Arkison:

Going to UK is not a matter of personal preference, rather, in most cases it is a necessity. Necessity driven by ineptitude, corruption, mismanagement of the governments in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular.

I am born in UK, live most of my life here. I lived in Nigeria and still will want to live in Nigeria than here.  Did 3 years in Federal college and 2 years in the university. Left Nigeria because of the strikes in the University. Went back to Nigeria for NYSC - when things got bad, I handed over my allowances to my NYSC officials and jet out of the country. I want to live in Nigeria. But the injustice, lack of opportunities and fairness is too much. The aspiration of many young men have been dampen by the society.

Despite lack of infrastructure, NEPA, good roads and poor hospital facilities, I still find Nigeria to be good place. Happiness is not link to materials around you. With constant power, water and NHS in UK, you still develop depression. Most people in this country are depressed. Never happy, always complaining. Whining.

However it is rediculous for any Nigerian making a decent living, with a house and car to sell everything and move to uncertain world. One of the cleaners of my lab in the University is a Nigerian. He was working for a bank in Nigeria. He left his job, sold his 4 bedroom house (the house is fenced a gate and even 2 bedroom called boys quaters). 3 years now he is still looking for job. He sent his wife and his children back to Lagos, cos he can't afford it here.

Nigerians should also understand that not everybody will be rich. If you destined to be  middle class, you will be a middle class in Nigeria or UK. So people should not expect because someone is in UK, he should be rich.

Well, almost everything have bn said. Nothing is new. If things are better in Nigeria, mass emigration will reduce

now he is dumb for making dat dumb move

r231:

now he is dumb for making dat dumb move

and he isn't the only one.

If you live in UK, it is common. Very common. Nigerians that live their jobs and come to UK for masters. After masters no job. Post study visa. 2 years after, still no job. Start hide and seek with police. Remain a deluded fellow for years. And the poor relative and friends in Nigeria do not help matters. I have met a lot of nigerians that send money regularly, like, kind of that is what they are meant for. And I was wondering, if they were back in Nigeria will they give their folks £300 - 400 every month?

I have concluded that Nigeria and Nigerians are the most complicated fellows in this world. Very complicated.

sayso:

@Arkison thank you for that brief lesson,whenever I call my friends in Europe,across the Atlantic they always asked how they wish they can come home but the truth is that some of them cannot afford the ticket/expenses at home but we do here on every holiday  travelling to overseas to see the world and not yet among the rich class.

bros it depends on what you do for a living yea tickets are expensive but if you can afford it fine. I have lived in UK almost all ma life around 2007 I decided to move to 9ja have a business set-up still running till now but guess what a blind ma (some guy called Atunrase) duped me. Sold me a land that belongs to Ogun state govt for 1.2M up till now no money back no justice i am not saying 9ja is bad but i got fedup and have to return to UK and continue ma business in UK peacefully and when d time is right i will return. So personally I think it depends on people if you know your way around 9ja you will survive easily.

Nigerians love adventure. They will like to live anywhere even in Siberia or Iceland.

2tait:

Nigerians love adventure. They will like to live anywhere even in Siberia or Iceland.

of course there are Nigerians everywhere. I met a Nigerian in a village in Laos, and i was like. . . what the f**k is this guy doing here?

http://www.nigerianstudents.fi/

Why would any British in his/her right senses want to vacate UK to live and work in Anambra/PH, Nigeria with an Oil company?

r231:

bros it depends on what you do for a living yea tickets are expensive but if you can afford it fine. I have lived in UK almost all ma life around 2007 I decided to move to 9ja have a business set-up still running till now but guess what a blind ma (some guy called Atunrase) duped me. Sold me a land that belongs to Ogun state govt for 1.2M up till now no money back no justice i am not saying 9ja is bad but i got fedup and have to return to UK and continue ma business in UK peacefully and when d time is right i will return. So personally I think it depends on people if you know your way around 9ja you will survive easily.

It is kind of funny how people sell other people land. Many Nigerians I meet have this experience. Like they are kind of common in Nigeria.

Arkison:

It is kind of funny how people sell other people land. Many Nigerians I meet have this experience. Like they are kind of common in Nigeria.

its very very common

^yeah

I sometimes wonder why a rational person will sell his earthly belongings all in the name of traveling abroad. And as for youths struggling to travel out by all means I wish them well. But to say that there are no opportunities in Nigeria is a very big lie. The only problem we have in Nigeria is that graduates do not want to dirty their fingers.

Everyone is looking for office jobs and everyone wants to live in LAGOS and work for banks/telecommunication/oil companies. How many can these companies employ?

I have friends who are into farming and they are doing very well and some of them are graduates. Going abroad to become a cleaner/cab driver is not the solution. When will you make it?

As for me I prefer to stay in Nigeria and become a farmer than traveling abroad to become a taxi driver or street cleaner( I see enough of them in Lagos already).

If you live in UK, it is common. Very common. Nigerians that live their jobs and come to UK for masters. After masters no job. Post study visa. 2 years after, still no job. Start hide and seek with police. Remain a deluded fellow for years. And the poor relative and friends in Nigeria do not help matters. I have met a lot of nigerians that send money regularly, like, kind of that is what they are meant for. And I was wondering, if they were back in Nigeria will they give their folks £300 - 400 every month?
I have concluded that Nigeria and Nigerians are the most complicated fellows in this world. Very complicated.  

@Arkinson   Why would anyone want to live in the UK or anywhere else for that matter without the correct papers? I hope you know that the above statement does not apply to people who who have the right permits.

bidemi12:

If you live in UK, it is common. Very common. Nigerians that live their jobs and come to UK for masters. After masters no job. Post study visa. 2 years after, still no job. Start hide and seek with police. Remain a deluded fellow for years. And the poor relative and friends in Nigeria do not help matters. I have met a lot of nigerians that send money regularly, like, kind of that is what they are meant for. And I was wondering, if they were back in Nigeria will they give their folks £300 - 400 every month?
I have concluded that Nigeria and Nigerians are the most complicated fellows in this world. Very complicated.  

@Arkinson   Why would anyone want to live in the UK or anywhere else for that matter without the correct papers? I hope you know that the above statement does not apply to people who who have the right permits.

Reading stuffs like this make me sick! Here is another one:

ugonna245:

I sometimes wonder why a rational person will sell his earthly belongings all in the name of traveling abroad. And as for youths struggling to travel out by all means I wish them well. But to say that there are no opportunities in Nigeria is a very big lie. The only problem we have in Nigeria is that graduates do not want to dirty their fingers.

Everyone is looking for office jobs and everyone wants to live in LAGOS and work for banks/telecommunication/oil companies. How many can these companies employ?

I have friends who are into farming and they are doing very well and some of them are graduates. Going abroad to become a cleaner/cab driver is not the solution. When will you make it?

As for me I prefer to stay in Nigeria and become a farmer than traveling abroad to become a taxi driver or street cleaner( I see enough of them in Lagos already).

I ask, why do Nigerians at home sometimes think all/most Nigerians in the Diaspora do cleaning and cab driver job? Those thoughts and reasoning make me sick!

So much already said and great points made. Truth is, wherever you are, if you work at it and are equipped for it, you will make the best of it. Opinion may differ, i hold mine which in simple terms is that I will, on no account live elsewhere outside Lagos Nigeria. I have worked hard enough to generate my power, regulate my environment with A/C, pump my water using the borehole, drive to wherever i want irrespective of the roads and the supposed crime level. I go to megaplaza and see folks eating chicken and chips and stuff, downing stout and other drinks and i tell myself, 9ja is not as bad it is really made out. When my office sends me on offshore trips, i notice that most of the shops in the UK are being patronized by Nigerians who are on vacation, my point? if it was that horrible, people wount make enough to live, let alone to travel and add value to oyinbo man economy. For those who have gone on self exile, remain there, please dont come back, we dont have good hospitals, roads, light water, etc. Stay there and make all the pounds (that is if u are making any ooo) and please stop yabbing us, we are happy here and intend to stay here, remain there and be happy too. This comparisons dont really make sense to me, we have ghettoes abroad, we have the homeless, we have all sorts as we have them here in Nigeria, stop 'fingering the brains of the ill-exposed' into thinking its all good there and all bad here (home and away). If you cannot contribute your quota into turning this place around, let those of us who are here see what we can make of it. Lagos of today is no longer same of 2 years ago, we have faith in Nigeria, in time, things will change or we die trying. E don do, Eko ni baje. 9ja oni baje.

Sometimes we talk about £300 as if it is too much money, it comes up to N78,000.00, and i know a few that send more than double that figure to their folks in villa at the end of every month. It is a bit too bland to make it look as if we should all cringe at the mention of £. I know for a certainty that several Nigerians have work and resident permits and indeed their stay is also legit, same way i know of several who are languishing and cannot even make it home. In my last travel, to his utter amazement, i gave an old colleague £400 when i ran into him in the train and he was looking a shadow of his old self. My point, dont rush off to the States orthe UK just because others have gone there, I wount. I have qualifications that will enable me work at least in the UK, but i am ware that the citizens are not getting enough so it might not easily getto me and at any rate, i am used to big accommodation, enough freedom and the madness associated with this part of the world, its so much part of me that your organized life abroad annoys me. Unfortunately, i have never been denied a travel visa, i am hoping they do so that i can discourage my employers from sending me to your 'beautiful world' where i come and spend a fortune to a people that dont even appreciate us for who we are. SICK.

Nigerians in the Diaspora sit put and even spend your Holiday in the Diaspora.
Nigerians at home, sit put and even spend your Holidays at home.

Case closed for me, abi wetin self?

@Hardbody And i'm sure that, and this goes for you and anybody else singing the same tune, if you were given the same opportunity before you could afford to, and i quote, "generate my power, regulate my environment with A/C, pump my water using the borehole, drive to wherever i want irrespective of the roads and the supposed crime level. I go to megaplaza and see folks eating chicken and chips and stuff, downing stout and other drinks and i tell myself, 9ja is not as bad" You would be dancing and singing to a totaly different music. Having the right papers to live abroad is an opportunity like any other and what you do with it depends on you. Only a fool will be given the opportunity and not take advantage of it. Anyone you know that sweeps streets/toilet etc is most likely living there illegaly and does not have a choice. Also for all the nay sayers if you have never experienced an alternate world, yes i said it, cause the life in Nigeria is not real, then how can you reasonably comment on it. It is possible to have 24hr power/water/communication/security. It is possible to go to university for 4 straight years without strike. It is possible to close your eyes and think of anything you want to be in life and be that thing you want to be. Most of you that are shouting are only doing so because you have the means and are used the illegal way of living in Naija e.g tapping current directly from nepa pole, building houses without permits, taking one way whenever you want with/without police escorts, avoid paying taxes, etc come and try that crap here.

Poster,yommyuk,cudos,diasporian,tstark&arkiṣon - u guy are the most reasonable, iwas lmao reading wot peeps being proud of "tesco" at 1am,so? Nigeria would neva be great as long as peeps abroad only rant about this/that.put your money where ur mouth is,afterall tstark already reminded u "the uk isnt ur home"

Poster,yommyuk,cudos,diasporian,tstark&arkiṣon - u guy are the most reasonable, iwas lmao reading wot peeps being proud of "tesco" at 1am,so? Nigeria would neva be great as long as peeps abroad only rant about this/that.put your money where ur mouth is,afterall tstark already reminded u "the uk isnt ur home"

Poster,yommyuk,cudos,diasporian,tstark&arkiṣon - u guy are the most reasonable, iwas lmao reading wot peeps being proud of "tesco" at 1am,so? Nigeria would neva be great as long as peeps abroad only rant about this/that.put your money where ur mouth is,afterall tstark already reminded u "the uk isnt ur home"

Poster,yommyuk,cudos,diasporian,tstark&arkiṣon - u guy are the most reasonable, iwas lmao reading wot peeps being proud of "tesco" at 1am,so? Nigeria would neva be great as long as peeps abroad only rant about this/that.put your money where ur mouth is,afterall tstark already reminded u "the uk isnt ur home"

Alot of good points have definitely been made about this topic, but one thing I have to say is that Naija is not as bad as alot of people claim. Fine and good we may not have the best roads, best hospitals and steady power supply like most (developed)countries do. But hey guys we've still got some good hospitals out there, power supply may be erratic but its still in existence we are not in total darkness.

However the best thing about Naija (and I think Africa as a whole) is the strong network of relationships we have i.e family relationships and friendships as well. I know that here in Naija even if you are broke, jobless, hungry etc etc You will always find someone out there who will be willing and ready to lend a helping hand, no matter what the circumstance may be.

A friend of mine who had gone to the Uk( back in the early 90's) for her Masters needed 200 pounds to pay her tuition fees and some other debts she had.You won't believe there was no one out there to bail her out, not even the so-called "tight friends" she claimed she had over there (who were mostly whites anyway). She started calling every one back home to help her out and we did. We as in her family members and friends. So I wondered to myself that if things are so good in the Uk as people often claim then why did she have to fall back on us in Naija to bail her out? Those white folks out there who she said were her friends weren't even willing to spare a few bucks to help her complete the money.

In the Uk, and France I know for a fact that the people there are not friendly and like the poster said racism still exists. People in these countries are so individualistic and way too independent,alot of them live and exist as Islands. In the Uk you can live in a certain place for months,even for a few years without knowing your neighbour simply because they choose not to have any form of contact with you, either because of your skin colour or something else.

As for me I'll rather live & die in Naija no matter what. I've visited a few European countries but i love it here.

@poster
Why don't you stay here in Nigeria with your relatives, if i have the chance, I wish to know how that place looks like.

@bidemi12 and we will survive and still come back home smiling.

there are two types of nigerians that live in the UK - the middle class ones who were already educated in nigeria and came here either to further their education and hopefully get a better job than what they had back home and  the uneducated ones who were experiencing extreme hardship back home and thought the UK would be the answer to their prayers of a better life.  

one thing i can say categorically is both groups experience the same sense of isolation, rejection, alienation and racism - the thing many on here are not focusing on is the fact that whites do not want us here in the first place, with or without british passport, resident permit whatever you want to call it.

people are trying to make out that living in the UK is a bed of roses - i have lived here for 12 years and i can tell you for a fact that this country is extremely racist but its done in such a subtle way that unless you understand the system you wont immediately detect it.  

this country practices what is known as institutionalised racism whereby british society is set up in such a way that it deliberately favours its own (white) people with regard to employment, education, housing and even health care whilst deliberately treating less favourably minority ethnic (black) people.  

everyone is talkign about how nigeria is lacking this or lacking that - whose responsibility is it to change things?  how do you think the british came to have such a great empire and develop their country to what it is today.  even as we speak british owned shell bp is in nigeria exploiting our natural resources and making millions in profit but if you try and to go to shell's head office here in london do you think they will give you a job there as a cleaner?

guys please lets wake up, the poster was right in pointing out that there is no place like home and that we need to start thinking about nigeria in terms of our final destination, im not advocating immediate relocation but there needs to be a gradual relocation, we need to start thinking in terms of what we can contribute to make the country a better place for future generations, all the knowledge and work experience gained here could be channelled back into our own economies rather than wasted in a country where majority of the people see us as unwanted visitors.  

the UK's treatment of blacks is especially shoddy - it is no coincidence that many black men here in the UK do not have good jobs even the "so called educated" ones, i work in local government and i know the daily stresses and hassles of constantly having to work twice as hard as a white person simply because i am a foreigner and should be grateful for even having a job.

blacks make up the majority of the underclass in the UK and that has nothing to do with their lack of ability but due to the above mentioned institutionalised racism , these policies are created in order to keep blacks down and ensure that whites retain economic power and position in society, i have worked in places where my bosses are less qualified educationally but earn twice my salary  simply because they are white, there is no sane person who will see or experience this and be happy particularly when you have a country which is rich and has the potential to offer you more out of life.  

in as much as nigeria is the way it is at least you are accorded the respect that you deserve from colleagues, in the UK you should see how so called black managers are spoken to by subordinates, i have witnessed black managers being victimised, bullied and in some cases hounded out of their jobs because of racism, something which would be unheard of in nigeria, so those of you singing the praises of this country please take off those rose tinted glasses and stop living in fantasy world.

@cap28 what are you still doing there?

bidemi12:

@cap28 what are you still doing there?

im planning my imminent return back to my motherland bro - i dont intend to waste anymore of my life here as this country has nothing to offer blacks, but if you read my post you will see that i mentioned "gradual relocation" as i understand that relocating to nigeria is not something done on the spur of the moment.

@bidemi12 don't ask him that,attack with enough conviction what he stated above if true or false or you can as well get off a made in Nigerian forum.

Guys and Gals, anywhere you decide to live in is a matter of choice and circumstances. I am someone that believes in attaining my manifest destiny. Many Nigerians move to Europe and North America because they are not happy with the state of things in the country. No one should be condemned for looking for greener pastures. Some people are destined to live in Europe while others are not. I know of a Nigerian graduate who after searching for a job endlessly for years after graduation, decided to emigrate to Britain. His friend in London [ who had become a British citizen ] invited him and sent money for his visa fees. The initial plan was for him to come on a 6 month visit visa and later sort himself out [ whatever that means ]. This Nigerian graduate applied for the visa at the British Embassy ansd a strange thing happened Instead of being given his 6 months visit visa, he was given an Indefinite leave to remain in Britain!! I'm not lying here, Nairalanders. The guy scanned the visa page to his friend in Britain, and his friend was speechless . The Nigerian graduate is in Britain now and has even brought his siblings to the UK.

Nigeria is not also a bad place to live in, though our leaders are very myopic, corrupt and greedy. There are some people who are destined to make it in Nigeria. If they make the mistake of emigrating to Europe or America, they'll regret it. We should always make God central to all our plans. God has the final word in all our decisions. A cousin of mine went to the UK on a student visa. He was working for a courier company in Nigeria but things were rough for him. He was also growing old and found it hard to get a suitable woman in Nigeria. It was as if evil forces were aginst him marrying [ Mind you, his elder brother was unmarried and had been made an slowpoke when he was younger by unknown people ]. Anyway, my cousin came to the UK and began his studies. Less than three months into his stay in England, something strange happened . He was in a park with his friends one saturday when a white lady walked up to him and started a conversation. She turned out to be a nurse and was really intersted in knowing him more. My cousin did not toast her o. She was the one that sought him out. One thing led to the other and they are married today. Ever since my cousin met the white woman, things have ben looking up for him. That is why I will never condemn Nigerians anywhere they are. We all have different destinies and we can't explain why things happen. I have tasted the power of prayers and I know God takes care of his own anywhere they are in the world. I know of people without papers who own houses in Britain. And there are legitimate Nigerians in Britain, who have nothing and are struggling and have been struggling for years.

Anywhere you find yourself, always give thanks to the lord and strive to help your peeps in Nigeria. Cheers.

Yawn, as someone rightly said its all about money,
why are the European, Asian, South African. Middle Eastern & American
expats in Nigeria Money!!!!

When you have money life is at least comfortable,

As for the UK being boring haba! u need to check yourself,

Nigerian full ground for there!!! as a poster said you need to
make sureself more socialable, 

And really the UK is not that bad when it come to
Prejudice or Racism,  At worst it is the lesser of many evil
in various foriegn places!!!

nuff Said,

cap28:

there are two types of nigerians that live in the UK - the middle class ones who were already educated in nigeria and came here either to further their education and hopefully get a better job than what they had back home and  the uneducated ones who were experiencing extreme hardship back home and thought the UK would be the answer to their prayers of a better life.  

one thing i can say categorically is both groups experience the same sense of isolation, rejection, alienation and racism - the thing many on here are not focusing on is the fact that whites do not want us here in the first place, with or without british passport, resident permit whatever you want to call it.

people are trying to make out that living in the UK is a bed of roses - i have lived here for 12 years and i can tell you for a fact that this country is extremely racist but its done in such a subtle way that unless you understand the system you wont immediately detect it.  

this country practices what is known as institutionalised racism whereby british society is set up in such a way that it deliberately favours its own (white) people with regard to employment, education, housing and even health care whilst deliberately treating less favourably minority ethnic (black) people.  

everyone is talkign about how nigeria is lacking this or lacking that - whose responsibility is it to change things?  how do you think the british came to have such a great empire and develop their country to what it is today.  even as we speak british owned shell bp is in nigeria exploiting our natural resources and making millions in profit but if you try and to go to shell's head office here in london do you think they will give you a job there as a cleaner?

guys please lets wake up, the poster was right in pointing out that there is no place like home and that we need to start thinking about nigeria in terms of our final destination, im not advocating immediate relocation but there needs to be a gradual relocation, we need to start thinking in terms of what we can contribute to make the country a better place for future generations, all the knowledge and work experience gained here could be channelled back into our own economies rather than wasted in a country where majority of the people see us as unwanted visitors.  

the UK's treatment of blacks is especially shoddy - it is no coincidence that many black men here in the UK do not have good jobs even the "so called educated" ones, i work in local government and i know the daily stresses and hassles of constantly having to work twice as hard as a white person simply because i am a foreigner and should be grateful for even having a job.

blacks make up the majority of the underclass in the UK and that has nothing to do with their lack of ability but due to the above mentioned institutionalised racism , these policies are created in order to keep blacks down and ensure that whites retain economic power and position in society, i have worked in places where my bosses are less qualified educationally but earn twice my salary  simply because they are white, there is no sane person who will see or experience this and be happy particularly when you have a country which is rich and has the potential to offer you more out of life.  

in as much as nigeria is the way it is at least you are accorded the respect that you deserve from colleagues, in the UK you should see how so called black managers are spoken to by subordinates, i have witnessed black managers being victimised, bullied and in some cases hounded out of their jobs because of racism, something which would be unheard of in nigeria, so those of you singing the praises of this country please take off those rose tinted glasses and stop living in fantasy world.

I kinda agree with you in some of your point.

Not only black managers it happens to, even black police officers that where even born there experience lots of racism and some quit there work. I believe we are the ones to change Nigeria in a good way to make it a better place for us to live. Ok lets take for instance if the British people didnt make it a better place for themselves will u be able to leave in their country or assuming Uk is like Afghanistan will u like to live there?

Well my own bottom line is that we just need to join hands and make our country a better place so that we will not be travelling to a country where u will experiencing institutionalised racism and all those bull crap.

@Redman I say AMEN to that prayer.keep it up broda

see what a Nigerian is doing for his Fatherland,Seun you have won and we in 9JA will always advance.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-336405.0.html