear like being in hell. Believe me, there is everything stacked against you here, but the reality remains that you must be daring and be ready to get dirty to make a living here. Nigeria is the place to be. There are countless opportunities in Nigeria-we are not bad people, but our government is peopled by bad citizens.

by John Chikadibie Okafor.

Bruv,I didn't spend more than 3 mins perusing through before I decided to write this: WELCOME TO REALITY.All those noise "come home,come and make a change,I ask,"with what?" Naija,we are too many in population and that aside,we have more than enough of resources to effectively take care of 300million in population but for where,when oga jona alone dey wack N1billion for food only for one year...just him and his family...so how much will be left for the undergrauates,the graduates and the unemployed,pensioners,in fact I can't conitnue.if you are lucky to get a job after studies abroad in naija,good luck to you...but consider alse the vast majority without connections...hmmmm we need help to sanitize and wipe out the crooks we call Nigerian government.