Despite growth which has made Nigeria
Africa 's largest economy , Nigerian migrants
do not want to return home .


Johannesburg , South Africa - A little more
than four months ago , Nigeria overtook South
Africa as Africa ' s largest economy . But for
the legions of Nigerians who left the West
African nation in search of greener pastures
and for whom Gauteng - South Africa ' s
richest province - has become a home , they
are not in a hurry to return to their native
country .
Many moved into Hillbrow in Johannesburg in
the mid - 1990 s. Their homes and businesses
spread to the Yeoville , Randburg, and Windsor
areas which some South Africans now call
" Nigertowns " because of the Nigerian
migrants . Their vibrant culture , fashion and
way of doing business have expanded to the
conservative streets of Pretoria , South
Africa 's capital.
Fidel Obi , 50 , has lived in South Africa for 19
years and runs a business dealing in hair
extensions and groceries . He is unimpressed
by the news that Nigeria is now the
continent 's largest economy .
" This so -called growth has nothing do with
the man in the street . People like me will
never benefit from it because of poor
governance and greed by those we have
elected to run the country , " Obi told Al
Jazeera .
" When they want to be elected they promise
heaven on earth , but once they are in power ,
they forget to look after ordinary people . The
lawmakers there are some of the highest paid
in the world, and I am sure they will be the
ones who will benefit from the economic
growth, not us . If you don ' t know a
godfather or are not related to someone of
influence , you will not get a job. "
The difficulty in finding work is the principal
reason why some Nigerians do not want to
return home . Statistics show Nigerian
unemployment rising by 16 percent on an
annual basis , the most affected being the
youth - at 50 percent .
Jobless but happy
Superficially analysed , the employment
situation appears somewhat similar to that of
South Africa where 50 percent of the youth
are unemployed . Yet youth unemployment in
South Africa pales into insignificance when
Nigeria 's population of 178 . 5 million is
compared with South Africa ' s 53 million .
For some Nigerians like Ben Dada, 30 , life in
Africa 's richest country , even for those
without jobs , is still better than in Nigeria .
" I left Nigeria because I was struggling to
find a job . I have been in South Africa for a
year and I still don ' t have a job, but I am not
planning to go back home because of constant
water and electricity cuts , " Dada said .
Dada, who left his wife and children in
Nigeria , secured a temporary job as a
bouncer in a Johannesburg night club but is
now out of work.
In the South African suburbs they now call
home , Nigerians tend to keep to themselves .
Many have opened their own businesses and
employ people from across the continent who
are not necessarily South Africans .
Many are business savvy and see a lot of
opportunities where even South Africans do
not. Some business ideas come out of a desire
for cultural preservation and a bit of
nostalgia , with many entrepreneurs importing
West African foods, traditional fabrics ,
cosmetics , and Nigerian films in the form of
DVDs.
On every street corner there is either a
restaurant or a fast -food outlet selling
Nigerian cuisine while the music of Lagos,
Nigeria 's commercial capital, belts out. The
youth have transcended their cultural dress
and now dress a bit like American rap artists
with their baggy , sagging trousers , huge
shirts , and hairstyles to match .
Women are just as trendy as men , wearing
knee - high boots, complete with immaculate
make- up and hair extensions .
It was in the fashion world that retired
teacher , now turned hairdresser , Ani Ojiofor ,
50 , found a niche seven years ago when she
arrived in South Africa .
" When times are good we make a lot of money
because many women do not mind spending
when it comes to hair , " says Ojiofor .
She says her hair salon, based in Randburg
north of Johannesburg , was doing well a few
years after its launch, but it appears South
Africa 's economic downturn is beginning to
have an impact on it .
Nigeria growth vs South Africa
According to Statistics South Africa , an
agency that gathers data, the country 's
growth contracted by 0 . 6 percent in the first
quarter of 2014 due to the crippling strike in
the platinum sector , which has been described
by the National Economic Development and
Labour Council as the longest and the
costliest in the country ' s history .
Nigeria has recently rebased its Gross
Domestic Product ( GDP) to a revised estimate
of $510 bn in 2013 , an 89 percent jump from
the previous $269 bn . This has helped it trump
South Africa 's GDP of $350 . 6bn in the same
period.
Chris Becker, an economist and chief Africa
strategist at ETM Analytics , a macroeconomic
advisory and consultancy firm in South Africa ,
says the rebasing of the GDP - taking into
account sectors that generate money but
have been previously neglected - is not in
relation to the actual growth. It is , he says ,
just a realignment of numbers that were not
calculated in the past .
" I don 't think we will be losing too much to
Nigeria as an investment destination .
Investors do not only concentrate on the
Gross Domestic Product of a country . They
understand the dynamics that go far beyond
that. They would , for instance, base their
decisions to invest on how developed the
infrastructure is or on whether the
environment to conduct business is conducive .
They would also consider income
inequalities . "
Becker says statistics barely encourage
people to move to countries in search of
better lives .
" Maybe in 10 to 15 years - if Nigeria 's
economy accelerates and South Africa 's
contracts - that's when people may start
thinking of moving back [ to Nigeria] , " he told
Al Jazeera .
Dexter Mahachi , a researcher at Amari Africa
Securities , which studies economic trends in
Africa , concurs that Nigerians are unlikely to
head home soon .
" The rebased GDP doesn 't offer new
opportunities . Those industries that have
helped to increase the numbers have always
been there , " Dexter said .
" Nigerians who are operating businesses in
South Africa are favoured by the availability
of sophisticated infrastructure , electricity ,
running water , shopping malls that are
frequented by people with more disposal
income . "
John Chukwu , an economist at Cowry Asset
Management in Nigeria, says Nigerians in
South Africa are not qualified in the
industries that are driving growth in Nigeria,
and may even struggle to find work.
" They do not have proper skills needed by
Nigeria 's economy . Most of them are
uneducated . Those who are educated would be
teachers and lecturers in tertiary institutions
which do not offer salaries that are
attractive enough for them to return
[ home ] , " Chukwu said .
Xenophobia
Foreigners in South Africa have suffered
xenophobic attacks but few Nigerians have
fallen victim. In 2008 , 64 people were killed
and 1, 600 displaced while hundreds were
injured .
Poor South Africans have continued to attack
outsiders accusing them of stealing their jobs
and women .
" So far there are not many Nigerians, if any ,
who have been victims of these attacks
because we do not live in the townships.
People who are more aggrieved by foreigners
are in the townships because they are
unemployed , " said Dada.
Follow Tsidi Bishop on Twitter: @ tsidibish

source: http://m.aljazeera.com/story/201472212447557862