Guddylover's Posts
Nairaland Forum › Guddylover's Profile › Guddylover's Posts
 Travel › Re: Nigeria’s Ongoing Middle-class Brain Drain Is Costing It Two Generations. by guddylover(op): 4:11pm On May 26, 2019 |
I guess you don’t believe in “calling a spade a spade.” Moreso, nothing in this article can be debunked by you, at least from what you have written thus far. As for Nigerians being opportunists, it’s not peculiar to Nigerians alone. During the Great Famine, people of Ireland emigrated to diff parts of the world to find a better quality of life. Just because you stayed behind in Nigeria or profess your patriotism doesn’t make you more Nigerian than those outside. This is not “Abroad vs Nigeria” thing. It’s just about analyzing Nigeria’s issues without bias. boyo123: 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Travel › Re: Nigeria’s Ongoing Middle-class Brain Drain Is Costing It Two Generations. by guddylover(op): 3:48pm On May 26, 2019 |
Did you read the article? Why not address the points made in this article rather than talk about some people having “I must travel mentality ?” Have you ever asked why the rich politicians go abroad for healthcare or sending their kids to go school abroad. Yes, Nigeria can be the place to make money “if you know what you are doing” just like you said, but don’t forget that it’s the same reason why Nigeria is regressing. You can make more in Nigeria because of the rules and regulations u can disregard, just to name a few. Patriotism is good but you have to be sincere in your analogy, too. boyo123: 1 Like |
| Travel › Nigeria’s Ongoing Middle-class Brain Drain Is Costing It Two Generations. by guddylover(op): 1:21am On May 26, 2019 |
Nigeria’s ongoing middle-class brain drain is costing it two generations in one swoop https://qz.com/africa/1615518/nigerias-middle-class-keep-emigrating-to-canada-australia/ Yomi Kazeem7 hours ago When Timi and Ehis got married in a small, intimate ceremony in Lagos last October, it marked the start of their new lives together—but it was not one they planned to live in Nigeria. Six months later, the young newlyweds both quit their jobs and moved to Ottawa, Canada joining thousands of middle-class Nigerians who have moved to the North American country through its skilled workers immigration program. Their reason for making the move boils down to one thing: thinking of their future children. That sentiment cuts across board as thousands of Nigerians increasingly emigrate through a mix of avenues. Skilled worker programs (also referred to as Express Entry) inviting immigrants to Canada and Australia are a popular and legitimate choice. But other choices—including applying for asylum and refugee protection in Canada, sometimes while crossing the US-Canada border illegally—are being explored as well. As of March, Nigeria had more pending refugee protection claims in Canada than any other country globally. There’s also the choice of deliberately overstaying on a visitors’ visa in the United States, a trend that’s proven strong enough for the Trump administration to clampdown on US visas for Nigerians. Whatever the method of emigration, pursuing the chance to seek a better life—particularly education for children—remains a common theme. Decades of under-funding have impacted the quality of teachers and lecturers as well as the learning infrastructure in Nigeria’s educational system, leading to significant decline. Strikes by Nigerian university lecturers protesting low wages and inadequate benefits are now an almost annual occurrence. The lack of investment in public educational institutions has also fueled a rise in expensive private schools and universities for middle and high-income families seeking higher standards. But even those schools pale in comparison with quality of education obtainable outside Nigeria. “The biggest area of concern for most people who are leaving is getting access to the right type of education for their children,” says Tunde Leye, an economist with Lagos-based SBM Intel who wrote a personal essay on the subject two years ago while considering the move himself. “The point of it all is that here, your money can’t buy you the quality of education that is available abroad and the gap will only get bigger.” Reuters/George Esiri But we remain loyal. “Then there is the access to opportunities that become available to the children on the back of the education they have. The range of opportunities that are available to children in Nigeria is limited because the range of education is limited,” Leye says. Wale Oyediran, a Berlin-based software engineer who left Nigeria last year, is wise to the importance of quality education and the advantage of being globally competitive, especially in a technology driven world. As a result, he says there is “no question” he will start his family abroad rather than Nigeria given “the opportunities and exposure” potentially available to his future children. “To raise kids that will have all they need to conquer the next generation is super expensive in Nigeria,” he says. “It is way easier outside [Nigeria].” For his part, Oyediran remains interested in returning to Nigeria and contributing to the growth of the blooming tech industry but says the immediate priority is securing back-up options for economic security. “The [young] people that appear to be contributing to the current building process in Nigeria all have one leg outside the country with fallback plans like a second citizenship or residency,” he shares. “It seems stupid right now to put all one’s eggs in the Nigerian basket.” Not looking back The lack of faith in Nigeria’s political leaders and their ability to reverse the decline in the educational sector is such that many of the middle-class Nigerians making the exodus to Europe and North America do not trust the situation will change soon. The looming big picture for Nigeria is that many who either have emigrated or plan to are unlikely to return and neither are the children they raise in their new countries of residence. Richard (real name withheld), an experienced lawyer says he moved to England last year mainly to ensure that his three children attend high school and university there. And as they’ve already “expressed a strong preference” for life there, Richard says it’s already “likely” his children will remain in Britain after their education. “They don’t like it when we joke about moving back in the short-term,” he says. “Moving abroad is me giving my two children a chance to experience life in an environment that ‘works’,” says Opeyemi, a telecoms software specialist, who is due to move to Canada with her family within weeks having had their application approved. “I’ve decided my children will not be growing up in Nigeria and I won’t be encouraging them to move back home either.” Meanwhile, for her part, Chinwe, a 29-year old digital marketing expert at one of the big advertising agencies in Lagos, is actively choosing to remain single as she waits on her application to move to Canada being approved. “I don’t want my kids to grow up here and so I’m not pursuing any serious relationships. One of my biggest fears now is having a child in Nigeria,” she says. “What I currently earn won’t be enough to provide a top-quality education if I have kids here but, in Canada, even the public schools are quite good.” Like Opeyemi, Chinwe is not big on looking back: “My kids won’t know anybody in Nigeria so there’s nothing for them to come back to and the country is only going to get worse anyway.” It’s hard to miss the general dire outlook on the country’s prospects among Nigerians who emigrate but it’s even harder to miss the factors that inform that outlook. Nigeria’s unemployment rate has climbed for 13 consecutive quarters and an ambitious four-year plan to boost the economy following a recession in 2016 is proving to be a failure. As a consequence of slow economic growth, a ballooning population and years of failed leadership, Nigeria is not only the poverty capital of the world but is set to remain so for at least a generation given its alarmingly low human capital spending. As it turns out, the ongoing emigration also compounds the problem as an important socio-economic demographic is increasingly choosing to leave. “Emigration is not cheap and most of the people leaving are not poor by any standard—it’s the rich and middle class that are leaving,” Leye says. “It’s an epidemic but people only do this kind of things when they’ve lost hope.” But the grass outside Nigeria isn’t necessarily always greener for emigrants as they face real and expensive challenges of relocating, settling into a new country and starting over. For instance, securing white-collar, upwardly mobile employment does not come easy for emigrants especially in countries like Canada that place a strong emphasis on local expertise or education. As such, highly qualified individuals who leave high-level jobs in Nigeria often have to trade down to restart their lives. In one case, an experienced optometrist, who asked not to be named, obtained a resident permit and moved to Calgary last year but says she will have to take expensive certification courses for up to four years before being able to practice and works at a grocery store in the interim. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s an even tougher reality for immigrants who move by overstaying visas illegally as, without valid work permits and social security, their job prospects are very limited. Despite the known challenges, the possibility of a higher quality of life and education for their children remains a strong pull for several middle-class Nigerians who can afford to move. For their part, one month after moving to Ottawa, Ehis and Timi have both secured jobs and are positive they made the right choice. They also plan to start a family in Canada and stay there for the education of their future children. “That’s the major reason behind the move,” Ehis says. Top occupations for skilled worker program applicants (2017) 1 Information systems analysts & consultants 2 Software engineers 3 Computer programmers & interactive media developers 4 Financial auditors & accountants 5 Administrative assistants 6 Advertising, marketing & PR professionals 7 University professors & lecturers 8 Financial & investment analysts 9 Business management consultants 10 Food service supervisors In truth, the brain drain and exodus of middle-class Nigerians is not exactly new after similar outward waves during military regimes in the late 1980s to early 1990s and also since the turn of civilian rule in Nigeria. The difference, Leye argues, is that while the trend previously seemed restricted to “people in specific professions, now it’s more of a free for all” especially with countries like Canada looking to fill several gaps in their workforce and are offering diverse opportunities from software engineers and accountants to cooks. One often cited upside of emigration is the chance of seeing skilled members of diaspora return to boost the local brain trust. But anyone banking on that future possibility simply needs to look to the past for answers, Leye says: “Those whose parents emigrated in the ’80s and ’90s are becoming some of the people we’re celebrating now as “Nigerian” success stories abroad. Those kind of people are definitely not coming back.” |
| Travel › Re: Canada Visit/tourist Visa Discussion. by guddylover(m): 5:42pm On May 27, 2016 |
How do you mean her visa is not tied to yours? iammartinzo: |
| Travel › Re: Canada Visit/tourist Visa Discussion. by guddylover(m): 6:52pm On May 21, 2016 |
Bros, just fill the application form separately and put them in one folder that you will be submitting, those VFS staff will help you with how to arrange them, just make sure you go with the proper forms. (thats what I told my family members to do and they all got the same positive outcome in less than 62 days )/ Pholy: |
| Travel › Re: Canada Visit/tourist Visa Discussion. by guddylover(m): 6:58pm On May 13, 2016 |
It's not all true, my family members (3 of them) just got a 5-year multiple and they have never traveled out of the country before. Likewise myself, I got my study permit some years back with no travel history. It is just funny how some people think because you have an American visa that you are entitled to a Canadian visa, it doesn't work that way. As a matter of fact, Canada understand that USA don't really scrutinize documents like they do. From my experience, Canada take into consideration such as purpose of visit, ties in Canada and back home, etc. Best of luck. andre99: |
| Travel › Re: Canada Visit/tourist Visa Discussion. by guddylover(m): 6:26am On Apr 21, 2016 |
Don't be discouraged.The only thing I kind of see from my experience is the purpose of visit. They kind of see it as since she has a husband or boyfriend here she would want to stay in Canada, but just like, be hopeful iammartinzo: |
| Travel › Re: Canada Visit/tourist Visa Discussion. by guddylover(m): 3:13am On Apr 21, 2016 |
Just to chip in...I live in Canada and I am graduating from Uni here in Canada so I invited my mother, sister, and brother-in-law to attend my graduation ceremony. They all got their visas (5 years multiple). They submitted on Feb 22 and they got the visa on April 19th.I hope you all get a good news soon. It's always a waiting game with CIC 2 Likes |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 6 by guddylover(m): 5:51pm On Nov 14, 2014 |
Joe980:Wetin happen since na? I think say you wan comot then na? |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 6 by guddylover(m): 5:47pm On Nov 14, 2014 |
Joe980:Cool. Where in CA are you hiding lol |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 6 by guddylover(m): 5:37pm On Nov 14, 2014 |
Joe980:Am okay bro. Here in -26 lol. How have you been too? |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 6 by guddylover(m): 8:30pm On Nov 12, 2014 |
Joe980:My TRV was issued on Sunday, 2011. I know it's wierd but they do issue visas on weekends. |
| Travel › Re: U.S. Immigration Questions: Ask A U.S. Consular Officer by guddylover(m): 3:18pm On Jul 30, 2014 |
VisaOfficer: Yes, London will be able to see his previous Lagos application, even though he was not fingerprinted. I'm not promising he'll be fine, but if he tries to hide his previous false identity, he will definitely not be fine. Candor and openness are his only path to possible visa issuance from here on out.Thanks, So what about if he waits till he gets his British passport, that way he won't need to apply for a visa I believe. Thanks for the swift response |
| Travel › Re: U.S. Immigration Questions: Ask A U.S. Consular Officer by guddylover(m): 3:03pm On Jul 30, 2014 |
VisaOfficer: He can certainly come back and apply again, and he should definitely use his real identity from here on out. And, yes, we will know about his previous application(s) under a false identity, even if his prints were not taken. (We know things.) Assuming he qualifies for the visa he next applies for, he will likely need a waiver in order to proceed, but as long as he is honest from here on out, there's still a chance.Thanks for the response Sir/Ma, So as long as he can apply with his real information this time he should be fine? So basically now, every applicants that apply for any visa gets fingerprinted inside the embassy? In this case, my friend now lives in London, England but he wants to visit USA from there, so that is why is worried about his previous application from Lagos despite he was not fingerprinted. Any more info would be appreciated. Thanks |
| Travel › Re: U.S. Immigration Questions: Ask A U.S. Consular Officer by guddylover(m): 9:40pm On Jul 24, 2014 |
@visaofficer, A friend of mine went for U.S visa lottery interview sometime in 2007 and he and his then wife was refused the visa, now he is wondering if he can apply again with his real information since his fingerprints was not taken back when he went for interview.Cant go into why he is now trying to use his real info, but I think that happened as a result of what these silly agents made him do. My question is that, can the U.S embassy fish him out with just the Police character cert. obtained from Alagbon? Once again, his fingerprints was not taken at the embassy. Thanks |
| Travel › Re: US Embassy's Conditions For Baby Delivery In America by guddylover(m): 3:18pm On Feb 16, 2013 |
victorazy: So America is this expensive. No wonder my uncle came back with nofin to show.why you dey diss ya uncle na? |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 3 by guddylover(m): 1:28pm On Dec 09, 2012 |
Na so oo... person don turn cold bloded animal finish oo earthgreeners: No be small thing ooo, I heard its colder in Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg..... 1 Like |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 3 by guddylover(m): 1:07pm On Dec 09, 2012 |
The country dey more than okay! but the problem be say this weather na elele oo, right now we dey -2 for Toronto, some other part of the country na like -7 to 10 dem dey. I dey Ryerson Uni....BsN (Bachelor of science in Nursing) earthgreeners: Bros I dey oooo, I applied to MUN, USASK and Manitoba for Masters in Environmental Science, Masters of Environment and sustainability, Masters in Natural Resources Management respectively..all Reseach based courses |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 3 by guddylover(m): 12:44pm On Dec 09, 2012 |
lol, na you sabi...I no be senior oo, how you dey? you know say this one na new phase of NL...which school you dey try apply to? earthgreeners: Im sorry oooo senior. |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 3 by guddylover(m): 12:30pm On Dec 09, 2012 |
must you insult people ehn? By the way I wanted to quote ronakoks' earlier post...and what image are you denting to achieve your aim? I don dey follow this thread right before you even thought about travelling to Canada...all I am trying to tell the guy asking question is that IF HE MUST USE agency, then he should try Maple Edu cos I went through them last year and I got my TRV successfully... earthgreeners: @guddylover, u gat me laughing oooo, must u dent people's image before u acheive ur aims.....Where u see d thing wey u quote?, u must be high on kaikai... |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 3 by guddylover(m): 12:28pm On Dec 09, 2012 |
TRV_IJN: I think he typed his own response in your quote - very unlikely he meant to credit you with thee statement. We all know you are going for Fall 2013 and I know that Fall 2013 applicants are privileged to have you because of the time and diligence you have devoted here. I wish you succes bro. @ronakoks please don't start charging people USD3,700 because once you are done reading parts 1-3, you would have the knowledge to provide agency services, but keep it free and unofficialyou get sense jare....na that other guy(ronakoks) I dey try quote |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 3 by guddylover(m): 12:23pm On Dec 09, 2012 |
earthgreeners: @guddylover, u gat me laughing oooo, must u dent people's image before u acheive ur aims.....Where u see d thing wey u quote?, u must be high on kaikai... |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 3 by guddylover(m): 1:19pm On Dec 08, 2012 |
earthgreeners: ...if you must use agents then I'll recommend Maple Education, they are located at Lekki Phase I...I got my visa through them last year. 1 Like |
| Travel › Re: Travelling To Canada Part 3 by guddylover(m): 2:35am On Dec 06, 2012 |
Jokzoh: You are the best baba.... Will definitely see you in Toronto come January IJN.@siga, where in Toronto do you live? I live around North York... |
| Travel › Re: Nigerians In Diaspora - Is It Really Still Rosy Out There? by guddylover(m): 5:33pm On Aug 11, 2012 |
bro, I wish you success in all your endeavors, perhaps when you get to Scotland and after living there for some years, you should ask yourself this question that why Nigerians don't wanna come back home and improve their Nation Donxavier: It's not only about the fees paid. It's more about the experience, the change in environment and other intangibles that I can't get from being only in Nigeria. Hey. Am not against foreign experience. It is needed. What I don't understand is why many people don't come back to improve the nation and say all scathing about the country they belong too. |
| Travel › Re: Nigerians In Diaspora - Is It Really Still Rosy Out There? by guddylover(m): 4:59am On Aug 11, 2012 |
If dey want to die there whats your biz, you too stubborn sef Donxavier: Nobody is against Nigerians relocating to other countries for whatever reasons. Each to his own. But no british,American or Canadian wants to permanently reside here indefinitely. They all go back to their countries after a while. Not so with Nigerians abroad. They want to die there. |
| Travel › Re: Nigerians In Diaspora - Is It Really Still Rosy Out There? by guddylover(m): 4:19pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
Irrespective of where you live, my point still stand. Like I have said, being an immigrant is not a new thing. They say enjoy it while it last. So am just trying to enjoy my sojourn and try to make the best of it before i head back to my beloved country Nigeria' that is if the condition changes for the better, and if not, I have no choice other than to still hang around here. Dem no dey catch person for that oo see you then! Donxavier: Lagos. |
| Travel › Re: Nigerians In Diaspora - Is It Really Still Rosy Out There? by guddylover(m): 3:37pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
Bros, hate is hate, it doesnt matter if its becos you are black, christian, or muslim A question for you: where do you reside? Donxavier: It's pathetic, but that's life. People hate people for varied reasons, even blood brothers may hate themselves after some kind of betrayal or something else. But nobody hates you because you look like a Nigerian or because your skin color is black in Nigeria. Why I am more particular about Skin color is because that's something we can't change except you want to go the way of Micheal Jackson lol and we are not responsible for our skin color. It's the way we are born. Why should anyone hate you because of that. People may hate you for your attitude or behavior or just plain envy. But there's nothing more demeaning than hatred just because of your race. 1 Like |
| Travel › Re: Nigerians In Diaspora - Is It Really Still Rosy Out There? by guddylover(m): 3:32pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
I get your point too, but the problem I have is that many talk about this issue of being an immigrant in another country like it is a disease or something. Come to think of it, going abroad should be a personal choice. By the way, there as never been a time that I was treated like shit cos am an immigrant here. My believe is this' whatever you think is worth doing, do it to the very best. I was living in Nigeria; where I was born and I have instances of how I was molested, humiliated, and harassed by this so called Nigerian police; mind you I am a first class citizen in Nigeria like you guys always say it 'first class citizen'. The fact is that I don't care about you being a first class citizen or not...I live in Canada now and am being treated like a normal human being, so I don't know where this first class issue comes from. I will definitely return to my country when am fulfilled. And your example about Okonjo Iweala is not a good example at all, cos she is not doing Nigeria any better. Donxavier: I heard you the first time. If you lay your hat in Ukraine or most of the Eastern European countries where to come out at night is a problem, well that's your luck. Or if you're in Europe and doing very well but you can't seem to break the ceiling and get into Top Senior Management Level just because you are an immigrant, that's your luck. None of these whites ever see you as anything except an immigrant no matter how nice they are towards you. Even you you know you're different. There's just no place of honour as the place of your birth or as your home country. See how South Africans revere Mandela, he can never get that kind of honour anywhere except South Africa. It's the same reason someone like Okonjo Iweala would want to come home too after staying abroad for so long and working in virtually every continent. There is just some dignity and honour in life that you can only get in your place of birth. I know there is tribalism,Nepotism and the likes.Your own People can beef you for whatever reasons, but nobody can hate you in Nigeria just because you are Black. I have never heard of anybody hated in Nigeria because he looks 'Nigerian'. God help us all. |
| Travel › Re: Nigerians In Diaspora - Is It Really Still Rosy Out There? by guddylover(m): 6:08am On Aug 10, 2012 |
Home is wherever I lay my HAT, (thats my home) Donxavier: Yeah I feel you. I have no problems about Nigerians going to study abroad, or for vacations or to attend conferences or even to work for a couple of years. But why settle permanently abroad? That place can never be home for those born in Nigeria and there is just some honour you can't get abraod as an immigrant. I dunno, but folks should go abroad to make themselves better and come back and improve the country. |
| Travel › Re: Nigerians In Diaspora - Is It Really Still Rosy Out There? by guddylover(m): 9:56pm On Aug 08, 2012 |
'Home' is wherever I lay my hat (that's my home) Donxavier: Well being rich is most things lol, but I share your sentiments. Maybe it's because I'm still young so I rate making money very highly. It's true that the Nigerian environment isn't a conducive place for varied kinds of personal development. As such one has to go abroad to be able to get to the peak in some careers, and enjoy life to some level. But what about home? As someone rightly said Nigeria can only be built by Nigerians. I agree that finding ourselves as a Nation may involve bloodshed before things are put in proper shape, but what other way is available? From my little experience I know I'm more bolder in my Father's house than My Uncles and these are uncles that love me and treat me well. But am still not totally free there, why? Cos it's not my House. There is truly no place like home. For Nigerians born and bred abroad, then abroad is Home to them and there's nothing wrong in that. You can't choose where you are born, but at least when you are off age you can at least identify with your roots and give back in your own little way. After all there must be a reason why we were born here and not elsewhere? Or why are parents were born here. |
| Travel › Re: Nigerians In Diaspora - Is It Really Still Rosy Out There? by guddylover(m): 1:38am On Aug 08, 2012 |
hilarious... Excuzeme: I dont like "bad governance' but this time, l must confess that l am surprised! |
...
not bad, keeping head up.