₦airaland Forum

I am an optimist, but the stories I read about Naija is not that encouraging. We have been stagnant for decades now. It is even embarrasing. I spoke with my friend back home, not too long ago. He was complaining of gas prices, I think he said it is 75 Naira a litre. It's gotten so worse that he has temprarily abandoned his car for other services. Tell, me, how can one be optimistic, when you read stories of countries like Saudi Arabia where gas is less than 50 cents? What happened to oil subsidy that alleviated the masses in Nigeria?

Building nice houses, erecting imposing and 'magnificient' edifices, is an attempt to gloss over the problems afflicting us. If the govt does not devote attention to gas prices, the common man, farm products will rise, on account of expensive transportation, and even those, living in those ritzy houses, would be forced to sustain their lifestyle elsewhere. Tell me, what's the percentage of people who can afford to live in these ritzy buildings?

What happened to bursary awards back home to students? What happened to Federal govt colleges? I am sorely disappointed in the regimes of Nigeria, and this is coming from a guy, who holds fond memories of his days back home.

I almost got recruited to sell cutco knives, but later on backed out. Surviving in yankee, for a 'returnee' was fraught with challenges, because your degree was not recognized, so you had to make do with menial jobs. Having no computer skills meant that I could not secure an office job. I had to map out the bus route, keep the bus schedule handy, and sometimes took 3 buses to work.


I survived, thanks be to God in the Highest, Amen.

Each of us have a story to tell about surviving tactics in yankee. Living abroad has taught me survival instinct, and please, it is more challenging, than living in the boarding house. If you lose your job, and you have no money in your account, that's when you will wish that you never came to yankee. I could have worked at the bank, if I had wanted to, but I wanted to come to yankee, against my mom's wishes. Na so I come see pepper, but thank God, for He has always been kind to me.

A reminder to future travellers to America, better to start life in a cheaper city, like Houston and Atlanta, where there is a large concentration of Nigerians, that most likely, help you out in your job hunt, than to move to an expensive place like the Bay area, where the cost of living is astronomically high. The paycheck from menial job in Atlanta, goes a long way, compared to those in the bay area.

Read this true story. A Nigerian friend of mine, who had won the green card lottery, worked two jobs to make ends meet. One at a warehouse, the other, doing security at night.  During the energy crisis in California, when generators came in handy, he, being the security guard at a corporation was entrusted with the generator. He dozed off at work, and upon waking up, he realized that the generator was missing. He informed his "oga", who then filed a report with the cops, and even harrassed him. When the cops conducted their investigation, their report was that while my friend was sleeping, his boss had sneaked in, taken the generator, and then turned around and accused my friend of negligence. Till today, I just find the story, so funny, but my friend was disgusted, and promptly quit his job, then relocated to Houston. Just days ago, I was informed that he works for an oil company. I still tease him about the incident.

What's wrong with the dishes prepared by Burkinabe women?

Quickly delete this pornographic picture, Seun.

Do yourself a favor by forgiving him, and breaking off the relationship with alacrity.

Just curious, how much is gas per litre in Nigeria, and how much does it cost to fill up a tank?

I dont know if hybrid has made its entrance into Naija, but Hondas and Toyotas are fuel efficient cars.

Mickeedee is not the most desirable place to work for, but for an immigrant, any job was worth doing, for survival sake. Life is not a bed of roses, andfor us immigrants, it is a double challenge, since you are constantly hopping from one job to another. It was an eye opener, that yankee is not an easy country.

My experiences in yankee has taught me a whole lot about independence, and has strengthened my faith in God. Back home, my parents catered to my needs. Out here, I had to do all what it takes to survive. The Good Lord saw me through. Less than 2 years, there was a remarkable turnaround, or should I say a divine intervention in my life. I landed a job in a law firm, making a comfortable wage. Some months later, my mom visited for my brother's wedding, and was impressed, to say the least at God's Blessings in my life. This was coming from a guy, who had a very rough start earlier on, but was now living a fairly comfortable life. The company events that I took her to, was very consoling to her. When my mother returned back home to Naija, never did it dawn on me that it would be the last time of seeing her alive.

At times, I do reflect on the vicissitudes that I have traversed in America and marvel on God's providence to me in the midst of life's challenges. It was like being lifted out of a horrible pit, into an oasis.  Rather than being consumed with bitterness, my experiences has brought me closer to God. Others have had it worse in America. God has not let me ventured into the paths of homelessness.

Psalm 18:16

First job was at Macdonalds. It was depressing.

The complexes are nice, but the lack of maintenance would sully its beauty, down the road, if the government neglects it. Remember 1004 apartments in Lagos

Time seems to go on a fast pace, in America, compared to Nigeria. I wholeheartedly agree with the discourse of the writer, on the challenges, both physical and psychological that immigrants face when moving back home. Its like, even though you live abroad, your heart is back home. In my case, I left my heart in Nigeria.

Delvinmaya, Newswatch and Tell Magazines are seperate entitites, owned by two different publishing houses. Dele Omotunde, Dare Babarinsa and a few others, left the Newswatch stable to start their own magazine, titled Tell magazine.

But as for Quality magazine, the defunct sister publication of Newswatch magazine, that was perhaps my all time favorite. From what year to what year do you have?

Funny@lovebob

The Holy Bible

I was accosted by a lady once at the mall, who mistakenly thought I was his cousin in the caribbean Island.

Has the free health care proposed to all Lagosians gone into effect? While some of the artistic pictures are nice, truthfully, the common man is more interested in the basic infrastructures that can make life fairly better for them. Those are, a stable employment with a steady paycheck, water, constant electricity as well as security.

Half a loaf is better than none, so take it. It would be ideal, if your job is niteshift, or swing shift, so you can scout for job opportunities, in the day. Best wishes.

May God heal that boy and his family in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

What a question@GL. Did you expect the boy to oblige to the dishonorable request of the robbers? He choosed the high road, "death before dishonor". As for the robbers, the saying, "There is no honor among thieves' could not ring truer to their debased actions.

I doubt if anybody here cares if the guy is rich or not. My advice to him, is that he should not regard the requests from some of his friends as a burden, because of his financial standing in the society. I dont think a rich man would grumble that that the demands exacted on him, by some of his friends are a burden. He could alleviate the situation by either setting them up for life, through various ways. Apparently, you did not get the innuendo in my earlier advise to him, that his wealth should not be a barrier in helping his less privileged friends.

Funloving, by virtue of your privileged standing in the society, you should not regard some of your friends demands for monetary assistance as a burden. An alternative worth exploring would be to establish a small scale industry for them to engage in. That would bring a steady flow of money and minimize their requests from you. Besides, you are not the only one who's been inundated with requests from friends. Some people on this board have, and have choosen a nobler and respectable route in fulfilling their requests --- donating discreetly without any fanfare.

Did you expect him to wine and dine you at a swanky restaurant? Get real!!!

It is common sense to live according your means, but arent you just supporting this false lifestyle of your associates by lending them money, while they live above and beyond their means?

We have some nice writers on the board.

Jesus Christ is the best!!!

Who are you to dictate the lifestyles of Nigerians abroad? Are you the one working 3 jobs, paying their mortgage, or paying for their lexus? It is none of your business, if our people choose to live an extravagant lifestyle, in the name of keeping up with the Joneses. Unlike some other guy who is bragging that his friends are always asking him for money, I am certain that most, if not all of those people have not asked your to deposit some money into their account. While modesty should be embraced, who am I to dictate another person's lifestyle?

wetin be ariya?

Suya mallam would be interested, so it wont be hard for you to find them in Nigeria.

The outstanding Nigerians, are the ones, who hold full time legitimate jobs, while taking care of their family, engaging in civil and volunteer work, and still carve out time to spend quality time with their family. They are the ones, vocal in their community in stemming out crime, drugs, and other vices that have ruined the lives of people.


For those with a high profile position, here is one of them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_O._Agwunobi

Chinani, maybe, nurses are underpaid in Houston, but in California, they were well compensated. LVN's usually average a little over 20 dollars, excluding overtime, while RN's can command upto fifty dollars an hour. Infact, there is a girl who told me that there is a hospital in the East Bay of California who is recruiting RN's, with a starting salary of 50 dollars an hour. I dont blame people who delve into nursing when they arrive here. You have to survive, and the course requirements for an LVN is less than 3 years.