₦airaland Forum

missjekyll:
Was waiting for somebody to pick her up on this.
I only registered in the NHS to get my vaccines. My Doctor is back in Nigeria. I really should move but I haven't.

We pay for our parents checkups here. To the last penny. I did . At the Nuffield

Some people have no idea of our experiences apart from what they ve read in books. But they ll want to comment on those experiences. That they have no lived experience of.

While I manytimes cut her some slack for at least coming here to interract and learn from our views, her ignorance of our lived experience is manytimes evident. I sometimes curious on why she's here (with my tinfoil hat on).

Oddly, that's how populism works - blame visibly different folks for every societal ill and chorus how all issues can be solved by 'just' chucking them away. It's been a recurring decimal in many nations - one that has hardly worked. Take U.S for example- a nation that has of late done stupendously well and due to add more wealth over the next year that all of Europe put together. Yet the many average Americans believes the reason why they are not as rich as they want is not because of the social structure but cos of some immigrants crossing the border. Yes, they could secure their border but that would not adress the underlying inequality.

Lexusgs430:
Simply hear and look away..... They are enjoying the wastage....... 😊

Hehe. Heard of a trust that built/bought a house for a patient. They couldn't house him and felt it was cheaper longterm to do that than to continue to house him on the ward.

Goodenoch:
https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/blogs/international-migrants-use-nhs-services-less-frequently-than-non-migrants

The stats support this:

"In our analysis we found, on average, health care utilisation among migrants to the UK is up to 40% lower than utilisation among the UK-born population. This was true for six out of seven health care services (inpatient, outpatient, primary care, physiotherapy, mental health services and dental care)."

It's a well known fact that healthcare utilisation among many black communities tends to be lower than the average.

It has come up at different times in history. Of late, alot of work has been done in raising awareness among black men and the risk of prostate cancer.

The NHS and Care is a different ball game as its virtually the major place where the clinical workforce demography is heavily tilted towards migrants and hardly a mirror of the general polpulace. Walk into any hospital of carehome in any county that is over 90% white British and the change is quite evident. The NHS has been kept in its current form largely down to immigration. Without that, it'd undoubtedly be more of a mess.

RayRay06677:
At this stage of our economy, is it still advisable to convert to dollar?

The time has come to tread carefully on this.

There has been some macro changes I'd list below.

1. The naira has been free floated with significant less room to roundtrip. This way the effect of market forces would be more evident

2. Dangote refinery. Imported pretroleum products was our biggest need for forex and the last govt awarding him cheap usd helped get us in this state. However, the refinery is finally up and running and sourcing most crude locally plus then exporting finished products is a game changer. Of couse he has usd loans which he would pay back but these should be more favourable than importation.

3. Ending petrol subsidy- This has brought significant hardship but at same time dampened local petrol usage and smuggling. The previous method gave room to corruption and the govt spent huge amts of forex to forestall this. Worth noting that reduced energy is generally not good for growth.

4. Due to inflation, collapsed naira and all three above, the buying power of the populace has sadly reduced with many manufacturers looking for local alternatives where they can. i.e less appetite for imported goods.

5. Diasporean inflows- A major forex generator for the nation which the CBN has recently successfully been able to streamline. I know this as a few years ago, those looking to send in money would be advertising and exchanging details on WhatsApp or doing so via crypt0 channels due to high fees from the likes of Western Union or the govt insisting only usd can be received locally or the failed Naira4Dollar scheme. Now, there are very good apps which are licenced almost immediate. I believe the forex eventually streams to the govt coffers.

I believe the next major hurdle is fighting inflation tied in with reckless money printing. The CBN seems to be actively looking to address this. It remains to be seen the effect of the new minimum wage.

I was in Nigeria recently and surprised how 'relatively cheap' items have become due to the currency collapse. I think we are at or close to the bottom of this nightmare and soon at a stage where local investments may begin to yeild real returns. I am not rushing in but biding my time. The next 6-12 months should be crucial. If the Naira can keep ranging (1500 -1900) and resists further devaluation, market confidence should gradually return. I'm not looking to catch the bottom but would be keen to step in once things are heading upward

P.S as you may know, I have longed preached folks should defend their buying power and was at the forefront of warning folks to hedge their naira holdings against devluation over the last few years. Even beofre the current govt when I was quite sure the local stock market was due a rally and stated that here, I opted not to invest as I felt estimated returns in Naira might not beat corresponding investments in usd which has proven been the case. Its still worth being hedged so you don't get swept off your feet by a rubbish govt policy but to me, times has come to start paying attention.

elengine:
Interior painting, the 3 bathrooms all have shower glass but the walls are peeling off which means water has penetrated. So I need to screed and paint. The master room on the second floor doesn't have a door and I want to introduce a door so kids don't just step into the room from the staircase. Make them no dey see action when madam come upstairs for quickie. Lol

In all, it is just to touch all the minor repairs. The house is clean and not old. It was built in 2004 and is well maintained

In addition to the post below, its worth asking your mortgage advisor.
When I bought, mine asked if I'd need some extra money for moving and furniture so he could include it on the mortgage same thing he asked about the mortgage fee. Cant remember full details of the process again. I might have had a bit more room cos I started at 75% ltv.

Another option is reducing your LTV and use the extra to setup, that said, you need to weigh it against the higher interest rate of less competitive LTVs

For major renovations where u need good cash, the two above might help but you need to weigh the interest you'd pay over the years. For things less expensive like painting, you can do it as you get on or a zero interest CC as advised. Also some outlets where you buy items from have different credit options- some of very low/no interest

Zahra29:
Lol @ the bolded delulu

Even their parents register with the GP when they come to visit for a few weeks/months.

You do have a habit of tying your self in knots by saying things that come back to bite you.

You do realise I'm a GP and at least I can appreciate the demography of the people I see.
For my first 2 years in this country, despite spending over 40hrs weekly working in the NHS, I was not registered at a practice. In over 5 years I've been here, I've never been to see my GP. Among Nigerian immigrants, my usuage of health services is not an exception as many of us grew up in a different health system and are inclined to use services less.

In my locality, the population of Nigerians has risen significantly over the last 3yrs. Some of us have our parents visit and i see them socially in the community. If their parents were routinely going on to register at a GP or even contacting NHS 111 regularly, I'd be about the first to know.

Gerrard59:
I referenced TWO NIGERIAN women who complained about the healthcare systems in the UK and Canada. One lived in Nigeria and the other in South Africa. Should their opinions be disregarded because you don't like them? Were they outrightly dishonest? People have complained bitterly about the scarcity of dentists and I was shocked because I see dentists clinics scattered around here. A doctor limiting a patient to one medical complaint per consultation sounds surreal to me. But people are complaining about this, but their complaints are unwarranted?

About the economy, every person out there knows that the US economy out-performs the UK by any measurable metric. Nigerians in the US out-earn every other diasporan, and I wager even more than those in China.

I like the phrase measurable metric in your last paragraph.

That something appears odd to you does not mean its wrong- again you need to look at the system and outcomes.
Context is what youre struggling with- e.g there are significant security issues in the UK but complaining about it does not mean they're experiencing anything close to what we see in 9ja.
It reminds me on 2 previous discussions I've had on NL- first was someone describing how expensive food is in the U.S cos he converted the price of Coke in usd into naira- I had to go to town to make him see that food is at least 10x more expensive in 9ja. Next was same person mocking the UK cos they were suffering high inflation and people were complaining online. I started by asking him when last inflation in 9ja was as low as 8%.

I'm trying not to go down on this but lets see. In your words, tell me one respectable measurable metric where health outcomes in Nigeria superceed the UK (or on a good trajectory to do soon)?

Lexusgs430:
You never see anything, if you see the financial mess in the complex care sector.....

Some parents are simply minting sterling, they would do everything to preserve the life of that cash cow....... 🤣🐄🐮😂

Seen crazy sums being spent and I'm sometimes engaged in conversations pushing adult social care to do the needful and in good time too. Wasn't surprised that my council has been struggling too. The sums spent can truly be stagerring. Reason why when folks point to minor things as the reason NHS/social care keeps needing money, I just smile.

ehizario2012:
In all these, social workers are still confiscating children from parents at the slightest concern?? The dynamics of the UK economy seems too complex for me to understand, how is the pounds even still so strong?? A lot of things aren't adding up. Well, people in care have to keep their jobs (so the spending should continue.)

Hehe...
Generally, taking kids off their parents should be the last resort. Most intervention is aimed at preventing that. Exceptions are in certain cases

I wonder what Labours plans are for councils which are going bankrupt. Mine is preparing another tax rise.

Nottingham City Council has been paying more than £18,000 every week for the care of one child in care as costs in the sector continue to soar, it can be revealed. The Labour-led authority now spends around 70 per cent of its entire annual budget on social care for adults and children.

In the 2023/24 financial year, up to March 31, 2024, the council spent £974,647 – more than £18,700 per week – on the care of a single child. The council paid a further £878,362, £833,999, £750,116 and £718,068 for the care of of four more children respectively the same year.
Figures exclude indirect, general council overheads such as HR, IT and finance costs, and excluded some home-to-school travel, interpreter fees and birth certificate costs. There are currently around 650 children in the care of the authority, and the average annual cost of a child in care has risen from over £80,000 to £101,976.
https://archive.is/1z0rP

All these are just social not even health costs. Adult social care is the larger behemoth. No issues with the money spent- it's needed. But let nobody blame me for the bill. After, some would say it's young legal migrants coming from Africa with 'untreated illnesses' (many of which are not even registered at a GP) that are bankrupting the NHS and councils.

ukay2:
Thick green 💚 in NYSE

Good the stock and shares ISA allowance wasn't cut down by Labour....

Actually, it was. The proposed extra 5k for home-based stocks was scrapped.

The ISA allowances in the UK are remarkably generous when compared to her peers. Pensions dey burst brain pass.

Gerrard59:
One mentioned health care, YET we have a Nigerian woman who lamented on Twitter that the doctor she met for consultation did not allow her to lay her second complaint. After all, so-called free health care leads to rationing of health complaints. I read a long time ago that it was so hard to see dentists. Dentist kwa? Another Nigerian in Canada in her Nairaland diary lamented how the health care system there sucks and she sees the enjoyable lifestyles her friends in the US have. Yet capitalism is derided?

The UK must be a sufferable place!

Baba, no be everything person dey sabi online- travelling is education. If u notice, no one replied you.

I don't even know where to start but comparing healthcare delivery in the UK to Nigeria is like comparing our power generation to theirs- they're worlds apart.

BTW, forget what you read online. You'd see loads of US/Can/UK/Aus citizens complaining about their economy. My brother it's not thesame thing as a Nigerian complaining. Whether it's inflation, food, security e.t.c.. there are levels to these things.

Real estate ad with no pictures of the properties they're selling?

Saturnalia:
With his Refinery coming on board; I had anticipated that the price of Petrol would drop to between 400 Naira - 550 Naira per liter.

Perhaps you believed the propaganda that was chorused by APC for years on how there was no subsidy and the true price of pms was 23 naira. Lol.

For any refinery who souces crude at a price that tracks international prices (whether in naira or usd), the cost of the refined products would also be similar. The cost of production for dangote may be less largely to lower wage in Nigeria but you're not getting a 50% discount off him.

Gerrard59:
I don't reside anywhere in the West. However, if I am to move to any country aside from China, I am heading to the US. I LOVE Capitalism and economic freedom. The United States is BLESSED. There is a reason Nigerians there out-earn other diasporans. I am obsessed with economic freedom and how I spend the MY MONEY. I don't believe the government or any entity has the right to dictate how to spend my money.

Freedom at last! In Capitalism I Trust! Facts not fats; Figures, not Figos matter in life.

Capitalism is a beast and enjoyable if one owns capital or the right mix of grit and fair exposure to opportunities.
The amount of wealth US companies have generated over the past decade is surreal.
Look at AI which is truly revolutionary with trillion dollar investments. Virtually every major AI company is American. Or is it how they went from largest crude imported to producer in a short period.

The irony of the matter is that despite such progress which the Democrats fairly played a good role in ensuring, they struggled to make Americans see this progress as many oddly felt worse of. Perception and the Trump narrative of America burning played a big role here. Another is the less progressive taxation which has seen the vast majority of generated wealth go to the top 1% who have in turn been able to convince the populace that they're not getting rich fast enough because of relatively few illegal migrants.

EU/UK OTOH is much more socialist which can dampen growth. Robust protections are important but only so much growth can be had when over 1 in 5 adults are economically inactive with a reasonable chunk on longterm sick or councils using >80% of their budget on care.

missjekyll:
Democracy wins again!

Americans have chosen Donald Trump. They,of course, must have their way.

With Musk as Minister for the economy,rfk as minister for health...yikes,I m holding my congratulations.

Thank God I live faraway ...we need to move closer to the EU.

You and who?
EU citizens that were chased out for taking British jobs?
Dont forget the colloquial saying that when America says jump, Britain asks how high.
Look at how Trump rubbished the previous British ambassador or even the recent Huawei debacle where though local British sentiments objected, the official response was to keep calm and give-in to the U.S.

Same U.S that outsources some remote tech jobs to the UK as labour here is cheaper just as the UK outsources to India or is it the US that many British professionals would jump at an opportunity to go work in a like-for-like role.
With us now being outside the EU, the UK has no choice but to follow big bros

missjekyll:
I am genuinely fishing for thoughts on how Trumps win will affect Nigeria.

Putin is now in the ascendance, is this good for Nigeria? I know we signed up to that BRICS thing. Will it save the Nigerian economy? And at what cost?

How should Nigeria play this?
*musing*

Stop catastrophising this. U.S no send 9ja.
The last time Trump was in, he approved the purchase of weapons used in fighting bandits which Obama had previously blocked. Downside was that getting to the US was harder.
If Trump decides to look inward and meddle less with the internal system of African nations, it's then left for those nations to pick up and seek opportunities to grow.

Hehe... sold to yourself I see. Tipper wey dey block road

dustydee:
You have made some valid points but they still bring a lot of value to the UK. The only reason I will support the scrapping of the monarchy is so that they will feel the effects of what they did to ours too even though it may not have the same effect.

Hehe... each man with his grief... Some go say every aboki with his kettle

missjekyll:
We are being taxed heavily to pay for the NHS. This man, who doesn't pay enough taxes, charges exorbitant rent from that same NHS.

"What is he good for?! Absolutely nothing!

With over 5000 houses in in side hustle, should the King be taxed 'until he shivers'? Hehe

Finally, he's had a tough patch of late- from being heckled by an Australian senator to commonwealth nations speaking loudly about the dark past to this. I now quickly see why the news of how the King was rumoured to have reduced his brothers allowance was quickly 'leaked' to the press to water the ground and show them as being financially prudent before this became public.

justwise:
This is as a result of anti-immigration policies, now home students have to pay more as money from International students has dried up.

From the link: However, in July, education secretary Bridget Phillipson stated that the party would not be raising tuition fees, with universities to be supported by international student recruitment.

I agree. This is the price to pay for lower migration numbers.
The country needs the money international students bring and still goes ahead to chastise them for 'ruining the economy'. The money they brought in was not miniscule afterall as some opined. And as we can see, those in government circles made good plans on how to spend that money.

Coincidentally stumbled on this. Discussions between the commonwealth is merited and hopefully thet turn out fruitful. It's not just about money - it could be an avenue for positive corporation.


In his first comments since 56 Commonwealth leaders signed a statement saying the time had come for a conversation about reparations, Lammy told the BBC that was not "the debate people are wanting to have". The UK government previously ruled out paying reparations for slavery and Downing Street said its position included "other forms of non-financial reparatory justice too". Lammy said the UK would instead look to develop relations with African nations through sharing skills and science.

During his first visit to Africa as foreign secretary, Lammy said reparations were not about money, "particularly at a time of a cost of living crisis". Reparations are measures to make amends for past actions deemed wrong or unfair. Cash payments - where a state gives money to a country whose communities it enslaved - are the most commonly understood type of reparations. But they can take many forms, including an official apology or investing in health and education.

Cboss:
Good morning everyone, so my agent refused to give me my login details to my profile and allowed my ITA to expire, now I'm trying to submit another profile but they are requesting for the profile number of the previous account. please what do I do?
all means to get the information from him has proved futile.

The number of agent issues I see here is disturbing.
You might have to mandate it out of him. But even at that, accessing the account would likely need 2FA authentication which would be linked to him. Also hope the details he submitted are not widely varried.

For the umpteenth time, the PR process is straightforward with lots of resource out there. Most people dont need an agent and if you find yourself unable to do it yourself, then it's worth asking if this pathway is really for you.

Ifeayo7:
Hello everyone. I am trying to submit my profile for express entry, but I keep getting the message that I am not qualified. This is in spite of the fact that I have am 8.5 average on IELTS, have a masters degree, and filled the correct details for funds and co. I have actually submitted before now, but it was deactivated when my initial IELTS result and passport expired. Now that I have new results and a new passport, I don't know why it is rejecting my profile. Is there an age limit to submitting a profile? Is there a maximum number of times a person is permitted to submit their profile? Please help me if you have any insight to this. Thanks.

Also look at your work history and be sure the number of hours worked or duration of recent role(s) meets the criteria.

This is the most common reason I have seen for that.

Cyberknight:
It is what it is. The fees, the rules and the possibility of these fees increasing were known to us before we came, so we have to swallow them. Of course, joined-up long-term thinking is not the politicians' strong suit, otherwise it would have occurred to someone that bankrupting or holding back the progress of the immigrants you do allow in with double taxation is most definitely not helpful to the country itself in the long run.

Keeps me wondering especially when you see self-entitled folks bring up the differential attainment of migrant groups as an excuse to chorus racist views of how they are 'low quality'

Despite all being said, the modern migration criteria for many western nations is so highly self-selective that the vast majority of their citizens would not meet the criteria if they were not already citizens. The result is that many of these migrants are driven and against all odds even after being settled keep grinding for themselves and kids. If not, what stops majority of them after 5yrs of paying all these from defaulting to join the millions on benefits?

missjekyll:
Loook ! Look what I found!

This is from the OBR September 2024.
If all of us pack and go,the UK will shut up shop and close market. We produce so much more than we are given.

I don't want to hear "pim " in this thread again.

Una doo... *sashays out of thread*

I remember discussing this here when it came out. Another good example where what is not said is as important as what is said. I mean the fact that the cost of a low/no wage UK resident is not represented to enable a like for like comparison leaves me thinking.

Since the average UK resident already costs the government circa 450k by the time they are 25, I wonder how that would progress or the representation for lower wage earners moreso considering the fact that 1 in 3 UK adults of working age do not pay income tax and that a growing cohort of this group are under-35 who are on longterm sick i.e more difficult to subsequently return to work, rise in their carrer or contribute significantly. Add this to the female fertility rate which is well below replacement level and still dropping, then you see why certain immigration pathways e.g care have been purposely left open despite every politician and citizen chorusing how they want high earning migrants.

For a society that cannot naturally meet its workforce demands, each young migrant coming to fill a role is like handing the government a huge check i.e the cost of not having them/replacing them locally far exceeds the cost of having them. This is basically the reason why many developed nations find themselves turning to migration to boost the economy when faced with low growth

justwise:
I never thought that she will get to the final stage let a lone wining it

She was always the favourite. Alot of recent events including Rishi's premiership helped pave the way. Takes nothing from her brilliance, eloquence and carriage but she sure did pander to her core demography. Now, she has arrived, I hope her premiership is not characterised by talking down on Nigerians cos her own party wouldn't waste time to devour her if the opportunity presents.

As said earlier, the dilema with trailblazers like her is that she could very well be a mouth piece for the most vile cohort of the thier party. She could say things that even Farage would struggle with voicing and people would find it hard to criticise her as she's 'black and immigrant'. I saw her dress down an MP from NI speaking against the narrative around migrants and theblady was in shock. She was not expecting it.

Cyberknight:
Once the 2 year visa had expired, I applied for the 10 year one for her next trip the next year. So immediately. I filled the form, and I didn't say anything different regarding length of visa than I had said in the previous 2 forms (which was for visiting family. She also started from a 6 month visa, then 2 years). This was a while back, so I can't speak to how the visit visa process might be now, but if I remember clearly, I simply selected an option for visa length and filled the form as usual, then paid the higher fee.

That demographic (retired older folks with some travel history and visiting supporting children in the UK ) are low-risk and your mother will definitely have a high chance of getting a longer-term visa. I'm not sure about moving from 6 months to 10 years, I know visa fees have gone up, so depending on you/your family's situation, you may or may not want to gamble with approx. £1k (because if you apply for 10 years and they grant a shorter term, such as 2 or 5 years, I believe they don't refund the difference?). I would chance it in your shoes (in my case there are 3 of us siblings to share costs if need be), but otherwise you could try aiming for a 5 year one.

The bill is layered - na step by step. Reminds me of a post I made a while back comparing the UK visa system with Canada.
It's interesting how cheap things were in 2003. The UK has now succeeded in commoditising the process. Upside is that its relatively quick and more predictable. With an annual income of £2.2 billion and counting from visa fees alone, I would not be surprised if other developed countries soon follow suit. Annoyingly, these are fees that have moore differential impact on migrants coming from developing nations.

ReesheesuKnack:
Not just cunning. Most times "outrightly dishonest" - as Nick Robinson put it to Rachel Reeves this morning on the BBC Radio 4 Today Program.

See what BBC-Verify found out about the alleged '£22 billion black hole'

Who remembers how Buhari spent 8 years blaming "16 years of FeeDeeFee" for everything? Rachel was practically singing from the Buhari hymn sheet yesterday, waxing lyrical about "14 years of Tories"

Like APC Nigeria. Like Labour Party UK.

Dude/mrs, why not relax and let the new government execute its policies. Money for investment has to come from somewhere. They have the benefit of seeing what the Conservatives tried unsuccessfully.

Of the last few conservative governments, one tried blaming the EU for all the problems of Britain which resulted in Brexit. The next tried borrowing huge sums with no plan on how to pay back which almost tanked the economy, the last (following actions of the previous 2) brought in huge number of migrants to grow the economy which resulted in a historic defeat for them.

Goodenoch:
So, we picked up our new (to us) house keys yesterday.

Congrats... welcome to the club

Zahra29:
...
Case in point- the Western country with historically one of the most generous /"gracious" immigration policies has now also decided to be more restrictive.

Immigration is always largely based on need, not only of the host country - most migrants (especially those coming to the west) travel out because they also have a need e.g for economic, physical or political stability and a better future. It works both ways.

Yeah, need goes both ways. Change is constant and there are ebbs and flows most things. At least most of those other western nations did not set up their immigration system as a business enterprise, go on to comit an act of national self-harm in the name of cutting migration, turn around and start visiting countries asking their citizens to come over and take advantage of new pathways they creates, go on to let in record numbers, plan significant expenditure based on the profit they expect from such record numbers and then turn around and blame new entrants for every national issue including traffic.

All said, I'm comparing notes and as this is your specialty, in what sector and how long from now do you thing there would likely be another migration boom to the UK. The last one was personally well received. I love the UK, it's given me and my family plenty.

Treadway:
ogbeni leave matter

..... You on the other hand, can't admit that she is grossly unprepared, you can't admit that she is fake and till now most people aside women (obviously) cant relate to her or have a sense of who she is, you can't admit that Obama did a messed up thing, making such a divisive and insulting statement as to suggest that black men who aren't supporting Harris are acting that way cos they are misogynistic, when in fact it is cos they know she has nothing to offer them.

.....

Baba, you carry this matter for head like gala.

Regarding the bolded, hope you do realise you're doing the same thing you accuse Obama of?


Truth be said, I'm less bothered about what Americans are doing I've not watched most of the interviews you think she killed her career on. Maybe because its not lit up on my algorithmic feed. At this stage in such a divisive contest, there are many hills both parties could die on. Except a candidate makes a major gaffe, most voters are locked in. Don't forget one of those running is a recent convict and his supporters dont care.