₦airaland Forum

Childofthelord:
Hi everyone,

My name is Grace, 21yrs, I am in my 3rd year student, pursing a BN degree in Nursing administration (UBC) in Canada. However, since I left Nigeria in 2018, my life never remained the same. Let me start by saying a little about myself.
I come from a Christian home in Nigeria, my parents both attend deeper life.
They are hardcore disciplinarians and prayer warriors. My mum especially, each time i came back from school, my mum searched my bag. I was not allowed to have any social networking apps, not even WhatsApp, my mum always checked my phone. All my parents ever care about is my education and getting good grades. If i am not talking about books, i am not making sense( i was not allowed to attend prom). I had no outfits, just normal clothes and school uniform. I am never allowed to visit friends, go out or have friends over. I spent a large chunk of my time in my bedroom. I do not know how to socialize or communicate with people.
My social life was in bad shape and i never realized it.
I realized that my upbringing and the way i lived my life has really affected me now. I have trouble making friends and even sometimes when people approach me, they go mute after some days, it appears like i cannot keep friends. There are 60 students in my department and i could not make friends with one person, i do not have anyone to check with after an exam or test, nobody checks on me either. I always conatact the professors directly if i have any issues.
To be frank, I did spend 2 years in Unilag before coming to Canada and I had quite a number of friends, many guys were toasting me. I even lost count as some point. But ever since i stepped into this Canada, no guy, i repeat no guy has ever asked me out. white oh, black oh, hispanic oh, nothing. Though i have a number of acquittances but no one to share a drink with or talk about how the day went. This was different from when i was in Nigeria.
Right now I am really trying to make friends but each time i try, the energy is always coming from my end and sometimes they ignore me. I have no best friend, no boyfriend, no padi padi. I believe i have a bright future ahead of me but sometimes i just feel lost with how lonely i get.
Sometimes i feel like there a spirit of loneliness following me, i have no roommates too.
This has not stopped me from doing what i have to do and studying well, but i find it a little disturbing.
Is this normal? for students studying abroad? Maybe I am just different, I dunno.
I am willing to answer any questions?

Gerrard59:
There is this belief system amongst promoters of “remain in Nigeria and start a business” that one can become a billionaire by doing so. Unfortunately, that is not true due to several reasons:



1. Economic growth: Nigeria has not experienced GDP growth rates of 3% within the past five years yet the population has surpassed same figure. Meanwhile, her major foreign earner – crude oil not agriculture – has seen its price below $100 per barrel – a figure that is well below what can propel the economy (https://twitter.com/BusinessDayNg/status/1348882160107839488?s=20) considering that crude oil as a foreign earner constitutes more than 70% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange revenue. What this means is that the country is not growing at all economically thereby producing more privation within the system than wealth. So, where do you expect these billionaires to emanate from? To show the link between high and consistent economic growth and growth of billionaires, look to Asia – which has witnessed an astronomical growth of billionaires within the past decade. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/07/asias-billionaire-population-will-top-1000-within-five-years-report.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/04/08/the-countries-with-the-most-billionaires-in-2020/?sh=3138dcb94429

Asia has been particularly prolific. China, which gained the most billionaires this decade, now has 389 billionaires (not including an additional 66 from Hong Kong), up from 64 in 2010. Thailand went from three billionaires in 2010 to 20 in 2020. Similarly, fortunes surged in Singapore, which went from four billionaires in 2010 to 26 this year. India, the country with the fourth largest number of billionaires, saw a 108% increase from 2010, bringing the country’s 2020 total to 102 billionaires.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinstoller/2020/04/23/these-countries-have-gained-the-most-billionaires-in-the-past-decade/?sh=5b39e710d1d5

This is largely unsurprising as most Asian countries have had (and still do) consistently high economic growth rates compared to their African counterparts with low fertility rates to add. Furthermore, their economic growth is not closely tied to commodities’ prices – gold, diamonds, oil, cooper, lithium etc. Rather, it is the production of frequently demand goods and provision of mid to high grade services that propel their economic growth. However, Africa’s growth is largely tied to commodities’ prices and are the mercy of what the buyers prefer to pay not what the sellers decide to sell because hey, there are many people who want to sell cooper at prices lower than yours and since the buyer determines the price based on his/her intended use and demand, s/he will go for that sold at a lower price.

Additionally, most African countries will witness high population growth over the years and I am here to inform you that high fertility rates with low economic rates will lead to massive poverty. This already exhibits itself as Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more poor people than anywhere on the planet. Furthermore, the percentage Africa contributes to global GDP is a meagre 3% whereas China alone is 17.40%, India’s 6.5%, Indonesia’s 2.5%, Thailand’s 1%, Canada’s 1.5%, Japan’s 4% etc. It is commonsensical that the chance of being a billionaire is higher in those countries compared to African countries whose collective share is 3% (https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/africa-global-growth-economics-worldwide-gdp/#:~:text=Africa%20today%20accounts%20for%20around,tremendous%20opportunities%20and%20risks%20ahead.) Yes, 3% yet constitutes 17% of the world’s population.

In a globalised economy, what this means is that Africans are too poor to buy what others produce and are not producing what others buy leading to high poverty rates. How possible is it to become a billionaire in such an environment? In fact, check the newly released billionaire rankings by Forbes, only 3 Nigerians! How many dollar rated billionaires has Nigeria produced within the past decade compared to say India? South Korea?

pocohantas:
Millionaires and billionaires in dollars are getting divorced and na U-27 Npower candidates in a third world country carry am for head. People wey dey off data connection before going to bed.

Wahala for who no face im own problem.



Lol. KimYe are getting divorced and about to share their wealth, but somehow a young man in Nigeria, an undergraduate, corps member or at best a hustling guy with 03 Corolla, a DSTV dish and Elepaq gen says he won’t marry because of that.

As in, he doesn’t want to share his almost 2 decades old Corolla?

I have never even seen where a Naija man
(married under the Nigerian law) shared properties with his ex-wife. So why are some people trying to be more Catholic than the pope? Nawa!

ethicallyright:
It would actually be news if they celebrated a decade of being together as a couple.

Most human males of African descent live the most stupid lives possible.

You grow up in a poor neighborhood with many of your mates dead before they clock 20 due to gun violence. There are many well behaved African American girls in those neighborhoods willing to share you in peace.

But because of unsolved Identity crises and inferiority complex , you move on to a plastic white daughter of an elite Caucasian who would never say "hi" if you were not a superstar.

I may troll our African women, but I think African men, home and abroad do not really deserve these special beautiful African women. Those women who break that barrier and become successful in life never submit their hearts to white men. They share those resources with us. We should endeavor to marry ourselves so that this little wealth we've started to find can multiply.

Sailor1:
Not my trading style to buy at these levels

Sailor1:
Hmm.. upside on bitc0in in the shortterm may not be as much.. If it was at 40k, I'd have said betece... Right now, it may cooldown around 60k to give alyts some room.
If I'd advise, why not split it 5 ways and buy eith, link, ltc and ada and Zil...
Don't sell any until its moved considerably... Reevaluate in a week or 2 and see.

That said, the ultimate responsibility of what you trade rests on u

thebosstrevor1:
The future is blink for present day Nigerian women.

Lets be sincere, it will be rear to see women like her in this generation.

Many women here have lost all their educational vibes, all that matters to them now is runs, fashion, gossip and Instagram.

Nairalandian:
The way people carry family matter to social media nowadays eh

molybdenum0012:
LOL... Let them be deceiving themselves. Most girls you see on Instagram selling one thing or the others are doing olosho there. Even at that, they are still very poor. All this dm me business they are doing on social media only few of them are actually making better money, most are still very poor.

Those who do online business and earn in hard currency are those who make better money *cos of the value of naira. No mind them, they just like to talk as if they are blind to the prevalent abject poverty in the nation.

How can a country with widespread poverty and high unemployment rates be better than rich countries with low poverty and unemployment rate? How? Statistics are there now.. People should read abeg.

bigseank:
na Mad people full this nairaland i swear.

most times i would just skim through the Original Post and go to comments straight.
See all they are saying for that 1st page, they just dey give the girl gbas gbos

kechywillz:
Young man,find a reasonable thing to do with your life,don't let your looks n women ruin your life,there's more to life than what looks n women can offer

zorani:
Wow, excellent. You don Waka churches O. The one you described about the church that starts with R is true. Na there I go see rubbish. Note: not all those people you see in church with big cars and dress well earn big. Trust me them fit don immerse themselves into huge debt just to show off in church. I know some of them wey I get more cash in my acct pass because me no dey pay tithe, seed or borrow or spend above my means. What am telling you is fact. As a Naija newcomer, as you hold unto Ur naija upbringing, put efforts in immersing urself in the culture and people of Ur new home. You will be surprised how fast you will grow. Every Nigerian abroad must not be doctor, nurse, care giver or engineer. Mingling with other ethnicity might not be easy but after some time you will get to understand how things work on a wider society. Join political party for grassroots if you have passport, try side business, be free and not be constantly in competition with Nigerians. Not being in a Nigerian church helps with these things

salford1:
1st degree Ife. 2nd degree UK.

salford1:
I know you are one of Trump's supporters on here. So that was my reply was the way I typed it

This line of anti-immigrants and populism doesn't work here in Canada. Only if you know the amount of refugees Canada has been accepting for years and still accepting. Aslong as you are a genuinely fleeing persecution. When I became a citizen, the Minister of immigration that signed my certificate was originally a refugee from Somalia. He came to Canada in 1994. We welcomed thousands of refugees from Syria and most recently from the US. Churches, organizations and private citizens can apply for refugees to move here.

One stupid conservative leader (Maxime Bernier)
from Quebec broke away from the regular conservative party here after he started a discussion about Canada accepting too much immigrants. The mainstream conservative here did not buy his ideas. He formed his own party with an ideology similar to that of the republican party under Trump on the US - meaning he leaned further to the right. He got a few deplorables on his side.

Guess what happened, the citizens came for him and shut him down for his racism. He came at position 6 out of 6 in the last federal election. He also lost his riding while he was at it. Prior to losing his rising because of his anti immigrant and nationalist stance, his dad held that seat for 13 years, while he himself held it for 12 years before deciding to lean further to the right He is politically finished now after the rebuke
Read up:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/20/canada-maxime-bernier-populism-peoples-party/

Ps - The ideology of the mainstream conservative party here is very similar to central politics in the US i.e. not too far from Joe Biden's ideology. I almost voted conservative in the last Canada's federal election sef. AOC, Bernie, Rasheeda and co in the US will be right at home with the governing Liberal Party of Canada Lol

NiRfreak:
I won't marry the class of ladies who seek online fame and attention or ladies with huge online followership.
Many ladies today can never feel good about themselves until they get validation and court attention from their online fans who are there to lick their asses just to further stroke their ego.
.
Just in time, their inbox and dm is filled with all sort of guys and men begging to date and pay them for sex. It's only a matter of time before they compromise, cos money and promise of luxurious vacation can easily corrupt.
.
The truth is, most of them have online boyfriends they look forward to chatting with, especially when there's little issue at home.
.
When you marry such kind of lady, no matter what you do for her, she will believe she can get something extra with little effort online. So they are quick to be rude, or stubborn cos they know their online fling is there to save them.
.
Men. dnt look away from a woman who has too much online presence and fans...it's a big redflag and recipe for infidelity.
Half word is enough for the wise. Even if I marry such women, it's a matter of time before I hack her password...thank God I'm a programmer

optimusprime2:
If it took her 19/20 years to aquire citizenship from Canada since the 2000's... then it speaks alot already.

She may not have the right social standing to file in for her sons who are already grownups.

As much as there is the general hype for Canada these days, Canada is not an "anyhow" country, in otherwords "if you pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys".

What if she declared earlier that she had no children during some earlier refugee paper work in the phase when she was desperate for asylum, do you fink all of a sudden if she brandished grown up men from the blues calling them her sons, it would sink in well.... the system has a way of tracing these things. (Many people have been hit by this reality and families were broken unfortunately).

The best she can do is support the boys financially to perhaps pursue college education in Canada from Nigeria.

But let's call a spade a spade, she must have lied during the asylum process and it has probably caught up, that's why she's literally helpless in bringing her sons over. Otherwise she could have done it since.

RuudVanNisteroy:
You can convert ACCA to CPA once you pass the Common Final Examination(CFE), you don't have to enrol in all the capstone and core courses.

RuudVanNisteroy:
You are referring to the 1% and can check Linkedin if you doubt what I am saying. How do get your CPA certification or licence to practice medicine in Canada when you have never written their professional exams?The road to practice medicine is another 3-4 years for new immigrants. However, for the accounting designation you only have to write the final exam.

RuudVanNisteroy:
What the OP posted is 100% fact!It takes one to four years to get yourself established, as a new immigrant.

When you arrive in Canada you can only get blue collar jobs such as cashier,bus driver,labourer at warehouse and sales associate jobs that pay minimum or slightly above the minimum wage.

You either have to go back to school for for at least a year or do all your certifications again if you're in accounting,medical,engineering or law field. It pays off in the long-term though and even if your a bus driver your standard of living is better than majority of people in Nigeria.

sweetmelanin:
I loooove stories like this, you know why?

It sells hope to the hopeless, dreams to the visionless and riches to the poverty-stricken.

A post like yours will ganner a lot of likes, you know why? because too many people are hopelessly stuck in Nigeria and sadly will never get the opportunity to leave (despite secretly wishing they could), so instead, they will desperately hold on to the Nigerian dream; ...a rags to riches story, where a suffering man makes it big and gets to shine on all the poverty-stricken fellows around him - he becomes a big man and oppresses others with his wealth, driving his big cars on severely damaged roads, fencing his elaborate mansion to protect himself from 'hoodlums and riff raffs', wining and dining with governors and senators who have looted the country dry (like your 'friend' with sanwo-olu), whilst calling the hopeless masses "lazy youths".

I also love how your "friends" all travelled abroad before they came back to Nigeria to "make it big" .. how convenient!

Redman44:
Look, this is my advice for Nigerians in Canada and those who are on their way there. I wish you the best in Canada .

1. Don't compete for office jobs with white Canadians and other white immigrants.
2. Focus on Blue Collar jobs like Plumbing, Gas Engineering, Carpentry, House Building, Painting of Houses, Cleaning Business e,g Cleaning Homes, Offices and Restaurants in a Professional Way. Get some basic skills in Carpentry and Plumbing before leaving Nigeria. You can also learn cake making and catering before leaving Naija. All these Vocational jobs are a GOLDMINE in Canada .
3. Try as much as possible to be Self Employed or own your Business. You will make more money that way.
4. Learn how to buy and sell things on Ebay Canada and Kijiji. Kijiji is local to Canada. You can also sell on Ebay.com to Americans while you are in Canada.
5. Engage in Business as soon as you can save up some money. Don't work for others after 2 years in Canada.
6. Look for what you can get in Canada cheaply and ship them by Sea to Nigeria. Sell these things and make money from them. Handsome money can be made this way.
7. Don't live in the crowded Provinces like Ontario or Alberta in Canada. Go to Provinces like Manitoba, Quebec or Prince Edward Island and start a Cleaning or Carpentry Business there. Cleaning business can make you a FORTUNE.
8. Trust in God and Jesus Christ .
9. With your Canadian Passport, you should be travelling to Asia to source for products you can sell in Canada and the USA.
10. There are some dirty jobs and odd jobs that can make you serious money in Canada. Remember, BILLS are high in Canada. House Rent is HIGH and taxes are not low. Go to a Province where you can get cheap housing. And start a business in that Province.
11. Lastly, log on to YOUTUBE.COM and watch interviews granted by Mike Rowe. He does a lot of Dirty Jobs and he makes lots of money from them. Have the Mike Rowe Mentality.

Cheers .

Gerrard59:
Many reasons:

- Indians started making waves in the west before Nigerians. Not just in the US but also the UK. No Nigerian-British billionaire but there Indian-British billionaires.

- Racial discrimination. Although, Nigerians migrated to the US but are categorised as blacks just as African Americans. So whatever injustice the latter suffered by the virtue of skin colour, Nigerians suffered same.

- Nigerians don't attend top universities in same proportion as Indians. I can bet with whatever I've that there are way more Indians in top the 25 universities in the US than Nigerians. Top universities tend to send their graduates to top companies who tend to pay the highest. To get into these universities require writing standardised examinations, something Nigerians have started to shy away from because woke people say standardised exams are against people of colour. What they don't say is that Asians (Indians inclusive) are categorised as people of colour. So, if these tests (LSAT, GRE, GMAT, SAT etc) are against POC, how come Asians get higher scores than everyone including whites? Additionally, what they don't know is that by writing standardised examinations, the chances of being funded are high thereby reducing financial costs incurred for graduate studies. Question is: how do Nigerians expect to fund graduate studies in the US considering that they constitute the largest number of poor people in the world?

- Indians are way more entrepreneurial than Nigerians. If Nigerians were actually enterprising as being peddled across the media, how many successful firms in the US (both private and public) are/were owned/started by Nigerians? Compared to Indians, there's none! Literally none. In fact, there are Indian-American billionaires who made their wealth in the US but there's no Forbes or Bloomberg listed Nigerian-American billionaire. Please don't mention Ogunlesi - he's not Forbes listed. Although, he's an exception but that's where it ends - exception, which shouldn't be considered in the wider scope of things. So, you have successful Indian owned companies, what makes you think they won't employ their brothers and sisters from India, offer higher salaries and move them to the US? How many Nigerian owned firms (assuming there are big and successful) do same as Indians?

- Recently, I checked the data, Nigerians started going to the US in enmass during the '70/'80s, Indians started theirs in the 19th century, first mover advantage. Corroborates my first point. Not only is it first mover advantage, they solidified it and made headway.

- Game of numbers. There are successful Indian owned tech/IT firms who have invested massively in the US and can sponsor grads into the US. How many Nigerian owned tech/IT firms have done same in the US? Do you expect those Indian owned firms to employ Nigerians when there are gazillions of Indians - their brothers and sisters?

When Nigerians and black people in general learn to understand that economic wealth brings power, they will know better.

omotolarunsewe:
When you bring a woman abroad make sure you ready to treat her like an African queen.don’t let her help out in paying any bills.make sure you have a good job or business,take good care of her. Go on vacations,Don’t cheat on her.she will always remain your queen.my wife came here 14 years ago and she still remain my adorable wife. Be smart and never get jealous when she start making her own $$$

BigBashiru:
See black man @ strict laws - you don't know it's the strict laws that makes the Canada great.

ENG0701:
Exactly, every country has its culture and norms. The moment you leave your country, you should be prepared to adapt. Even states in Nigeria differ and if you moving from Imo to Ogun, you should be ready to adapt, it is the same thing with international migration.

ENG0701:
Parts of your write up are true, but not entirely. There are lots of immigrants on LinkedIn with top jobs, I know some personally. You also do not have to school here, although it helps and it is encouraged to at least get a canadian certification.
Yes, Canada is boring, every canadian will tell you that, and that is their lifestyle, that will not change, but they are not antisocial. Nigerians are very social, that is why canadians may seem antisocial to you, and their idea of fun is very different from ours

int0x80:
My broda, I tire oo. I just dey wonder if there is another Canada or just the one i know. na wa oo!

DropsMic:
1. People ain't shit
2. Religious people are the worst people to do business with
3. Never say Never
4. The Government doesn't give a flying fvck about us.. More than 2 months after the lekki saga no one has been arrested. Neither has anything been done about our demands
5. Nigerians are not that smart.
6. God has left Nigeria

7. Only women, children, cats and dogs are loved unconditionally.. A man is only loved under the condition that he provides something.

And last but not the least.



If you are a guy and you don't have money.. No matter how handsome, tall, educated, fresh, eloquent you are, you are a NOBODY.



Extra: Once people know you as the forgiving type, you are doomed

Ninokingz1:
OP your no5 is shit. Ain't no fucking truth in it. If e happened for the church wey u be attend no mean say na so e dey for all RCCG branches in UK. As a matter fact for those planning relocation, the best thing to do for yourselves is locating a 9ja church o if not eh you dey alone for der.

My official 1st job here was connected to me by a brother from the church. In the RCCG parish I do worship we are to ourselves the family members we don't have here.

I can't so deal with most of you who will run to Nairaland to either run Nigeria down or the whole Africa because you've gotten the opportunity of leaving. Though, I will agree with some of your assertions especially Black to Black kind of giving attitude but still it's none of my business.

jjohndoe83:
I just feel like putting this out there for those, who like me at some point, are having doubts about whether or not to move (if Buhari is not enough reason) and that nagging fear of the unknown...I've just been here 3 months, so my experience is only limited to Calgary where I live and may not be broad-based enough, but I can say Canada is not a bed of roses, neither is it a bed of thorns.

If you're humble (and willing to shave off some of the ego that we're conditioned to back home), you will ALWAYS find something to do to pay your bills whilst you work your way to where you want to be, even during this COVID era. So if your concern is immediate survival, you will find something to pay the bills and keep you afloat. Just to give you a clue, between my spouse and I we pull in about $5500 after taxes on our basic jobs (that is we're not working in our fields yet) and we are sorted with change left.

Do not let any stories that you hear discourage you. For every one discouraging story, there are 20 stories of encouragement. Our paths are very different and unique. Keep your faith and optimism intact, Canada can, and will deliver to you what you work for.

Finally, HAVE A REASONABLE AND ACTIONABLE PLAN(S), don't come and coast.

Compliments.

Nicoswit:
You have just spoken the truth bro but they wont listen...one of the things that i personally dont like about those western countries is the high tax...for me the tax will make it difficult to have a decent savings especially as a family man...and the higher your salary,the higher your tax mehn!