₦airaland Forum

Primusinterpares:
That's interesting and good to know. If we can get governance right in 9ja, Things should get better.

Exactly! The average Nigerian isn't asking for too much. Give them stable light, good education, security, create an enabling environment for job creation. Finish.

These are the only things the average Nigerian is seeking. Yet, the government failed due to their wanton greed and corruption.

Primusinterpares:
Maybe true. But can you compare the taxes you pay over there and the one you pay here?
What about the fees?

In all our 9ja kids still got brains more than some of these western kids...

We don't pay school fees up to high school. So I personally don't mind the taxes. At least, we get value for the tax we pay.

About brains, I don't know about that. It depends on the individual.

Primusinterpares:
We also got good schools here in 9ja. Although they are expensive sha.
But we got good schools too

yes but they are out of reach. The likes of Grange, British International School are not for the average household even with a household income of N1million per month.

The public schools here are comparable to Grange and the likes and those public schools will even beat them hands down in many aspects.

Munamoqel:
a good hair cut is 500 naira . paparazzi salon 1k plus lot of hair treatment . You husband will not be cutting his hair himself in Najia his one Najia better pass Canada. But unna get Good school and cheap cars .but bad weather and pako houses ,tonardoes , lonely

I agree with you.

You see, that good school is one of the main attractions. I am a lover of good education. The first day I stepped into my kids' school, I knew I made the right decision. Great facilities, happy teachers.

Munamoqel:
there is no peace of mind when a simple hair cut is going for 20usd ,pako house 1500usd per month . Inside temperature of freezer .that you need heat to stay alive .that already a nightmare .

For haircuts, you can do it yourself. My husband does his and the kids. He does a good job of it.

Yes, it's pako house but beautifully designed with basic furnishing. That's the only housing that suits the weather.

DannyFX2638:
but do you like the fact that you always dress like Ninja before leaving your house?

That's life. One can't have it all. Yes, the cold can be very brutal and you have to dress yourself and the kids in layers. But I will rather pick the cold. It's bearable.
Insecurity, economic instability, weak institutions, poor system of education, epileptic power supply and a very weak passport are very unbearable. It takes extra strength to live in Nigeria. An elderly friend once said "Alagbara lo n gbe ni Nigeria ".

I like the fact that I can drive very long distances far into the night through different rural communities of Canada without fearing a thing.

No burglary proof, no gates, yet no fear. That peace of mind and serenity is priceless.

Eriokanmi:
You can say that again. This picture was taken when Buba Marwa visited Apata Memorial College on hearing of the death of the founder, who was Babangida's close friend and a retired senior army officer. He was assassinated in his house. That day was a sad one in Lagos.

Marwa was one of those who worked very hard in Lagos. He opened the alimosho roads, up to the popular AIT road. He developed the Ikeja CBD. He also built the Marwa Gardens, now MKO gardens. He worked harder than Tinubu. Marwa is known as Lagos boy cos he grew up here. His father was a retired army who served in Lagos.

How Tinubu got his fake Lagos blue print is still baffling. He obviously cornered all his successors' achievements to himself

thanks for the memories. Marwa worked really hard in Lagos without much noise. He constructed the road linking Iyanapaja to Ipaja. That road used to be a nightmare back then. He opened up that axis. Marwa was well loved as a governor.

Acquiredollars:
Good day sir/ma,

With a PhD in Toxicology and NEBOSH International Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, do I need to enroll for any caregiving certification before I begin to apply for a caregiver job?

Again, do I need to Enroll for IELTS since I hold a PhD and NEBOSH certificates?

Thank you all, as I await your response.

Apply for postdoctoral fellowships not only in the UK.. Consider the US, Canada and Australia. With some research experience in those countries, you could get a teaching position.

BigBashiru:
Overall i think Nigeria offers a better quality of life but if one doesnt hv something good doing in Nigeria then migrate to an African country... or to Asia....

how does Nigeria offer a better quality of life? Electricity (zero), security (zero) , clean water supply(below par), government welfare benefit (non-existent), roads (mostly substandard)
I understood better quality when I got to Canada. Nigeria and better quality of life shouldn't be used in the same sentence.

mzdeea:
Hello,
Pls I would appreciate your contribution on this:

For a mama traveling alone with an Infant, and has 16hours layover in Toronto before flying to her final destination, will you suggest I get an hotel near the Airport or Stay inside the Airport for the whole 16hours!.
Or is there any other option available.

Thank you.

16 hours is a long layover with an infant. Get a flight with a shorter layover time like 4 or 5 hours maximum

remsonik:
Hmmm....... This should not be o, planning on relocating there soon

Relocate abeg. What you should do:

1. Move to low-cost provinces like Alberta, Nova Scotia, Manitoba (where i am and loving it), Saskatchewan.
2. Live within your means there. Go with your partner and team up to get your own home.
3. Develop yourself. Apply to schools within your first year of arrival if you need to study. Get grants for your education. Do relevant certifications in your field.
4. Try to integrate. Don't just flock around fellow Nigerians only. If you are a christian, join a small white church. Don't rush out after the service. Talk to people. Smile. Look neat. Get involved in the church activities e.g join their choir, help them beat konga and drums. Offer to join them in packing instruments after service. When they invite you to their homes, honour the invite. Converse with them. Engage in small talks about things that interest them like dogs, cats, vacations, yard work, food etc. You will be amazed the many benefits these will bring.
Networking is key here.
5. As for the cold, get winter jackets. There are heaters in homes and public places. You will be fine.
6. Get married if you are not already married. Have kids. Canada loves kids.

You will be fine. Come on over!

tomtomastom4:
I created this thread in response to the post on front page about ladies that date men who earn less than 100k. Below is the link.

https://www.nairaland.com/7292274/ladies-relationship-men-earns-100k

Of a truth, its not easy to manage such amount, but when one is already in such situation, you just have to manage and improvise.
Now like the OP of the above thread requested, here is the break down of how we make our expenses.

To start with, I was earning about 130k previously before we got married by March this year, but I changed job and the pay of the new job is 95k. STarted the new job around Feb this year, even though there was a loan I was paying off.. Need I add that my wife was working in a firm where shes paid 45K, but two months after our married, she quit the job due to pregnancy stress. Am sure ladies will understand.

This is our break down.
Monthly salary 95k
I remove 40k first from the salary and transfer it to 3 different acct.
The first acct receives 20k. This acct is not touchable except on extreme emergency. Its our main savings acct.
The second acct gets 10k and its for our rent, also non touchable. Rent is 150k per year. Before u say my rent is high compared to my salary, I like my privacy very well. and the cost of rent isnt friendly in my state.
The third acct also gets 10k. This one is for semi savings. This acct is touchable when cash at hand have been exhausted before the next month salary.

From the remaining 50k,
I send 10k to my family acct. I and my brothers do contribute 10k+ every month and its been used to run expenses WRT our parents and last born.
I gv my wife 10k for her monthly up keep. Its small. But its the sacrifice we all have to make for the good of the family.
I hold 10k myself for logistics and transport. I must confess, is not enough. But One have to strive. My wrk place isnt far. SO transport is N100 to and fro, thats approximately 3k per month. The remaining money i use it for other logistics. 4k out of this money goes for gas wch last for abt 2 weeks. And when we want to refill and there is no other money left, we fall back to the 3rd acct.
The remaining 20k is strictly for food ( On this food issue is where I "duff my hart" cos shes really managing things well and trying.
Sometimes, I really feel for her, cos this her pregnancy makes her to crave for things that is not on our food menu, but then when the money is not there, she just surpress the cravings. At times I feel bad.

The remaining 5k, for now is used to pay back a tailor who sewed multiple pregnancy gowns for my wife.

Its good to add that any small money I make like 1k or 2k on side hustle, I directly buy mudu of rice, beans or flour for swallow.

Its not easy at all. But there are families with kids leaving below that.

My wife is abt 5mnths pregnant, we plan to divert the 20k savings to buying baby things in preparation for child birth.


The truth is that the economic situation in this country is bad and so cost of leaving is very high. But then one have to survive.
But then in Nigeria now, how many percentage of the population earn above 100k. In fact how many jobs out there pays such as amount.

The only advice I have for ladies is that if you are not working and you parent family is the type need financial help from your husband after marriage, or you are the type of lady that is high class and wont settle for less or manage with your man. Plz kindly wait and take your time to look for a man that is RICH or financially capable of taken care of you and maybe your family. Please dont hide under the cover of you want to marry quick and then accept a struggling man only to start putting pressure on his head. Plz wait and marry a rich man.

Most responsible men wont really appreciate it if you are always demanding for things you knw fully well that he can not afford.


It is also good to note that no condition is permanent, things will definitely get better. A better job might come or my wife might get a job after her maternity which will increase our income.

The bottom line is, as a couple, but of you will have to work things out to improve your finances.

it is well with you and your wife. But I hope she's feeding well, I mean getting all the right nutrients from food. She needs lots of fruits and veggies please. I doubt 20k can cover your feeding needs without compromising on essential nutrients. It's well with you

ednut1:
Doesn’t wear suit normally. Quit corporate world over 10 years ago. He made do with what he had. Whats the big deal

then he should have simply worn his agbada or babanriga.

Immortalregis:
And on the 8th day, Satan invented manual labour: (Government is not reason... Government is Force!)
Hello. It's been nearly 2 months since I landed and this is an update that I feel dovetails nicely with the recent discussion on government/citizens. Against all advice, I proceeded to do Ogoaja work! I wasn't pressed for cash, as my POF was largely untouched, and accommodation wasn't an urgent concern either, as I still had 2 weeks left at the Airbnb I booked. I had a couple of interviews for desk jobs/customer service lined up but I took the physically-demanding option for character development (make the story for sweet when I dey narrate my own odyssey ) and every day I wonder if I no be suffer-head cause, mehn, the work is hard.
Right from day 1, my employer was very concerned about my safety. 'Take breaks', 'tie your laces', 'don't hurt your back', 'don't carry too much stuff', 'if you need any help, call me' etc etc. I must admit that it was a bit of a culture shock to me. Employer wey send your papa? Chinese employer wey send your papa for ogoaja work?? (My bosses are nice sha. Outside of work, they treat me very nicely too). I couldn't quite wrap my head around it. I also noticed that at every controlled intersection, motorists yielded right of way to me. Every time. 1 polite motorist, I can understand. 10? 20? No problem. But everyone? No na, the story no clear. I also walk past construction sites/projects daily and the safety routine is the same. Bright vests, hard hats, work-boots etc etc. When you factor in the complete absence of police officers in my area, you begin to wonder if you're in a simulation or na real-life. So I did some investigation and it finally made sense to me. I'll use an example to illustrate my findings.

Scenario: Worker at a construction site isn't wearing a hard-hat, safety shoes and bright-coloured vests.

Step 1:
Nigerian response: It's just another day at the office.
Toronto response: One passerby who doesn't know or care about the site and will probably forget about the site in 2 seconds flat calls the authorities.
Step 2
Nigerian response: Local government council comes to spray 'stop work' on your fence. You go to the office and settle the matter.
Toronto response: Government official comes. God wants to punish you that day so 2 more workers are in the same situation as worker 1. Official asks to see foreman. With a smile, "ogbeni ona don enter my hand today". Politely engages with foreman, shows remarkable empathy when foreman explains that rising costs of safety gear mean some folks don't have but they'll get it today, talks about inflation and how hard things are with foreman before proceeding to give foreman a ticket: safety shoes - $380, hat - $250, vest - $190, safety rope - $100. For each worker. Then the company pays the same amount. For each worker. All of a sudden your staring a $5000+ bill that you must pay or you'll face even stiffer punishment all because Ciroma, Chukwuma and Adekunle refused to wear safety gear. Errhm, don't try to settle with the official cos na prison straight. Just respect yourself and pay to the government account.

If you drive like Dominic Torreto and cause accident, you're finished. Jam person for road e no die? You're finished. The person die? Finished. Wound person intentionally or through negligence? You better have a good lawyer cause that lawsuit go bloody. In short, every offence has a ridiculously high fine attached to it.

It isn't kindness that makes the system here work. It is the fear of the government. The fear of consequences that come when you fall on the wrong side of the law. The laws are designed to milk you dry with draconian fines if you offend and if you can't pay, or you're a serial repeat-offender, na prison straight. The government officials I've observed do not hate or love you, they feel your pain but are remorseless when it comes to punishing offenders. That's why the mantra here appears to be 'Ija wa, Ija osi... always guiding' which roughly translates to 'bro, err on the side of caution.'
Having said that, if you obey the law, nobody send you for here o! Just paro lo!!

Very apt. The fear of consequences is what makes the system work. For instance, a sexual offender can't earn any meaningful living even after serving prison sentence because almost every job requires a background check. Canada has very strong institutions.

It's called okodo. It's medicinal. The Chinese use it to treat some ailments. Snake fish. It's available at Makoko fish market when it's in season

festacman:
Nigerian politicians will be praying against Kemi Badenoch already.

Verily verily I say into you, Nigerian politicians will sweat if she becomes the PM. She will come with HOLY vendetta against them for messing up her motherland.

She will show them pepper pepper

Holluwhakemmy:
End time pastor. People have turned marriage/wedding to something else no wonder it doesn't last nowadays.

true. Exchange of vows should be solemn and serious. That's why I like orthodox churches for their conduct of wedding ceremony

That buga song is addictive. Even when you don't want to sing it, it keeps ringing in your ears.

staga:
At 85 years, he should not be doing such procedures as it requires a steady hand. For him to have practiced in the UK for 41 years and been a doctor for 57 years shows he has some level of competence. But old age is something that beats anyone.

Even Muhammad Ali said after his last fight that "Father Time" had caught up with him.

that's the real issue. 85 is too old for any kind of work, in my opinion. At 85, one should be in full retirement

A friend of mine needs passport urgently. Where can he get it done within a week?

[quote author=wwwtortoise post=114275095]

Carefully selected posh areas to rig minds into believing lagos has serene ecology abi.

Please show us pictures of Ikotun, agege, Orile,
Ikorodu . . . in the 60’s too.[/quote]In the 60s, Ikotun, Agege, Orile, Ipaja, Ayobo, Abule-Egba etc were mainly farmlands with greater serene ecology than the posh areas posted by the op. Rural-urban migration turned those areas to residential areas

okomile:
They could have done it legally.
They can get away with anything here in Nigeria but not abroad.

Miscalculation on their part.

Wish the daughter quick recovery. Kidney ailment is not a joke.

I wonder why they chose to do it that way. With the kind of money they have, they can get a willing adult donor from anywhere in the world.

seunny4lif:
Apply for jobs from here and if lucky the company will process the Visa for you.
Apply to many companies as many as possible

You need to learn the language because you will need it for base to base activities like shopping etc
At least learn how to say few words like when to Jakpa

I think he should commit to learning the language to at least intermediate level. That will help him a lot

I agree with you. What is rest of mind? Rest of mind is when I can drive from Lagos to Bornu state, with several stop overs to see major tourists' attractions, without fear of being intimidated by the police, kidnapped by unknown gunmen or bandits, robbed or killed.

Mcslize:
Which rest of mind are you posting about? Pls edit and delete that statement from that post.

Where are you getting the rest of mind from? In this war torn zone called country?

Even if you are rich, there is no rest of mind in Nigeria for any one. Seems like you are not in this country and ain't aware of all the horrific happenings.

NaughtyBrainiac:
Hello All,

A friend studied Biochemistry in one of Nigeria's Federal Universities, she has completed NYSC but she does not have a job yet.

Her brother who currently resides in the UK wants her to enrol in a school of Nursing in Nigeria and she is not happy with what her brother wants.

I asked her if her brother's reason is because Nursing is profitable in the UK and she said YES, that's his reason. The goal is that she'd eventually relocate to the the UK.

My concerns are:

1. Why study a course like Biochemistry and go back to a school of Nursing? Aren't there better alternatives?
2. Most of the people I know that attended school of Nursing always go back to the Univeristy for BSc. Nursing.
3. School of Nursing in Nigeria will take her about 3 years and I am sure she will still need to write some exams before she will be able to work as a Registered Nurse in the UK.

Are there possibilities of moving to the UK to study that version of Nigerian School of Nursing? If yes, how expensive is it?

On the other hand, if she's able to go to the UK for her masters, masters in what course can she apply for (please bear in my that she is a Biochemistry graduate) that would give her chances of securing a good job in the UK ( At least, a kind of job that would still make her earn something close to what Nurses earn)?

Please advise. Thank you

Her brother wants the best for her. A friend went to school of nursing after Bsc in Microbiology. She's now working in the UK as a nurse. Let her go to school of nursing. Studying Nursing in the UK is going to be more expensive

I put to bed via CS on 26th february. Recovery was smooth. My mum and mother-in-law really helped. CRS simulation was 430 even with a master's degree as i was 37 at the time. I started searching for ways to improve my score and stumbled on another nairaland thread on TEF/TCF. On 1st April, I started french classes. After 7 months of intensive lessons and exam préparation, I sat for TEF on 26th October. Results were releases 14th November. My TEF story was shared here. I had the following:
TEF: Compréhension orale C1, Compréhension écrite C1, Expression orale B2, Expression écrite C1. It was one of my happiest moments.

I had evaluated my masters and with that, i had been in the pool since August. After 2 consecutive draws between November and December, i finally got ITA on 19th December and that was the last draw of the year 2019. My crs was 470 and draw was 469.

POF for family of 5 was challenging as we had committed our funds to real estate since we had no travel plans. Thank God for family and friends. They came through for us. I submitted application on 6th february 2020. Then covid happened and everything came to a stop. I called IRCC, i emailed, i cried, I prayed, i fasted. No response. I got tired of webforms and gcms notes..

PPR came like a thief in the night on 7th february 2022 exactly 2 years after. I practically screamed. I was overjoyed.

We sent passports to Cairo on 9th february 2022. Passports were returned with COPR on 3rd March. We started packing our bags. We did a lot of shopping as we had 10 luggage spaces and i wanted to use up the luggage allowance. We booked Ethiopian airlines for 11th April. Family and friends were with us at departure. There were tears of joy.

Food and in-flight entertainment was ok, not superb. It was a long flight. We stopped over at Addis Ababa and Dublin. We finally arrived Toronto 2pm of 12th April. The immigration queue was terribly long. Inspite of a 4hour layover time in Toronto, we missed our flight to Winnipeg but were lucky to get another flight. (Please if your final destination is not Toronto, ensure you book a flight with a longer layover in Toronto. A 4 hour lay over may not be enough).

We landed in Winnipeg at 7pm just before an awaited snowstorm and headed straight to an airbnb which we had booked earlier.

I am gradually settling in. I am still trying to come to terms with the time difference. It's a whopping 7hours between Nigeria and Canada.

I am glad to be here. It's home to me and it's worth every bit of my push, sacrifice and effort. I love the elementary and middle schools. The facilites are top-notch. I had an overwhelming sense of fulfilment the first day i accompanied my kids to school. I love the people of Canada, especially Manitoba. They are very kind and welcoming. I love the sérénity and the calm.
Will i do this again if i have to? Yes!

My landing gist. First i want to thank God Amighty for making my dream come true. I also want to thank the moderators and some wonderful friends here, mamaroon, Graciouswords and others in the TEF thread. You guys are amazing.

I landed in Canada 12th April. Settling down and doing all the initial paperwork took so much of my time. Now i am a bit settled in and can share my landing story. I'm afraid it's a fairly long one.

I decided to immigrate to Canada in mid-January 2019. Before then, i never thought of leaving Nigeria.
So i started gathering information on the process. The nairaland Express entry thread was really helpful.
I started by writing ielts. I was pregnant at the time with an EDD of 19th february. I needed to write before my EDD. As soon as i got my salary that month, i headed for the passport office to renew my passport which had long expired. I was lucky to have it issued in 3days. With my shiny passport in hand, i rushed to MOD/IDP in Ogudu. I was lucky to get a lot for 9th february. Obviously, someone had cancelled his schedule. On the exam day, i missed my way to the venue and went to a different one. I had just 30 minutes left. My husband had hardly stopped the car at the right venue when i ran out with my big belly. I was panting.
Results were released:
IELTS : L8.5 W7.5 S8 R9. That was my first attempt.
I was excited. My elder sister who had been "preaching" Canada to me for many years was super excited.

Istory continues

I posted in the wrong thread

I posted in the wrong thread