₦airaland Forum

If You don't have means of leaving this country, you will be disappointed after graduating. First, ensure you graduate with nothing less than 2.1 to be in a better position to source for overseas scholarship. As for employment in Nigeria, graduate employment is a very competitive thing now.
Thousands of graduates of engineering are roaming the streets, searching for jobs. The children of those working in most major oil companies are also looking for job. So, they will have to fix their children first before external candidates the same way top generals and police will first recruits their children and relatives as commissioned officers before other external applicants.

These engineering and other jobs are mostly advertised internally, and vacancies are filled by relatives of staff of the company. Make friends with those in the industry and keep tab of what is happening. Nigeria's situation now is dire. Companies are no more growing to create opportunities for people. Foreign direct investment have gone south and the likelihood of Nigeria's oil and gas sector bouncing back to hire more engineers is very remote.

I counseled people not to be so obsessed about studying sciences and engineering in Nigeria if you don't have means of leaving this country. People that studied liberal arts, management, accounting and social sciences are even more positioned for better jobs than engineers as the Nigeria's economy is not productive and manufacturing based to hire engineers but somehow service oriented which favors those in the social sciences.

Immerse your self in data science, AI, programming, graphics and other technical areas. It is no more about your course of study but about the contact you have built. 80% of vacancies are now filled through referrals, but for you to get that graduate level job, you have to be exceedingly good academically and excel in aptitude test when the opportunity comes. I know a company in PH that conducted aptitude test for 455 graduates and eventually selected just 4.

My brother, graduate opportunities in Nigeria is becoming non existent going by what is happening. I remember in the mid 2000s, we had opportunities of writing many aptitude tests then as the 89 existing banks then were always recruiting graduates. Investment banks, advisory companies and service companies were all recruiting graduates at a level not seen in Nigeria. Nairaland then was a center of intellectual discussion on any upcoming aptitude tests for graduates ,especially between 2005 to 2009. Not now that tribal and ethnic warlords have taken over to heap insults on themselves.

I wish you good luck!

femmyapson:
In the presence of those kids "Black lives matters". They are indirectly instilling inferiority complex into the lives of those kids as black.
When will all this black parents get sense sef.. Imagine a kid growing up and having the notion that a white boy/girl life is more precious than its own that they would have to fight hard to resist oppression from them.. Or what is the meaning of black life matters?

You just captured my mind - the kids should kept out of this blacklives matters - it would make them to feel inferior. Sentiments apart, black lives matter is doing more harm to black community than good.

martineverest:
wetin concern me?....didn't they see how shu'aibu remained loyal despite how oshiomole single handedly brought him to limelight

My deep respect for the deputy governor. I thought he would be the first to jump ship considering how close he is to Osho and how osho assisted him in the past. Most times, deputy governors are usually used to get at the governor but the guy remained committed - he would surely reap the reward.

Please where is Lara? I hope what I am hearing is not true say she don jaapa

michlins:
I don't know why this burglaries having escape patches seem like a big deal to you folks. Most buildings have such. Imagine the building burning and there's no way to get to safety.

It's made with the approximate size of 2ft by 2ft and you have a lock. The escape patch is made in such a way that you don't even know it's there. It incorporates the design of the burglary

Bro, please show us naa - You see how Brabus always use numbers and pictures to illustrate his ideas which I always find fascinating. When things are presented in numbers and pictures, they make more sense. If you have any sample of what you stated or internet picture, of the burglary make I see.

Badgers14:
Excellent idea on the Openable burglar proofs.

I had a sketch once, trying to implement that in my build, the welder was like oga , them no dey build that kind here... all my efforts to talk , talk fell on deaf ears

I detest the ones that look like jail. I mean, how could you seal up a flat like that? What ifs... what if there was a fire? And so on and on...

In an effort to protect ourselves, we shouldn't make the situation worse.

I like forward thinking individuals.

Similar i don't like the fence they build up everything. It is an added security to build up the fence half way then use burglar bar of some sort to finish up the rest. So when someone is walking by they could see through the fence. Privacy concerns yes but added security yes also.

If someone is really doing anything private private, they will have to go inside their flats

I don't know if I am taken a big risk. My window areas upstairs do not have burglary - some have just single bar to protect the kids from any rough play of "jumping" out through the window. Personal choice if you ask me, I don't like burglary and nets on the windows - just that I don't have any choice. Even curtain is not my thing - Venetian blinds may appeal to me but I prefer to look at the outside environment through a plane clear glass in my room

Do Buhari tweet at all? I mean personally drafted tweets not the one drafted by aid.

wizzyrich:
Does it mean if people are not there to observe the process, INEC cannot conduct an election free from manipulation and rigging ?

Shame on INEC

Bro, it is about the current mentality of Nigerians. If you are not around when things are being shared even when you are entitled to receive it, the sharer will bypass you.

In Nigeria, you have to fight for what belongs to you or else it would be taken away.

TonyeBarcanista:
This is the result of Orhionwon LGA
APC 10458
PDP 13445

The Electoral Officer of INEC in the LGA, Returning Officer for the LGA and APC have started their evil tactic to shortchange the people of their will.

The attempted robbery will be resisted.

#EdoDecides2020 #ReleaseOrhionmonresult @StateDept @EUinNigeria @realDonaldTrump @inecnigeria

Naija my country. Dem don dey copy Donald Trump for election matter

rotecch77:
Some of them don’t make use of good antitrust paint as primer
What I do in most case is that I do buy my key myself

Please give me any example of high grade anti rust paint you know as I would want to it apply on a balcony pergola I want to do using iron and also for my gate.

Left to the artisan, they will get the normal and low grade one and if you ask, Dem go say na Wetin other people dey use.

It is not yet Uhuru for PDP. As someone rightly said, the supreme Court is waiting for them. I trust APC to use seasoned SANS to unearth some technicalities in the election. The success of any election in Nigeria these days does not lie in the election proper but on the court and your ability to defend your victory.

Obaseki's nomination was seriously marred in controversy and I trust Wale Olanipekun to "win" the case for APC in the court.

BrabusNG:
The covid19 pandemic has shaped me a lot and I think the focus of every business leader right now should be “How do we get the next 10 years right?”.

Leaders who can see the future seize the future.

I already know that massive mansions are not in my future no matter how rich I become.
A small bungalow on 2 acres of land is all I see!

I know a guy in Iyaganku GRA that has something like this with Astro Turf. His house is where professional footballer come for training back in the days.
That’s like 2 decades ago!

That’s the type of life I want.

I don’t want to be shouting “Who’s that? Who entered?” in my own house.

I’ve seen it and it’s not worth it at all.

For me, good landscape trumps large build anytime any day. I will prefer a contemporary and smart two bedrooms with large space for gardening to a hefty build in a small space.

When you go to highbrow areas in scotland, you will see a typical small stone cottage bungalows with breathtaking green landscape.

rotecch77:
Sir, We gave our own specification of materials to the fabricator guy and each one cost
3ft -30,000
4ft-35,000

Quite competitive. I am sure you must have given good quality specifications. Just that I have serious issues with Nigerian fabricated doors. Before you know it, it will start rusting from under and the key area would become difficult to even open again.

I am a tenant in a my current place and the man used local doors. The doors looks strong but we have changed the locks like 3 times now.

BrabusNG:
In 2008, we spent 15m just to change 99 doors in one of my boss’ house. Today, his kids are not interested in the superfluous build and it’s not easy not cheap to convert. There’s a bridge and even a small stream inside the house

My build is currently gravitating towards becoming a professional training center with some hostels. I know a self-made billionaire in Nigeria that made his monies from this.

I know in another decade I won’t need more than a 2 bedroom house and I’ve found a perfect one to build. It’s an underground house in Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan.

I got my experience while living in the estate of the super-rich Nigerians. More than half of the house in the estate are abandoned or having only Musa living there.

Ahhh. As if I was the only one that observed this. Most times, I work from my clients' office in Lekki phase 1and after lunch, I take 1 hour to stroll around the estate and allow my food digest I see a lot of abandoned finished buildings that were once occupied but now with Musa and his friends occupying them.

Either that the owner is tired of the house, the kids have all gone or the Canada migration fever has caught the entire household and they abandoned their building and relocated, waiting for Jide Taiwo or Fatimileyin & Co to sell the house

I factored in all these in my build so that no matter what, it could be converted to a guest house, training centre, office or school.

At least, you could see where my passion for flat grassland, plants and trees are coming from. I want to make easier for the place to be turned into a school or guest house in the future if circumstances changes.

BrabusNG:
I was just trying to convert my 2 bed apartment into a crèche and add some contemporary feel to the traditional build.

The anti-burglar bar in the kids play area can open fully so they can have a full glare of the outdoor without the bars. This connects the indoor activity area with the outdoor.

I intend to introduce artificial carpet grass on the concrete floor outdoor

Quite innovative. Good thinking.

BrabusNG:
My 2 bed was converted to a crèche. I told my agent “I’d rather use the flat for a school than have someone occupy my flats for 365 days and pay me meagre 300k (less than N1,000 per day.”

That’s just me by the way and the decision was based on the value attracted at the location where the project was done.

On the flip side, I did a multi-dwell mini flats project for a client in 2014. He has recouped all his investment as at today.
It’s 2 unit of 2 bed and 2 unit of 1 bed. 1 bed goes for 500k and 2 bed was 750k. It has all the features and conveniences.

Real guy man the mini 2bedroom duplex at the back of my main build will go for nothing less than 900k. I am going to do it to top standard as I have a particular clientele group I want just like Egun said.

If that doesn't happen, my brother, na creche level get me. I have already told my wife to start preparing for that since work no dey for her now

My neighbour that have completed his own rented his well finished 2 bedroom for 800k to a single lady working in a bank.

EgunMogaji2:
One needs to continuously adjust in life.

In the USA, most young couples start off with starter homes. Basic 2 or 3 bedroom houses. Most likely in town.

As they start having kids they’ll move up to a 3 or 4 bedroom home in a good school district, most likely in the suburbs.

As the kids go off to college they’ll downsize to smaller homes or even senior condos.

I retired back to Nigeria solo. My expansive 8 bedroom, 5 bath bungalow is now rendered nonsensical. Was it a bad decision no to build it? No, it was a decision made under different existing parameters. The bad decision will be to hold on to it as my private residence.

It’s okay to downsize, upsize.

Well captured Egun. My uncle built a massive 8 bedroom duplex and with attached 2 bedroom BQ at the peak of his career. Now retired and approaching 80, most of the kids are abroad. He, the wife and a Nanny are the only people living there. Anything I visited, I just shook my head. If you talk in the living room downstairs, it echoes.

The once house, full of visiting relatives and full of activities in the mid 90s is now desolate. Maintenance is even an issue as finances dwindles. The very room I stayed during my job hunting days in Lagos has dilapidated so much. The two big lister generators mounted by his former company have all packed up as he couldn't keep up with maintenance and fuelling. The large court yard is barely maintained unlike when I was there, company would send people for periodic maintenance of his house.

I always believe in evolving based on current circumstances. Also build what you have capacity to maintain in the long run.

BrabusNG:
There are good Nigerians doing great stuffs.

I spent my weekend working on openable burglar proofs and bi-folding nets. It was a great explore as we try to bring the outdoor inside without security compromise.

Bro, I would like to see this openable burglar of a thing. Our window areas in Nigeria lacks good aesthetics because of burglary and nets which we cannot do without because of insecurity and mosquitoes. It is always a good sight to behold a large transparent glass window without burglary and nets that usually makes them clumsy and loose that appeal

rotecch77:
The door sample pics

Bro, how much does this your sample white door goes for?

mufutau55:
EBM is great but very expensive o.
With the color I painted my last project, the gray color would have been the perfect match. But my next project will surely be grey frames but not EBM, I be kobo-kobo man o..

Hajji M.

Not just EBM, even grey tower and imported seems more expensive than white windows. Grey is more matured than all these whites we use. And I like to always have something different. Rotechh, I hope it is true because that's what I was told that grey is more expensive

mutahmakinta:
How does being barren relate to this issue? I think that's dumb coming from you. You might do more harm than good with your poor take.

You dey mind de guy. Typical Nigerian mentality that have been brainwashed by church and stupid pastors. Most of them think that bareness is as a result of wickedness or wayward life lived by the woman and the husband. See how everybody is invoking God's wrath on the perpetrators. God doesn't think and behave the way we do. If he should look at all our iniquities, who would even stand.

What they will do to themselves under a free Biafra is better imagined than experienced. The Idi Amin ruthless leadership or the Khamer rhuge leadership in Cambodia or the oppressive North Korea would be a child's play.
But why are all these states task force so ruthless? Go to Rivers state and see the havoc they are doing to people.

mufutau55:
I have always love gray or black aluminium window frame. Good choice.

Hajji M.

I actually wanted that grey color but it was more expensive than the normal white. EBM grey is even the most expensive grey and I don't know why the grey is more expensive than white - it made me to pick white even though grey was my preferred color as it looks different and more matured.

I pity the owner. LASG officials and police go use am chop well well

Nawaao - so na true say Lara don leave this man run?

This country ehh!

Government officials always looks funny with this face mask.

Hello People

Proficient in more foreign languages is becoming common now when it comes to highly competitive job market especially for jobs across the border. If you are interested in jobs with international agencies, it is likely that you may have come across the requirement: Applicants must be proficient in both English and French.

As a Consultant, I do come across some fantastic positions across Africa and around the world. Most times, a higher weighting is assigned to knowledge of foreign languages in the job advert. I lost a consultancy job I was interviewed because of my lack of knowledge of French with a development bank.

I now ask peeps: Do you pass by a job you are fully qualified but lacks proficiency in the second language requirement? Our understanding before was that proficiency in English language was enough for international jobs but the recent happening has proved to me that knowledge and proficiency in second language may be the advantage to secure that international job or consultancy. What do you think?

qdlvy:
One of the big differences between Nigeria and first world nations is people think their way out of a problem. They don't run away from it.
I won't pay 1.5m for a grass lawn even if I could afford it. There are tons of YouTube videos on how to start one. And you'd be surprised it's cheap. Seeds and soil and water is all you need. You can easily buy seeds on Amazon, eBay etc and ship for peanuts. Setting up an automated sprinkler system is cheap too, not that we need it in Nigeria but just in case. 1.5m is the price we pay for being lazy.

My brother, sometimes when I hear how people make things look difficult or impossible, I shudder in disbelief. I bought the carpet grasses I planted on my fence wall for N70 each nylon pack as they were still in nursery. I bought 100 pieces for a total of N7000. I bought one bag of manure for N500 , bought like four small bags of topsoil. I personally dug the holes where I planted those nursery plants and all are doing well, circulating in the manner I like.

You don't need to buy expensive John Deere or motorized mower for your lawns. My friend bought a very small tokunbo mower at Lawanson, which he happily uses on weekend to mow his lawns without any issue. Personally, I don't need maigida or any assistance to do all those jobs. They are one - hour Saturday exercise and you are done. Usually, the spaces where you have these lawns are not up to 30% of your total land area and I don't consider it a big deal for myself to see it as tasking or demanding. Anyway, it is about choice.

DIY is a concept that is not common in this part of the world. I visit Nairaland, YouTube regularly to learn how to do certain things my self and I equally encouraged my kids to follow the same path than waiting for one nanny to do it all the time.

It is not a Bible as my Oga here usually say or carved on stone - it is all about choices.

My concern is that the restaurant won't be same again after this incident. Most customers will quietly walks away. The best bet may be for her to relocate from that vicinity as the goodwill garnered over the year will be rubbished by that incident that was not fault of hers. Trust the competitors to use it to de market her business big time. I feel for her.

mufutau55:
That is exactly what I wanted as in your pic posted above. Since a friend in Ondo State did the same for about 200k about two years ago and the grass look very nice, but everything always get K-leg in Lagos/Ogun. Instead of paying N1.5m for grass, I will rather put a concrete foundation there awaiting to be built in some years to come. I want green but not that bad. Thank you.

Hajji M.

Agreed. It is all about interest and choices.

EgunMogaji2:
I just don’t like arguing about personal choices.

Some come on here and assume we don’t like or want grass.

See now, you pay N1.5M for grass, then have to water it, then get on your knees with scissors to cut it

I exaggerate Sir, I know you’ll be sitting atop a fancy John Deere ride on mower

People does that and mount John Deere to mow their lawns. It is no big deal. It all boils down to choices. Whatever interests you, turn it to a hobby and you won't feel the stress of it

mufutau55:
Yes o. Oyinbo can do all that, not good for Naija houses o. Much so in Europe and not much in America here.

On the matter of lawn.. I have an empty plot of 40x120ft beside my last project.. so intended to use this area for my green area. I contacted a person to help me plant grass there, I was billed N1.5m for the job. I changed my mind quickly and planted some hybrid coconut trees and sour-sop trees in the area... I will complete the area by growing vegetables or corns there instead of paying N1.5m for grass.

Hajji M.

Hahaha. 1.5m is too much. However, those cash crops you want to plant there is very good. A fiends place I visited in PH has a well maintained lawn like the attached and that's what I want to do in my build in Lagos. They just filled the place with top soil, bought water grasses and hired a labourer to just slot in the grasses. See the result after 1 year at less than 100k. The major expenses was the truck load of topsoil. Labour wasn't up to 20k

mufutau55:
I think he is talking about those plants growing on the side wall of the building... see the earlier posted pic, not the lawn.

Hajji M.

Ohhh! Now I understood. Ok ok.
I thought it was the lawn itself. Definitely, most people won't like the issue of grasses on the walls of their main houses as you wouldn't know when something dangerous is hiding there. However, I saw a lot of houses in villages in scotland that had the whole house covered with grasses except the window and door areas.

I won't do that on the main build but my fence is already being covered by the "creeping grass"