₦airaland Forum

Abeg shift

DoTheNeedful:
I have been living in the US for almost a decade, and I can tell you that value of $1,000 in the US is less than 90k in Nigeria.

It is surprising that many of you, including graduates, don't understand that you can't just arbitrarily convert dollars or pounds to naira in this context.

You cannot start a family anywhere in the US with $1, 000. You would need at least a job that pays you $6,000 per month to think of marriage. An ideal monthly salary would be around $10,000.

With 1.5 million in Nigeria, you can afford to marry a jobless partner, support two children, and own a decent car.

You could eat out in Nigeria with 2k, but eating out in the US would cost you around 25 dollars (35k). I get a haircut every month for $50 (75k) in the US. In Nigeria, I could get the same haircut for around 1k.

If you have a baby in the US, you would need to spend around $2,000 (3 million) per month on day care. In Nigeria, you would pay maybe 50k.

I laugh each time I see some posts on social media converting people's salary in UK/US/CA to naira, thinking the naira equivalent of those figures have the same impact in those countries. It is unfortunate that some people have such mentality.

That being said, if you manage to have some savings in places like US and you bring such to Nigeria, you could tie up a project.

What's your point cos I don't gerrit

Procashtips:
If anyone is even earning 2k per month in the US, don't you know the person won't be able to afford relocating to Nigeria not to talk of 1k per month?

Na so moving back home easy?

That's my point exactly.

If he is stuck there he should just go to immigration office there and they'll do the rest by sending him back home free of charge

Nigeria lives better

Goo0dHardDick:
That's my point exactly.

If he is stuck there he should just go to immigration office there and they'll do the rest by sending him back home free of charge

hmmmm

Procashtips:
Too many wrong comparisons here.

1k for haircut in Nigeria?
Then there are also places in the US you can have an haircut for 15 or 20.

Eat out 2k in Nigeria?
Then you can also eat out in the US for 5, 10 or even 15.
You don't need 10k salary to live and have a family with 2 children in the US. You can as well live with less than 5k.

Except you're claiming people in the US with at least 2 children earning from 6k upwards.

Where in the US do you live? I have lived here for almost 10 years, and I know what I am saying. I came here as a graduate student, living on $2,000 a month. So, I have experienced both sides of the divide in the US.

By the way, I don't understand the bolded part in your post. Are you saying 1k is too much or too little to get a haircut in Nigeria?

N10M monthly in Nigeria is worse than $500 monthly in America. If you like argue with your keyboard, mouse and monitor.

Goo0dHardDick:
1.5m in a week or month let's be clear on that?

Give me Australia or the US anyday anytime twice on Saturday morning.

Earning 1.5m you're a "big man" in Nigeria, earning $1k in the US you're a poor man. Know the difference

Nobe dey gree mention UK again. E be like e don casts Lol

Savenigeria2023:
Enough of these noise and comparisons.

If the conditions are better in Nigeria, the folks abroad will return. You don’t need to sweet talk them into returning.

Less than 2% of folks who left have returned, the remaining 98% who stayed back have their reasons. The government of the day should quit these japa propaganda and focus on making Nigeria work for Nigerians

who will make d condition better.... Naija wey we no dey obey simple rules.... Person go drink ordinary pure water and throw d nylon on the grown....

Great100000:
Source: https://nairametrics.com/2025/10/24/who-lives-better-income-of-n1-5m-in-nigeria-or-1k-in-the-us/

Someone earning ₦1.5 million monthly in Nigeria generally lives better than someone earning $1,000 monthly in America, because of lower living costs in Nigeria and higher expenses (rent, healthcare, taxes) in the U.S.

AirBere:
Brother, lemme speak only for myself then since you don't believe my colleagues. I love Nigeria so much but I've never for once felt the need to relocate home and stay permanently even though I still visit Nigeria. My kids, wife, we're extremely happy here.

This December, I'll be back again to see my Mum and other family members. After a week or two, I'll be back to base.

Everybody’s situation is different, what I don’t like is people making generalizations and leading people here in Nigeria astray. A man who comes from Ajegunle and finds himself abroad has a different perspective on London from someone who comes from a middle class background. A man who is a care worker in London has a different perspective from a doctor or an IT worker in the UK. A man who has an entrepreneurial spirit has a different perspective from someone who is born to be an employee. A man who had no contacts or access in Nigeria is different from someone who knows people. A man without citizenship will have a different experience from someone who doesn’t. All will look at relocating or remaining abroad differently. That’s why whenever I see people glorifying japa I come on to counter and give the other side.

Do you have papers? Are you a citizen or a japa? What kind of job do you do? What kind of environment did you come from in Nigeria? What sort of savings do you have? Do you have children? When you are glorifying living abroad let people know where you are coming from. That way they know why for you it is better and why it may not be better for them.

N1.5m is $1k when you use the nominal exchange rate.But the right exchange rate to use is PPP.
It is the wide gap between nominal and PPP rates that makes moving abroad financially advantageous to many Nigerians.

I'd rather read you over and over again than the decisively porous opinions I read earlier. Many cannot argue with so much ignorance otherwise what's the nonsense I read by some about 98% of people that japad never returned, etc etc. Such hollow understanding of issues on this forum atimes. Otherwise who can survive $1000 per month in the US if you are not barely surviving. What type of house would you be living in and how do you pay bills in winter with $1000 except you are a squatter?

People Yan so much nonsense.

1.5M in Nigeria lives a far better human existence than the $1000 in UK, USA, AUSTRALIA, anywhere. If you have an inverter, what do you need the Gen for? If you are in Band A, you are likely having good electricity. If I spent N20,000 a day on Glovo for good food delivery to my house, I wouldn't have spent even 50% of that 1.5M for the entire month.

DoTheNeedful:
I have been living in the US for almost a decade, and I can tell you that value of $1,000 in the US is less than 90k in Nigeria.

It is surprising that many of you, including graduates, don't understand that you can't just arbitrarily convert dollars or pounds to naira in this context.

You cannot start a family anywhere in the US with $1, 000. You would need at least a job that pays you $6,000 per month to think of marriage. An ideal monthly salary would be around $10,000.

With 1.5 million in Nigeria, you can afford to marry a jobless partner, support two children, and own a decent car.

You could eat out in Nigeria with 2k, but eating out in the US would cost you around 25 dollars (35k). I get a haircut every month for $50 (75k) in the US. In Nigeria, I could get the same haircut for around 1k.

If you have a baby in the US, you would need to spend around $2,000 (3 million) per month on day care. In Nigeria, you would pay maybe 50k.

I laugh each time I see some posts on social media converting people's salary in UK/US/CA to naira, thinking the naira equivalent of those figures have the same impact in those countries. It is unfortunate that some people have such mentality.

That being said, if you manage to have some savings in places like US and you bring such to Nigeria, you could tie up a project.

hegelian:
People should compare apple to apple not apple to oranges.. If they wanna compare, they should compare 1.5million naira to 1.5million dollars or 1000naira to 1000dollars..
America is a country and nigeria is also a country..

Comment of the year. Well done comrade for hitting the nail on the head.

There are countries where $1 is exchanged for the same value of the local currency.

Nigeria na, 1000 dollars I the US is equals to being homeless.

Yankee101:
That’s the same amount
Abroad, in the US or Canada
Your kids get feee education in public schools
If you pay your taxes for up to 10 years you’ll get a pension
You have access to welfare, soup kitchens, child credits
Food is also very cheap. The major problem with that amount is just accomodation. If you’re not ashamed you can be on welfare and you’ll get discounted housing and food stamps
Security, electricity, fairly good roads, potable water, cheap public transportation are taken for granted
You can get job place healthcare insurance in the US while in Canada healthcare is free



Of course you can earn more money if you’re ready to work harder


Now talks you still want to compare?

Now that we know all these.
The million dollar question is?
How can we bring these ideals to bear on this country and the people.

Elzazzi:
Nobe dey gree mention UK again. E be like e don casts Lol

Uk sharp. Pounds isn't a joke

Edoreborn:
No be d same abroad he made all d money he is bragging about owning businesses and having drivers and chef? Abeg no compare ds useless naija with country wey their head straight?

useless and u still de inside.... Why not go into government and make things better

casualobserver:
Everybody’s situation is different, what I don’t like is people making generalizations and leading people here in Nigeria astray. A man who comes from Ajegunle and finds himself abroad has a different perspective on London from someone who comes from a middle class background. A man who is a care worker in London has a different perspective from a doctor or an IT worker in the UK. A man who has an entrepreneurial spirit has a different perspective from someone who is born to be an employee. A man who had no contacts or access in Nigeria is different from someone who knows people. A man without citizenship will have a different experience from someone who doesn’t. All will look at relocating or remaining abroad differently. That’s why whenever I see people glorifying japa I come on to counter and give the other side.

Do you have papers? Are you a citizen or a japa? What kind of job do you do? What kind of environment did you come from in Nigeria? What sort of savings do you have? Do you have children? When you are glorifying living abroad let people know where you are coming from. That way they know why for you it is better and why it may not be better for them.

This is a valid convo and I'm kinda enjoying your input though.

The reason why I came I was just to make you understand that I'm not sure your statistics of 98% hoping they could come back is true.

I personally don't think 98% of Nigerians abroad are hoping to come back but couldn't. I actually do not agree with this but I agree with ya other inputs.

Productivity
Integrity
Innovation and adoption of new technologies
24hour economy
Refining of raw materials before export

Reference:
Now that we know all these.
The million dollar question is?
How can we bring these ideals to bear on this country and the people.

AirBere:
This is a valid convo and I'm kinda enjoying your input though.

The reason why I came I was just to make you understand that I'm not sure your statistics of 98% hoping they could come back is true.

I personally don't think 98% of Nigerians abroad are hoping to come back but couldn't. I actually do not agree with this but I agree with ya other inputs.

I used 98% in response to the 98% in your post I responded to.

So when you ask me to be scientific, you first be scientific. The 98% was from you.

When you make sweeping generalizations state your circumstances. If you are from ajegunle 98% of your peers are from Ajegunle and your sample size will reflect the views of only those people you have access to. If you are a graduate from a middle class background, your 98% will represent the views of those in your circle. So throwing these figures around without context is misleading. A project manager earning £150k pa has a different view from a care worker on minimum wage. A project manager may feel my mates in Nigeria are directors and CEOS whereas a care worker may be grateful he is able to do care work have electricity, running water and eat McDonald’s.

You can't survive on $1k per month in the cheapest city in the US except you don't pay rent, utilities or taxes and you split groceries bills.

Great100000:
Source: https://nairametrics.com/2025/10/24/who-lives-better-income-of-n1-5m-in-nigeria-or-1k-in-the-us/

1.5m monthly..I go no where. I will just go on vacation..save up and partner with like minds to build good businesses..

casualobserver:
I used 98% in response to the 98% in your post I responded to.

So when you ask me to be scientific, you first be scientific. The 98% was from you.

Well, not a fan of back and forth and it seems we've hit a road block. If you think I'm the one that started the 98% talk then Lol.

The very first post I quoted had this 5) 98% wish they could come back

That's where the whole convo started from but don't worry man. Have a nice day chief.

Give me 1.5m in Nigeria. I'll be saving at least 500k monthly even though I will be grappling with dirty environment, bad roads, insecurity and poor power supply....

Chukwuisgreat:
Wicked people has come o

You get mind talk say your Driver dey earn 80k and Chef 50k.

If chef put otapiapia inside him food now.... He nor go remember say he don sow bad seed
...he go dey claim "I gave him a job, yet he repaid my kindness with evil"

Great100000:
Source: https://nairametrics.com/2025/10/24/who-lives-better-income-of-n1-5m-in-nigeria-or-1k-in-the-us/

1.5m in the zoo will serve better outside security risk. Apart from security, give me 1.5m. However, if mistakenly bandits hand touch you. Your own don be

yaksdavirus:
He didn't say he earns $1k currently in the us. Learn to read between lines

the comparison is wack and not correlate at all. Person earning 1k$ for usa 🇺🇸 is a low Person. Like someone hustling to survive. But Person earning salary of 1.5 million in nigeria is a boss of a company. So d comparison is wack.