₦airaland Forum

Bede2u:
i studied Economics and Accounting in Australia and I am a student of history but I still do not understand currency valuation. In truth it is white man's voodoo politics (not economics).

The 'exchange rate' of a currency matters less. Whats more important is its stability.
The naira has lost an average of over 10% against the dollar per annum for over 2 decades now. That simply means that as the currency continually looses value, the people get poorer as pay cannot keep up.

The average Nigerian is more focused to on $1 = N1 which means little. That comes into play with stable economies who sometimes devalue their currency to encourage export.

lavida001:
Nothing concern Japanese and diversification

Hehe... e no easy. Thought it was old until I delved in and saw it had just happened.

Japan remains a case study for western nations. Regarding birth rates, every year for them is a new low. They have thrown in almost everything to arrest their demographic decline and resultant economic stagnation. From overworking their populace to astronomical debt e.t.c. Next it would be to heavily tax contraception and mandate 'nakis'. They continue to be an evident example that it's not the migrants taking our lunch. You can be rest assured that once they hit a breakthrough that doesn’t rely on migration, most western nations would follow suit.

But wait oooo... even dating app... 😆. I wouldn't mind the UK govt subcribing to Hinge/Tinder for me though. Just imagine what the media would say if the UK govt did that...

The founders of 4 Day Week Global described the step taken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as “extraordinary, in a country that has such a reputation for non-flexibility in this area and has an actual word [karoshi] for death by overwork”.


The figures underscore Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s recent warning that Japan’s demographics are a “quiet emergency . . . that challenge the very foundations of the country”. The economy is already grappling with the consequences of a labour shortage and the world’s highest ratio of elderly people. The decline in birth rate has been more rapid than expected.

The number of babies born in Japan fell below 1mn in 2016 and below 800,000 in 2022, despite government efforts including cash incentives for larger families, tax breaks and the creation of more day care facilities.

Tokyo’s efforts to address low births have become increasingly desperate. The metropolitan government this year launched a dating app in the hopes that its official association with the software and strict rules on membership would alleviate concerns and attract users serious about forming marriages and families.

https://archive.is/y0dFK

willyede:
Your perspective raises valid concerns, but I respectfully disagree with the overly deterministic outlook on the future of immigrant families, particularly Nigerians, in the UK. While structural challenges exist, dismissing the potential of hard work, education, and adaptability would be short-sighted.

Firstly, the assertion that being a general practitioner (GP) or a professional offers no significant upward mobility undervalues the profession's stability and ability to generate income over time. Owning chains of practices and businesses is indeed a worthy goal, but the skills and networks developed through careers like medicine, academia, or engineering provide a foundation to build on. Many Nigerians are already succeeding in scaling businesses, innovating within sectors, and strategically investing their incomes—these are not pipe dreams, but tangible realities.

Secondly, the narrative that children of immigrants cannot exceed their parents’ achievements if those parents are not millionaires is both exaggerated and unfounded. History is full of immigrant families who started with little but laid the groundwork for their children to achieve financial independence and excellence through education, entrepreneurship, or professional success. Nigerian communities in the UK and the US have proven this time and again—producing accomplished doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and tech leaders. Success is not solely determined by inherited wealth but by values, opportunities, and persistence.

You say it quite well, I shouldn't have bothered with a response if I had seen yours beforehand.
I didn't engage the first part as there was an obvious knowledge gap (which can't be filled here) of what it means to 'own' and run a GP practice in the UK and the financial realities of that.

It's like saying being an academician does not count unless you own a string of universities or being a hospital consultant means nothing unless you own a string of hospitals. How does one begin to engage that?

I wonder if its all an 'aspire to acquire to expire' speak. Chap is beginning to sound like some YouTube videos I stumble upon.

Chukwuka16:
You will have almost no usefulness to humanity as a Nigerian Youth if you have no chance of living in the top 20 cities globally within the next 24 months.

Are you really saying that the millions of Nigerians living in Nigeria are useless to humanity except they move to a 'top 20 global city' within the next 24 months?

The stuff people say...

Chukwuka16:
[i]Let me put it mildly –

Where we differ on this is realism and how to practically get from point A to B.

Certain things take time and wouldn't be majicked up by twiddling ones fingers. Pre-2019, much fewer Nigerians came in, these folks were also more significantly disadvantaged as they were restrained by visa rules to be below not just Brits but all Europeans when it came to many things. Brexit helped open more opportunities.


First ask yourself what are the limitations of running a business for one on a visa. Are they going to leave their visa sponsor to fully run one? I owned a business on a visa and know the significant limitations that exist.
Secondly, what is the general economic trend in the UK and how do you expect a disadvantaged group that is more highly taxed to superceed that? Do you expect them to not get a mortgage, pay their visa fees e.t.c so they can raise capital to take risk with venture funds?

I'm well aware of social determinants of attainment but many kids of immigrants would perform better than their parents. The trend is quite clear on this and my personal experience has not been any different. I'm also quite heavy on everyday limitations that significantly limit attainment. A while back, the government lifted the 20hr cap mommetarily. That simple move meant an over 90k differential for me per year as I was able to structure my work better. Now the cap is back, those in similar positions do not have that leeway.

I'm not going to go down the salary vs business speak. That has been long laboured. There is room for both. People would choose what their temperament/skills alight with. In many fields those who have conquered both do it better. The UK is heavily regulated and not a hugely capitalist society. My question to you is how does one go from being a masters student on psw to raising 300k to 'take risk' as you put it? You mention 300k like its some money you go out and pick on the street.

darknessbegone:
Can anyone recommend a similar platform to Vanguard? They want to start charging customers £4.00 per month if they have below £32,000.00 in their account (Stocks and Shares ISA, General Account or Personal Pension (SIPP)).

This has been a good resource to compare brokers though there might be a lag in updating numbers.

https://monevator.com/compare-uk-cheapest-online-brokers/

I previously used Invest Engine which is flexible and free. This year, I used Trading212 for my S&S ISA due to a rebate they were offering. The platform fee is also free so one only has to pay the individual fund fee.

My SIPP is still with Vanguard though, as I like the peace of mind it gives though I may change it soon if I see a good offer.

Goodenoch:
The point remains that it's false to make it seem as if people here (and immigrants generally) are opposed to immigration law enforcement or the changing of policies to restrict entry in the perceived national interest.

In fact the most popular view here recently has been that if the UK government wants to change the laws to ban any category of immigrants or even stop immigration totally, they should go ahead and do it.

You put this succinctly. I wonder why folks wrongly think immigrants would be against immigration enforcement.

What we stand against is the folly of granting a million visas, dissipating the funds received and turning around to blame migrants for every problem in society. This allows rioters and riff-raffs to point fingers accusing productive members of society whose roles they cannot replace as being the reason for their sorry state.

Like I've long chorused, the UK needs to move on from this. They should determine what number of migrants they need and enforce it.
It's so easy- end the post-study visa, end the care visa, stop or severely cap the NHS granting visas and the numbers arriving within a year would be in the negative. I'd rather a trial of that for a decade and lets see what prosperity it brings.

Chukwuka16:
Title of my brief this evening - Can we broaden our discussions: life has changed and is leaving us far behind



Folks, as Nigerians we are powerless if we don’t own and run thriving businesses. Forget your high paying job, it is the businesses owned by Nigerians that gives us a voice in society. However, how can we ensure we have thriving businesses that can enable us to generate an ecosystem that enables us to keep wealth within our community. I know the health and care visa folks made a mess of things. Can we move past that and talk about the things good Nigerians do in their little corners so we can patronise and utilise them?

Good take. I've always believed the conversations we have here would change with time.

In a capitalist society, access to the means of production (i.e capital) is a strong pillar of success. I do most of my work via my company and I can see firsthand the advantages running a business gives especially in a business friendly nation.

I take an exception to the 'health and care visa folks' phrase. To be clear, I'm not condoning certain practices.
First off, for those working in health- alot of the PR and restructuring of the Nigerian image in the UK has subtly come from folks who work in healthcare. I work in a town which would be easily >98% white. At my practice, it's s not uncommon to have 3 GPs out of a working 5 be Nigerians. The local hospitals is also heavily weighted towards immigrant professionals. Much of the populace might have deep seated racist beliefs but if the person who's treated you on multiple occasions is Nigerian, you begin to have a different view. An older colleague once told me about his dad who was a staunch racist but would now swear by his Nigerian GP.

If you're referring to the care route- look at how the British (and many others) migrated and see there is an advantage in numbers. Most of what you seek would take time and would only be achieved with the sufficient numbers. I see the qualifications and grit of a number of recent care workers and have no doubt many of their kids would grow up to be distinguished members of society and man positions of authority. I only hope those kids appreciate their background.

Viruses:
Is it that some of these videos I see about Kemi are AI generated?

Question: do you trust the British Police
Kemi: I do, my experience with Nigerian police is very negative...the Nigerian police will rob us, they stole my brother's shoe and watch, it's a very poor country.

How does that relate, was it necessary?

She should let the focus of her discussions be on British issues. She might appear brilliant but has a habit of denigrating her home country. She is in a position where she can be the mouthpiece of the most vile cohort of the far right.

It's interesting that she'd class as what some would call an 'anchor baby'. Imagine if she wasn't a born in the UK- that would have put her on a much different life trajectory and perhaps, she'd have been more sympathetic to carers. It's interesting how certain innocuous decisions can have such profound effect on outcomes. I don't blame folks who decide to have their kids in the U.S

This made my weekend... lol

Return of the commonwealth. The only scandal I see here is how just 14k Nigerians arrived the UK (net) in 2019

Finally, when some count their blessings, they count Brexit twice

Goke7:
Interesting! So all those talk of it’s our money that’s feeding the EU has now vanished into thin air.

Am not surprised cos I have always said the uk will be back in the EU either through the front door or back door.

UK will likely return to the EU or have a better migration arrangement.
But mk dem cool down first- they need 30 yrs in the wilderness afterall, honey moon with the commonwealth is still in progress.
It's one issue I was a bit sceptical about when voting LibDem the last time as they were the only ones preaching a return to the EU. You can be rest assured that if a referendum in held today, I would be voting against a return. My family never too plenty for here- one or two still never land.

SIRTee15:
So this madness has entered Canada....
Kids looting stores in broad daylight. Some of these kids are children of immigrants.
I'm sure their parents also said 'we doing it for our kids, we moved to Canada so our kids can have a better life's
See better life in action.

First this,

SIRTee15:
Another store being looted in Toronto 3rd within a week.
Staff attacked and hit by a hammer when she tried to stop one of the thieves.

Canada gradually turning to another 3rd world cesspit. That's what happens when U bring 3rd worlders without restrain.

Then this.

You must really have self esteem issues if you describe yourself this way.

Those kids are Canadian and just like all races are not exempt from a few being delinquent. They offer no apologies for being Canadians in same way a white American today offers no apology to indigenous folks.

You should learn to live as a free being and not have a servile mindset - living the rest of your life believing you owe anyone eternal gratitude for being in Canada.

Crime should be condemned and addresed - not painted with racist stereotypes

ukay2:
MARKET ALERT...

GOOGLE share crosses $190 from km $86


COSTCO crosses km $1,000 from km $500


TIME in the market is always better than TIMING the market

After buying your house, the next good thing to do is to invest in the USA market....thank me later

Hehe... The U.S looks pretty strong right now moreso with them housing all major AI companies. Just like the internet, If AI is going to be the future of tech, the U.S may have just cornered it. But again, these things come in ebbs and flows. It'd have been difficult to predict this U.S dominance 10 years ago so also it might be difficult to know what world sector would give the best returns in say 30yrs. Don't be surprised it may be our 9ja. I do favour a balanced approach but one that maximises winners

Markets this yr has been strong all round. Stocks, gold, crypto.. It remains to be seen where the next the markets would move.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn_mU1r6em4

In other news, special Kudos to these our 9ja ladies. The proper 9ja accent sweet me pass.

Mk UK hold them well cos U.S companies no dey take eye see these kind brains

missjekyll:
I love every little bit of it. It's been 14 years of torture ,people deserve to laugh a little.

Now if only farmers will stop whinging about their very generous tax rises.

One thing I have leaned from the UK vs 9ja is that when you see a group moaning- you need to look again cos the facts are not manytimes what they seem.

Cyberknight:
.....

Otherwise, leaving Reform to keep making the running with this issue of immigration is going to sink Labour, while they continue to tinker around the edges. They can increase deportations of out-of-procedural options people as high as possible, but the public is not paying attention to that. They need to do something along the lines of when Sunak shamelessly came out to announce that they were whacking up IHS to pay NHS staff. Maybe they could have tied their non-walking people NI increase to that, for instance. Effectively you tell the people that managing immigration means everyone has to step up.

Hehe.. free matter.
These things comes in waves- life itself is repetitive. Just like high and low tide, you'd have periods of high and low immigration. We might be getting into a low-tide period which is not bad... make thise wey come recently chop small. All said, one fact remains constant- immigration to the West is based on need.

Was it the unsustainable number of Europeans that forced the self-harm called Brexit? When last was the care sector fully self-reliant? Eastern Europeans came to work here and returned yet people complained that they're using the pound to develop Poland. Now, Indians come and remain, complain still choke.

The fact is KS by his policies is more likely to reasonably rein in on longterm migration that NF. The later might show some wickedness but would ultimately cause more migration if he sticks to his economic promises. Personally, I want Reform in for this stuff to go full circle. I said a while back that the next few decades would be fun to watch. Even as hell bent as Japan was, they still had to smell the coffee.

P.S. I take exception with this unskilled migrant tag for care workers. The true cost of a care worker is not what they are paid but the opportunity cost of not having them here.

Goodenoch:
She “says it like it is”…

Unless it’s the greatest social crisis of the decade in which people are being mobbed in the streets, in which case she has nothing to say…or heinous comments by a top Tory donor, in which case she only says mealy-mouthed platitudes before rushing to diminish the seriousness of the situation.

Indeed.

Hehe.. its called selective honesty.

0bjpmb:
All the the things you wrote are nonsense. Onitsha is by far more developed and planned than your glorified village unplanned state capital. Onitsha is the best city in Igboland. Know this and know peace.

M

It's interesting you come all guns blazing without even knowing where I'm from. Well from.my post, it's quite clear I know Osha.

I'm not here to measure d*cks. Not every Anambrarian is content gloating over mediocrity.

Even countries with underground rail networks more complex than our overground roads are still building and striving for more talk more of a city without walk paths.

There is veey little in terms of town planning here and Osha leaves alot to be desired.

The state and local government should start by
1. Dualising Awka road
2. Plan a standard and timed urban transit system with dedicated bus/taxi lanes. This service can be licensed
3. Start mapping out a rail transit system too.
4. Provide and protect green spaces, parks and hubs within communities even if it means pulling down buildings to create these
5. Stop the incessant building without thought to parking, natural light penetrance or ventilation
6. Mandate sealed drainages and walk paths on all city/township roads. This is not rocket science- many Nigerians cities have it
7. Cover the excessively large drainage system towards headbride which are life hazards
8. Set up local waste management services with weekely pickups
9. Demolish and rebuild mainmarket to be an ultramodern mall made of parks, hotels e.t.c.
10. Map out a skyline agency that would be in charge of developing the Osha waterfront into what is seen elsewhere
11. Find a local means of making land owners/individual properties pay a monthly fee used in providing services.

This has not even mentioned pipe borne water, waste water delivery e.t.c


We are more than this and should stop celebrating mediocrity.

I'm slowly beginning to like Starmer. Seems like a no-nonsense guy.

He is setting himself a good bar, looking to drive the narrative and set areas on which the media should hold his government accountable. He would sure be roasted if he fails to meet most of the targets he set for himself while in government.

To me, two things stand out-
1. No mention of migration. This is the first in a long while
2. 1.5 million homes.. hehe . This might be heading to a place I like

@Missjekyll's what do you think of these 'milestones'?

Goke7:
Reduce wetin! Dey play. I keep hearing that even care workers now are applying for their dependents and getting approved. Just heard one today and another friend who just got his COS as a support worker, so could be true that jobs are now available while the whining about numbers continue.

Hehe... more gist is needed. Do you mean those who picked up care roles after the last change can apply for dependents without meeting the salary treshold?


Overall, I think Kier Starmer would bring down numbers not because of what he says but because of his disposition. E.g with education, lower number of international students (who subsidise locals) means local students have to pick up the bill if their numbers are reduced. Significantly reduced income from migrant workers mean a higher tax bill both of which he has had no issue effecting.

The difference with Starmer is that he is looking to deviate from migration-focused narrative of recent PMs and does not want immigration to the buzzword of his government.

Oddly, the best thing for migration would be a government promising huge tax cuts and freebies for everyone. Once the economic realities of such hits, migration becomes inevitable. Reason why I'd rather Reform wins than be a significant opposition

Interesting how this was missed. Net migration for last year revised to almost a million. Seriously, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak should be knighted. I only hope many students who came with dependents are not shafted.

I can't wait for Kier Starmer to boast how he's halved net migration by bringing it down to a sustainable 300 - 500k a year in record time.

I believe a good enduring takeaway from all this is that the populace would slowly be desensitised to migration. These days, all the main political parties are no longer talking of reducing migration to 'tens of thousands'.
In other news, I gather work in the care sector is becoming more available. Can those working in care update us.

Zahra29:
In other news, I came across a story that the Nigerian government is to launch an investigation into civil servants receiving salaries from abroad. I hope you're not "among them" lol
(Issa joke oh)

Hehe.. not surprised and I don't think its a joke. My first interraction with you here was when you disparaged healthcare workers of Nigerian origin.


I am very much 'among them'. There is only one way to find out- I can give you the details of where I worked back home. In the same vein, you can also contact the hmrc and ask if my investments in Nigeria are taxable.

rock86:
Then as for Nigerians having my back, no, I actively avoid them now. If possible I wil avoid myself too. I've seen enough Shege and bad belle from them cos how can you be 30years in this country and be threatened by my existence, when I haven't even spent 6 months? The attitude is scary AF, I am well received by others from other countries so I better stay away and interact from afar

I left out the first paragraph cos I'm not keen on delving into such statements. If you think they're lazt and unambitious, look around and ask yourself how this country came about. There is a reason they appear the way they do. The questions you should ve asking is why?

Regarding Nigerians, now you're in the UK, you'd see the general narrative on Nairaland about the west does not match reality. I have done quite well in this country and it would definitely not have been without the support of the Nigerian clique I have. Sharing similar upbringing, we connect effortlessly. Also, it's important to avoid living in a cocoon and connect with the wider society. As someone said, it would do you well to look beyond skin colour or nationality when interracting with humans.

ukay2:
It is mainly for those that have purchased their houses and are still using the LISA accounts for contributions....

Fair enough. At that point, considering should also be made to SIPPs too (sounds like I'm preaching to the converted). UK has relatively generous saving schemes though pay lags its Englisg-speaking western companions

rock86:
I encourage people to try, not to limit themselves.. The fact that it's not the norm doesn't mean it can't happen, we just have to try. I was told not to attend the interview because it was a mistake, I attended. I was told not to take the offer seriously, yet I was adamant and landed the UK. I entered UK, naija people for work wan choke me telling me I wil struggle. Lazy people. Yes, I struggled for like a month to understand the role which is normal but now I'm a master at it. My nursing work in Nigeria is even 10 times harder and physically draining than this.
Never listen to negative people, try try try and get the response first before pessimistic people make you loose focus. UK people generally seems to be lazy and pessimistic, I've come to discover.

Hehe.. this man/abi woman. You too like controversy.

No need badmouthing '9ja people'. They're still the folks that have your back
In all, I agree, its important to keep pushing (esp when young and flexible), have the right mindset and the right clique.
Regarding the bolded - lazy? No. Pessimistic? Perhaps but thats borne out of history. Its best to avoid painting everyone in a country with a broad brush

kwakudtraveller:
Jedisco, I would like to hear your professional take on this Assisted Dying bill.

Right now, its more of a moral argument than professional one.
The crux of the matter is - should we as a society allow this this or not? Those firmly against it haven't done a good job of selling their point as they seem to be clutching at anything to deviate from the underlying question.

Statements like - we need better palliative care services- true, but that does not answer the question. Its like telling trans groups to stop seeking treatment until there is better mental health support (i.e insinuating the reason they feel trans is down to poor mental health services). Also phrases like that are open-ended and with no clear ways of measuring achievement. Every doctor/nurse can move to palliative care and we'd still say 'we need better...' Fact is, though there is room for improvement, the UK has quite robust palliative care support. But even the best of that can at best moderately minimise the suffering that comes with certain ailments.

If folks thinks the safeguards are not good enough- the question becomes what safeguards do they want but still does not answer the underlying question.


Personally, I'm a bit in the middle but tilting towards letting the right cohort have the choice. Just like with abortion, If need be, I'd opt out being involved in the process (aside signposting) due to personal beliefs and I expect there would be similar safeguards for professionals in this bill.

I can see the arguments on both sides and it sure feels odd medical practice now being at a stage where services would be used to actively end someones life which is at variance to the norm.
OTOH, I not to uncommonly see people suffer needlessly (despite best efforts of professionals) while waiting for a fast growing cancer to cause them more grief and eventually take their life. Those who have cared for someone in that state often have a nuanced take on this.

Hkana:
Passed my practical today with 1 minor. First attempt.

Congrats... Na one year you take prepare?

luqken:
Hello,

My broadband contract (with Virgin media) is ending in few days.
Can someone recommend a broadband with good deals. I don't understand what Virgin media is saying regarding renewal of contract because how can I move from £22 to £57.

Why not use a comparison site such as USwitch e.t.c. and see the best on offer across providers. If I get a good quote there, I then check on a cashback site to see if there are any deals to be had for a similar price.

Currently on Vodafone full fibre 2 . Started at £25 with a £110 cashback for a 2yr contract

Goodenoch:
If I were in your shoes, I would dispute it as a matter of principle (read: stubbornness) even though the sum isn’t substantial. I’ve never had a penny deducted from my deposits in the two places I rented because I was very deliberate about caring for the places and deep-cleaning them when moving (first time by ourselves and second one by paying for a professional post-tenancy clean). If the landlords had attempted to take anything, I’d have happily disputed it and supplied all the evidence.

Efftyy:
Hello good people...

I'd agree with you on this. I don't like being taken advantage of which I sense its what the op is feeling and based on principle would escalate this especially if I had gone the extra mile to keep the place tidy. Its a straightforward process if the deposit was protected.

I gather the deposit service has no requirement to get professional cleaning done irrespective of what the landlord says. The property should be left in a good state similar to how it was met. Also, the landlord can't bill for normal wear and tear and can't bill tenants for betterment (i.e cant bill for a replacement as though an item was new. Also bearing in mind that many items e.g carpets have a 'life expectancy' after which they're regarded as a write off ).

For referencing, most organisations giving one tend to err on the side of caution and give straightforward, unbiased and pre-populated responses. Ultimately, its a small sum and it's down to the op. If he can overlook it or not.

ukay2:
I have moved my funds Moneybox CASH LISA to Stocks and Shares LISA....funds invested in S&P 500.... difference in returns is very clear.

Do so if you can....

Reasonably so but saving in stocks can be quite risky for those looking to use their Lisa to purchase a home in the near future as it can go both ways and that uncertainty can be difficult to manage. If for retirement, then stocks should well outperform cash.