₦airaland Forum

delenet:
You’re 100% spot on about the tax deferral and income splitting. That's coming from the right 'business DNA' for this environment. Most people just see the gross income; they don't see the net-wealth benefits of the structures you just mentioned.

I’m all for group learning my brother! To your point about investing via the business: in Canada, the 'Passive Income' tax rules changed recently. If your corporation earns too much from investments, it can actually reduce your access to the Small Business Deduction. That is a trap many newcomers fall into.

However, as much as I’d love to 'build in public' here, I’ve learned that a blueprint is useless without the context. Discussing a specific business model without knowing a person's financial goals, time, and long-term residency plans here is how people get bad advice.

I prefer to treat business with the same privacy as a 'likita' treats a patient. The 'medicine' for one person might be 'poison' for another.

If you want to dive into the numbers and the system I run, I'd rather take it to the DMs. Otherwise, keep those tax-efficiency points in mind, they are the secret to moving from 'surviving' to 'thriving' in Canada!

To each his own finally. Most of all I know about finance today was learned online via conversations with/by others. Personal DMs are almost always a red flag. The good thing about open conversations is that folks could chip in and advice challenged. Perosnliased advise could always be sought from a finicial advisor.

Regarding passive investments- many open a seperate Holding company for investment purposes. From my knowledge in the UK, investing directly via ones trading co can raise questions especially if profits from investments are huge or exceed that from trading

delenet:
....
Hopefully, this shift holds. It’s better for everyone if the world moves toward a balanced coalition rather than just reacting to every whim of the 'emperor.' It’s good to see Canada finally leading that conversation!

Well said. There's no point pleasing a bully

delenet:
I hear you loud and clear! I'm glad you brought this up because it’s a conversation many seem too scared to have.

The truth is, most people get stuck in the 'job' cycle (IT, nursing, data) because they don't understand how the Canadian system actually works. But for those of us with a business mindset, there is a massive 'Blue Ocean' here.

Regarding your questions:

The 'Small Business' Trap: Most people stick to restaurants because it's what they know. But in Canada, the real wealth is in the Service and Knowledge sectors. That’s where the 'big players' from other communities are making their millions.

Taxes: They aren't 'too stringent', they are just different. You actually have more 'tax loopholes' as a business owner than as a high-earning IT worker.

The Opportunity: The thing is, we’ve moved into high-margin, scalable models used by the wealthy here that don't require warehouses or physical stock.

Here is the koko of the matter: I see many men send their families ahead because they are worried about how to replace their Nigerian income. I can relate. But the truth is, the biggest business opportunities here require you to be on the ground.

You can't build a high-level Canadian business from Lagos. I found a model that allowed me to transition from 'newcomer' to running a professional practice, but it required me to be here to 'take the territory.'

I won't go into any specifics here, but I like your mindset. If you want to see what’s possible for a business-minded man in Canada, send me a DM.

What I see is that people are sleeping on the biggest wealth transfer in Canadian history.
Let’s chat privately if you want more insight into how the system really works.

True- running ones business comes with several tax advantages mainly if you don't need all the money the business generates for regular expenditure. One could defer tax, draw income between spouses, write off some business expenditure and invest via the business among others.


Rather than a private chat, it'd be better to have discussions here, that way, people learn and others could chip in.

HustlaOfLagos:
Same.. same..

Trump is already feuding with California's Governor and throwing Primary school insults per usual

I keep wondering. Why is there so much uprage in the west regarding Greenland when not much was said in favour of Venezuela?
Are there limits on what countries should be recipients of imperialism?

Still boils down to the hypocrisy I keep talking of.

This is a lesson to African nations. We need to strengthen regional trade and alliance.

justwise:
...and after that speech the man-baby sent this letter

Lol.. typical.
It's refreshing to see a world leader call it what it is - right in front of Trump.

So far, KS and the EU have been on an appeasement drive thinking that Trumps tenure would soon be over and things would return to their previous state. This is looking all the more unlikely as a good chunk of the American populace want most of the current change. The pandoras box is open and even a democrat is unlikely to make a 180deg reversal.

Solving real world problems via a photo shoot?

Namaster:
SMART MAN!

A divorce in Australia would have WRECKED him for life.

Imagine the NONSENSE!

Someone he married and SPONSORED abroad to start a family with him. She got there and started talking NONSENSE about SURROGACY.
If he's fine with using a SURROGATE, why in all the FORKS would he need her?

That's like hiring a Driver to drive you around just for the Driver to hire another Driver and then ask you to PAY for it.

ABSOLUTE MADNESS!

Plus, the COST of surrogacy overseas is enough to get you 72 virgins here in Nigeria WITHOUT even needing to blow yourself up.

VERY SHARP MAN.
I APPROVE!

Shows how gullible you and many people like you are. This is how the false Hakimi's story spread because people think think those who crafted wuch laws dont think it through.

Do you really think countries don't follow basic laws?

As someone had told you, a traditional marriage wouldn't be used to get someone over.
Seizing someones phone/passport would be classed as abuse and be enough in itself to sully his case before any judge. Just so you know, she can get her travel documents back by simply applying to the embassy.

BTW, just watched Carneys speech at WEF... Super proud. He simply instills confidence

...we compete with each other to be the most accomodating. This is not sovereignty, its the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination. Mark Carney

HustlaOfLagos:
With this speech snippet, he wont have been elected as the Head boy of my secondary school


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY7CErCvXoE

Hehehe... was an interesting event. Quite a few snippets

Super proud of Carneys speech. Straight and direct. So glad he's Canada's PM now. He instills confidence in times of economic uncertainty.

... we compete with each other to be the most accomodating. This is not sovereignty, its the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination.... Mark Carney PM of Canada

BTW, I wonder what peoples thoughts are about trumps recent shenanigans with Europe.
Should they bend over and let Trump do as he likes as some had advised Carney and Canadians to do?

There is no pleasing a bully

Judasiscarriot:
As per business levels, i am not hearing much about it from Nigerians in canada ooo. What is happening ? is it that difficult ? only african restaurant, and small scale shipping i keep hearing

what about cars? dismembering cars into parts ?? ehnnnn, i see recently imported cars carrying canadian plate numbers in lagos.

What about importation from china or america to canada ? Carney was recently in china

As a PR with capital, can i succeed in business? or are the taxes and laws too stringent ??

Where are the business oriented igbos? please ooooo, wetin dey sup, or have the Indians taken up all the business spots ??

it is well. Maybe the business ones are not here. Well, i dont know though. but i prefer business to all this, go and study IT, data analysis and co.


Please, let us discuss business too

Hehe...
Canada is quite capitalist... certainly much more than Europe.. if u hustle well u go chop.
As the population increases, opportunities would too... especially for those with keen eyes

U could start by sharing ideas...

Focusmind:
There is no EU country with "good amount of jobs"!

You will struggle to get the white-collar job if you are not among the one percentile extremely talented foreigners

Apart from US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and may be, France and Germany, you will struggle to land a professional job as an immigrant in EU if you are not extremely talented and have the permanent right to stay in that country.

It is not about getting a Ph.D. or studying fancy courses, people that study trade and direct health-related courses have better chances of securing jobs abroad than those with Masters and Ph.D.

Even in Canada, some Nigerians that did masters and Ph.D. are still job hunting while those that did one year certificate or two year diploma program in direct health programs or trades have gotten something.

Be strategic and weigh your options. If you are going to the EU country for studies under a funded scholarship, it is fine. But if you are going to be self-sponsored, please weigh your options and consider again.

Except you will study with the intention of transitioning to those other countries I mentioned. Also note that the right to settlement and stay should also form part of your consideration. Dont waste your money to study in a country where there is no right of stay after studying or where there is a serious language barrier.

Well said!

RodgersAkpafu:
And the China caping continues on this thread lmaooo.

Make we dey look and observe as things dey unfold sha

People implying that China is not an adversary to keep at bay and calling it media "frenzy"

🤡 🤡 🤡
Na so

You sound quite similar to a cousin who told me all ladies who wear trousers will go to hell. I asked him why and he mumbled something similar to the above. Finally told him if that was his vision of heaven, I don't want to be part of his heaven.

RodgersAkpafu:
I keep saying it though
..... Man sometimes I just wonder how the US thought, that of all people to elect, it is this clown and joke
Well the silver lining is that at least UK can see a prelude to what a Reform govt will likely look like....
And the administration will be done before GE 2029

Hehe... I thought Trump was your favourite- the one who'd help you fight Indians... Well, seems he didn't just stop with Indians as every sensible person thought.

Goodenoch:
Also: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/chinese-mega-embassy-london-british-spies-mi5-analysis

And this: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/07/what-uk-must-get-right-its-china-strategy A very clear-eyed assessment of the UK-China relationship from Chatham House, unlike the hysteria from the Daily Heil, Torygraph et al.

With the much of the UK I know, I doubt this would have been approved if there was a demonstrable security concern that could not be easily achieved elsewhere. It's manytimes just a smokescreen to drive a political narrative. Similar to the Huawei issue where the UK didn't see any concern after checks but went ahead to kowtow to the U.S and restrict a budding Chinese company. Remember 'dem migrants are eating our cats'? Similar talk here

HustlaOfLagos:
The whole thing is ridiculous to me sha.

if I want to spy on you, why would I build in your country, under your very nose when I know you can easily catch me? It's the same as the EV listening on people kini. Guess who was actually asked to pay fines for listening in on people and guess which country the coy is resident in? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr4rvr495rgo

Look at how this one was rambling when asked about listening EVs

WATCH - Premier Ford today said Chinese made EV’s will be listening to your calls. “When you get on your cell phone, it’s the Chinese that are going to be listening”

I ask Ford to back up those claims, & ask if he’s concerned about his Chinese made iPhone spying on him. pic.twitter.com/MT0D3QUfkB

— Richard Southern (@RichardCityNews) January 19, 2026

If you are concerned, what about iPhones / Android devices that are made in China? Our Google / Amazon home speakers? laptops? bluetooth headphones?

The sinophobe narrative is beginning to fall.

Fact is some of these narratives are not impossible. Most modern electronic devices with a camera or microphone which can be reverse engineered/hacked to take photos or record surreptitiously and send these back with little or no trace. Most of these 'hacks' are purposeful backdoors tech companies create and give to select government agencies. One would wonder the practicality of doing this on a widescale though. If highly targeted, its possible

This critisicm comes from two places

1. A place of paranoia. If these clandestine operations have been done by you to others, every moving cockroach becomes a suspect.

2. Information overload to drive a narrative. Manytimes putting so much information out there muddies the water. It not clear what's true and what's fabricated. This creates information overload/paralysis among recipients. We saw this with the GEJ government in Nigeria who sat on huge sums the Chinese afforded due to loads of warnings from western agencies. In the west, people who want to buy EVs might decide to 'err on the side of caution' and buy known brands. Fortunately or unfortunately for them, the Chinese brands are becoming very good and cheap which makes that decision all the more difficult.

Raalsalghul:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/china-embassy-london-uk-royal-mint-court-starmer-b2903828.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=editorial-push

Who said something about the Super embassy being approved?

I wouldn't be surprised if all this brouhaha is just a political talking point with no base. Similar to manythings happening in the world today.

China this, China that.
Even if their initial intention was to use this as a spying hub, the scrutiny it has got would be enough for them to reconsider options.

4ever1:
I am a student

You need to be clear- what course are you studying? what's your background? what roles do you seek? what part of the country are you looking at? That way, people in similar shoes or with the right information can chip in

Goodenoch:
Every day I wonder anew about how people with primary school level education and above ended up voting for or supporting this man-child: https://apple.news/AdjNbEJQ3TD-lP7znf1SfpA

Hehe. Was never a Trumpian but recent events got me 50-50. The once monolithic 'west' is beginning to divide. Unlike in times past where the world waited for them to finish their squabbles and then continue imperialism, this time, folks are moving on.

When Trump finishes focusing on black and brown people, he'd turn to Europe. We saw just that with UK and eastern Europeans. The 'third world' would soon have new entrants.

It seems the thinking of Europe all along has been to kowtow - afterall, it's just 4 years but Trump is grovelling for more. Who's to say what follows is not like him.

Finally with Trump, two things were clear- he stated his campaign objectives. What he's doing today isn't widely different from that. Secondly, he was the clear choice of Americans and performed quite well at the elections. Americans may very well want someone similar in the future.

Zahra29:
I've watched it.

My view remains the same, although I also agree with Cyberknight's rather sobering assessment that many of these countries may recognise that they are being used by China but may also feel that they don't have m(any) options.

Once again, the question is not whether or not to do business with China. Of course one should. The concern is to what degree. If you know anyone who was born in the Caribbean e.g. Jamaica, or has lived there for decades, ask them about the scale of China's operations over the last decade and the impact it has had/is having on the locals.

I have deliberately not spoken much about China's involvement in other countries as it's not really my business - they are free to do/trade as they please. My main concern is my own country and hoping that my government does not become complacent (and in some cases - stops being complacent) in its dealings with China. I was encouraged to see the protests over the weekend over the proposed super embassy plans - I can only hope that KS et co listen and U-turn again.

I'd be keen to know how this Caribbean country has fared objectively as it regards Chinese loans. What was borrowed? At what rate (if known)? What was it used for? How does it compare to loans taken from other sources?

I was once unduly worried about Nigeria and Chinese loans until I looked into the numbers. From the narrative, one would have thought 90% of our loans were from the Chinese and we were paying relatively huge sums in interest. The reverse was actually the case. Also my knowledge of social media algorithms makes one appreciate how forces that be can drive a narrative.

jedisco:
For the very first time, there's been a conversation about China without the usual trope asking 'but why are you not in China'? It was this narrative that led me to keep saying our presence in the west is not cos we're wanted but because we're needed.
Narratives here have seemingly matured.

Still on China- this is huge. ( https://www.nairaland.com/8601905/china-names-24.5-billion-ogidigben ). Imagine the number of high quality jobs and local wealth this would create

While it'd be good to know the terms, I'd much rather we receive such infrastructure-dedicated loans than billions more from the worldbank, IMF or via eurobonds for catch phrases like 'millennium development goals', 'economic resilience' e.t.c

Finally, some screnshots on the state of our foreign loans and interest we pay. Notice the large hitters? Interesting that despite how low China ranks, their loans have generated the most narrative while still being the most tangible.

Still on China...
These are our active eurobonds i.e forex we borrow at commercial rates from the international market. These are open to anyone willing to buy and fund the Nigerian government but they're typically gulped up by banks with deep pockets or pension funds.

To break it down, via eurobonds, we've borrowed over 17 billion usd at rates of between 7-10% and pay about 260 million usd each quarter in interest. If you know what this money was used for, please state

Conversely, we've taken a total 4b usd from china at rates of under 3%. This money has been used for demonstrable projects which we can point to.
However, westerners want us to believe our Chinese loans are a debt trap but are conspicuously silent on our eurobonds..... if this doesn't define hypocrisy, what else does?

Good one.
Worth knowing the terms of this but its high time African nations start seeking mutually beneficial agreements.

For the upcoming anti-China narrative typically driven by the Western media, lets ask- why do they care? What have the loans from IMF et al (as posted below been used for)?
The Chinese loans form a miniscule part of our debt but yet have seemingly been the most productive.

For the very first time, there's been a conversation about China without the usual trope asking 'but why are you not in China'? It was this narrative that led me to keep saying our presence in the west is not cos we're wanted but because we're needed.
Narratives here have seemingly matured.

Still on China- this is huge. ( https://www.nairaland.com/8601905/china-names-24.5-billion-ogidigben ). Imagine the number of high quality jobs and local wealth this would create

While it'd be good to know the terms, I'd much rather we receive such infrastructure-dedicated loans than billions more from the worldbank, IMF or via eurobonds for catch phrases like 'millennium development goals', 'economic resilience' e.t.c

Finally, some screnshots on the state of our foreign loans and interest we pay. Notice the large hitters? Interesting that despite how low China ranks, their loans have generated the most narrative while still being the most tangible.

Cyberknight:
At the bolded, no, that's not the case. Give some credit to both sides of your ancestral regions here. Everyone knows that the Chinese are just another bunch of sharks out to prey upon the weak, but since we live in shark-infested waters and have no defences we are simply resigned to being prey. There's a conversation to be had about that resignation and how we ended up in that role, but not regarding where African and Caribbean countries are.

Waiting with bated breath to see what's eventually decided regarding the Chinese super embassy. I have the feeling that Starmer will sign it off, probably just to show that there'll be no more U-turning. While I really wish Labour and Starmer will succeed, I have to say that it's not looking good for them with all the reversals of policy. The ID one annoyed me in particular as it was spectacularly ill-thought-through from the beginning. It's generally the case (not just here but also in other developed countries that attract immigrants) that the general [British] public are usually massively uninformed about how the immigration system works. Many people believe that legal immigrants can claim benefits for instance. They have no idea how much people have to pay for visas and so forth and generally tend to believe the narratives they read in the papers. It generally seems that it's only those who've got friends or family members who have to engage with the immigration system have some or very good knowledge of how it works.

Labour's ID plan felt this way. You get the impression that the people making policy don't actually know how their own immigration system works either. One would think that the government, who runs the eVisa system, would know that legal immigrants already have digital ID so introducing digital ID for the whole country to combat illegal working would be pointless, and isn't a good reason to advance for wanting to do so. You wonder where their Sir Humphreys are doing (if indeed any still remain) - why is no-one getting rid of these ideas before they are announced as policy in the first place?

I'd differ on the bolded. The constant warning from the West that China is not 'father christmas' is not meant to help but to scaremonger. Why do they care? It seems most westerners are incapable of imagining an association between African nations and others that benefits both parties. It says alot about how parasitic our relationship with the west has been.

For the very first time in over 300 yrs, we live in a world where there are now true options - wealth and progress is no longer beholden to one source/narrative. Competition is usually a good thing moreso at a time when many western economies have stalled and are now struggling to fund their opulence. I don't need to caveat that there's no free lunch anywhere. It's for Africa to make good use of the current trend.

Goodenoch:
No o please educate me and other average Nigerians who don't know of these henious WTO violations perpetrated by China that the US and its vassals are so very innocent of.

From what little I know (sorry if it's innacurate; you know some of us just “ran masters package”, so we might not be as up-to-date as an elite immigrant like you), China isn't the (only?) one that has weaponized sanctions on countries they disagree with politically, slapped arbitrary tarrifs on a range of countries, threatened countries that want to shift away from dependency on the 'mighty dollar', invaded countries to steal their oil, sanctioned and locked out representatives of global institutions for daring to criticize its BigTech companies, used OFAC and the SWIFT system to strong-arm financial institutions worldwide, paralysed the WTO Appellate Body since 2017 when rulings went against it, pulled out of a variety of 'green' treaties while preaching sustainability AKA deindustrialisation to African countries, imposed export bans on critical technologies, using subsidies to enable their companies to engage in rampant food dumping in Africa; resulting in the collapse of poultry, milk and rice value chains in various countries, ati be be lo.

And this is just economic stuff o, not national security and military violations. But China is the boogeyman because they make things cheaply.

It's becoming a tired narrative now. Hidden behind this 'warning' is the assumption that Africans/Caribbeans can't think for themselves.
The Prime minister of Barbados - Mia Motley put it nicely when a BBC reporter kept warning about China.

Not surprising that when you ask why - silence follows thru


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4sJqR2VNPA

4ever1:
Good morning
Pls I need hacks on applying for jobs on nhs , a step by step guidelines

What job/role?

Would you need a visa?

HustlaOfLagos:
They said China is the threat though with their spying EVs and their unbelievable attempts to make tech cheaper and more accessible without bombing other countries

While at it, sprinkle in buzzwords like "overcapacity", "threat", "state owned" , "government backed subsidies", "at what cost", "unfair trade practices", "market manipulation". "dystopian surveillance state", "social credit sysyem" and everyone loses their minds

You forgot 'communist'.

It's the classic give a dog a bad name to hang it. The buzzword now is 'immigrant'. Well, those tactics are coming home to roost. The narrative used today in U.S politics to describe any human opposition to the current government as a 'radical leftist'. Once that's used, it doesn’t matter what they're saying- to Trumpists, they become the enemy. I.e slowly dehumanising dissenting voices.

Eitherway, make you dey careful before someone asks why you're in the west and not in China.

Goodenoch:
https://www.nairaland.com/8597083/us-urges-citizens-leave-venezuela

The next chapter has started. Another country in crisis and plunged into a free-for-all of violence by Western neo imperialists.

A few years from now when refugees are pouring through to find safe haven, the good people of the US will act shocked as if it has nothing to do with them, then a few years later when theres further strife some people (AKA Team 'underlying causes') will come to attack the communities for harboring negative sentiments of the USA - again as if those sentiments materialised out of the blue against dear old, innocent USA (+ its vassals like the UK).

All playing out just like it did in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Vietnam, Laos, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iran, Lebanon, Sudan, the Balkans etc etc etc.

Strikingly similar to what happened in Libya. After Ghaddafi's killing (not his fan), no plan was made to support the nation which descended into chaos. Western nations instead chose different militant groups to support.
The resultant chaos led to the proliferation of arms and violence along that corridor all the way to Nigeria. Look how many West-African countries have lost their democracy which the west was ironically looking to spread. Today, Nigeria has to take commercial loans at over 10% mainly from western pension funds to fund purchases of American weapons to fight these terrorists. Knowing fully well our economy is not growing at over 10%, the only way we can meet up with loan repayments is to sell resources on the cheap. So in essense, our sweat is used to fund western retirees and opulence while we suffer.

Our new loving westerners who are exceptionally keen to warn us against China never mention all this.
Imagine if it was China that orchestrated this invasion of Venezuela or the fall of Libya

Chidieberenwune:
Madam do you think you are in 3rd world country like Nigeria. Plz abide by every town planning code and save yourself from this embarrassment expect you want to come back to your original base and start packing barrels every where in your community.

Don't call yourself 'thirdworld'.
It reeks of low esteem

CyynthiaKiss:
No Islamic country made it to top 15.

Just jihad in the morning, sharia in the afternoon, terrorism at night..

Stop spewing nonsense. Our focus should be on building our society not determining who's Islamic or not.

Before you go ad-hominem, know I'm a Christian

Onlinetutor7:
Very good move by Trump. Let those third world countries elect good leaders instead of fleeing overseas after distablizing their country .

Stop calling yourself 'third-world'. It depicts low self esteem and self-worth.

Certainly this does not make sense.

Isnt it because in the past when forex was restricted, people had to go thru CBN to get forex (manytimes for frivolous reasons which they roundtrip). Now the market has been freed up, those travelling for healthcare don't need to approach the CBN so wouldn't be counted

LordIsaac:
No one is ignorant of the wiles of the imperialists. However, I'd argue that Nigeria was better pre-independence compared to our followership under wicked thieves. Just imagine how many houses recovered from Emiefewerey, Malami, and the other thieves since 1960!

Used to think this way but this is not true.
Colonialism never lifted any country out of poverty. The main aim of the British was to extract resources and thjs continues to be the case

A much higher percentage of Nigerians today are educated. We are slowly building indegenous industries as foreign ones are only interested in extracting raw materials and profits. Look at oil, cocoa or domestic milk production for example

Whether now or in a hundred years, we need to build a robust functioning society ourselves. No one would do it for us