₦airaland Forum

You sound like one of those benefiting from the insanely corrupt broken and dysfunctional system.
Really The system is working like it was designed to?
Guess it's now a crime to expect the barest minimum from Nigeria and nobody dare complain cos the truth mustn't be let out.

What offence did the OP commit that angers you so much?

Kaczynski:
airports everywhere outside of east asia and nordic countries are turd holes, lagos is just more honest about it. the system isn't broken, it's working exactly as designed. you brought your kid into nigeria expecting some fairy tale instead got slapped with reality and now you writing a manifesto. congrats you discovered that nigeria isn't switzerland. did you think the airport staff were going to sing kumbaya and hand out free viagra samples? the trolley guys are hustling because that's the economy. you want change? go be a political leader instead of crying on a forum. and that guy extorting you? classic nigerian entrepreneur, persistence is a feature not a bug. if you can't handle 40 minutes of mild harassment, you are not cut out for the motherland. you stay abroad and spare us this novel.

MasterTeeUSA:
I do not get all these lamentations. In Berlin, you have to pay for trolley. If you dont have 1 Euro coin, you have no ways to get one and you are stuck. In US, for a 30 mins trip, plan to pay over $60 which is close to N80k. You waited for luggage...well I waited for luggages in Gatwick and at Dulles Airport...heaven did not fall.

Maybe you are not matured enough to travel with a child or travel at all. We do not sing all these Songs of Lamentations abroad. Even Flights get delayed like crazy...no one goes into a tirade. It is when we get to Nigeria that we act like everything is perfect abroad. Free buses from airport...in what country...maybe within the airport but even at Heathrow, there are no free buses from airport Lol.

Thank God some of us have traveled, else people like you will paint a fake picture.

1 euro coin you would get back if you had returned the cart

I don't know what OP wants me to do with this information, what exactly do you want?

Frankly the OP raised valid concerns. Some of us are just addressing the immediate personal solutions to the general chaos.

We can do better as a nation in terms of basic standards.

Greattha:
You sound like one of those benefiting from the insanely corrupt broken and dysfunctional system.
Really The system is working like it was designed to?
Guess it's now a crime to expect the barest minimum from Nigeria and nobody dare complain cos the truth mustn't be let out.

What offence did the OP commit that angers you so much?

Wait o! Am I seeing this correctly or do I need glasses?

Some unfortunate souls are blaming the OP and even defending a broken system?

Shuo! Have you people taken leave of your senses? How can anyone in his right senses support such suffering?

Berankis:
This is one of the people aiding the destruction of this country. They are the people supporting and defending the Political Embezzlers, encouraging extortions all over the place. These are the people who find it difficult to respect others or respect the rule of law. You start hearing statements like "you loose-guard" and all those nonsense. They have grown to embrace slavery, suffering, poverty, dysfunctional society and a highly corrupt system as a norm and would want to force others to accept same.
A Nigerian living abroad came back after several years being away and was metted with disappointments (which we have been forced accept as the standard) and yet, you don't want him to express his displeasure.
These are the kinds of people that arrest others and imprison them just for expressing their opinions.

That she can't get good hotel? Tell me another thing

ravensckar:
Wait o! Am I seeing this correctly or do I need glasses?

Some unfortunate souls are blaming the OP and even defending a broken system?

Shuo! Have you people taken leave of your senses? How can anyone in his right senses support such suffering?

Which suffering? Most of the things that she listed there are self inflicted.
Hot whether, No government should put AC in open space to cool down the sun.
You went to a place like Yàba/Tejuosho and complaining that there too many crowd! What are you defending?

Lifestone:
Which suffering? Most of the things that she listed there are self inflicted.
Hot whether, No government should put AC in open space to cool down the sun.
You went to a place like Yàba/Tejuosho and complaining that there too many crowd! What are you defending?

The extortion at the airport, the lack of social amenities in the country, the absence of emergency services, the epileptic power supply, etc. Should I go on? Are the things not enough to provoke a reaction from the citizens to the government?

Perhaps, we've come to accept suffering as a Nigerian way of life.

O boy! Na every day Nigerians dey shock me o.

#Picks_tooth

Kaczynski:
airports everywhere outside of east asia and nordic countries are turd holes, lagos is just more honest about it. the system isn't broken, it's working exactly as designed. you brought your kid into nigeria expecting some fairy tale instead got slapped with reality and now you writing a manifesto. congrats you discovered that nigeria isn't switzerland. did you think the airport staff were going to sing kumbaya and hand out free viagra samples? the trolley guys are hustling because that's the economy. you want change? go be a political leader instead of crying on a forum. and that guy extorting you? classic nigerian entrepreneur, persistence is a feature not a bug. if you can't handle 40 minutes of mild harassment, you are not cut out for the motherland. you stay abroad and spare us this novel.

Bro so all the conditions you reeled out and expect the OP to embrace is normal and in keeping with the reality in developed countries?

Unfortunately, you missed the essence in OP's story.

MasterTeeUSA:
I do not get all these lamentations. In Berlin, you have to pay for trolley. If you dont have 1 Euro coin, you have no ways to get one and you are stuck. In US, for a 30 mins trip, plan to pay over $60 which is close to N80k. You waited for luggage...well I waited for luggages in Gatwick and at Dulles Airport...heaven did not fall.

Maybe you are not matured enough to travel with a child or travel at all. We do not sing all these Songs of Lamentations abroad. Even Flights get delayed like crazy...no one goes into a tirade. It is when we get to Nigeria that we act like everything is perfect abroad. Free buses from airport...in what country...maybe within the airport but even at Heathrow, there are no free buses from airport Lol.

Thank God some of us have traveled, else people like you will paint a fake picture.

How long was the wait for the luggage at Dulles? That said, since MM2 got burnt and the plane has to park far away from the point of entry, getting one's luggage is now very very difficult. It takes well over an hour which isn't fair.

Basic123:
Which country did you fly from?



HOW OLD IS THE COUNTRY?


How did the country look like at 60th year of independence?

What is the country annual budget?

What is the country population?


(Hope you are not comparing country with the budget of 1trillion dollars for 80million people to country with budget of 40billion dollars for 250million people)

You people should stop this nonsense and mentality.
How old is South Africa?
How old is Rwanda?
Think about it?
We have a lot of terrible people in this.
This is a country people would ask you for financial help, they'll tell you it's like a matter of life and death, after you help them, they'll refuse to pay back.
The problem of Nigeria is Nigerians

Ana2022:
Let me begin my story.

My flight arrived in Nigeria, and I was traveling with my little one—his first time in the country. He was so excited, expecting a beautiful experience like what he is used to abroad. Sadly, that expectation didn’t last long.

We arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. I had heard that the airport had improved and that corruption had reduced, but what I experienced was worse than what I saw many years ago. Honestly, it’s not just about renovating the airport—the entire system and the people working there need serious reform. I will come back to that later.

At immigration, they started questioning my child’s nationality. Thankfully, I had already obtained a Nigerian passport for him, which reduced the stress a bit. Still, the process felt unnecessary and uncomfortable. Officers kept referring to him as “oyinbo,” and he was just smiling innocently, thinking he was in a welcoming place.

Then came the luggage situation. We waited for over an hour—along with many other passengers. It honestly felt like the staff handling the luggage had gone on a long break. While we were waiting, different people kept approaching me, offering “help” I didn’t ask for.

At the baggage area, it felt more like a marketplace than an airport. Trolleys that should be free were not. You either had to pay to use one or pay someone about 2,000 naira to help you carry your bags. Imagine that—inside an international airport.

At some point, a kind fellow traveler gave me an extra trolley ticket for free—God bless her. Meanwhile, one man kept insisting on helping me despite me clearly saying I could manage on my own. It started to feel like harassment. I had no freedom of movement. At one point, I even lied that I needed to use the restroom just to get away from him. I moved to another area, but after 40 minutes of still waiting for my luggage, he found me again.

Eventually, after more than an hour, the luggage arrived. I carried everything myself.

My family was waiting outside. I had intentionally kept my arrival low-key, otherwise friends would have come to pick me up. I assumed I could simply order an Uber or Bolt, or perhaps take an airport shuttle or government bus like I’m used to abroad.

But that wasn’t the case.

Instead, I was told I could only use the private taxis available at the airport. The price? Starting from 40,000 naira for just a 30-minute trip. I was completely shocked. We had no real choice—the heat alone was overwhelming, almost unbearable. It felt like standing in fire. We were literally pouring water on ourselves just to cope.

In the end, we entered the taxi, and it took us to our hotel—which was also very expensive compare to smiliar ones around same area.

And that was just the beginning of our experience...

Welcome to Banana Republic

I took my time to go through your write-up, and I’m honestly disappointed in myself for wasting my time reading such a long epistle that carried little meaningful substance.

1. You mentioned your unpleasant experience at the hotel you lodged in. From your description, it is obvious you booked a low-budget hotel yet expected premium or luxury services. That alone says a lot about your expectations and financial judgment. As someone living in Nigeria, I would never consider lodging my family in such a hotel. God forbid.

2. You also complained about the environment in Lagos. Let’s be realistic — there is no country in the world without underdeveloped or poorly maintained areas. Every nation has its own rough sides.

3. You further claimed you were compelled to use airport taxis. I strongly disagree with that. As someone who travels frequently both within and outside Nigeria, whenever I have a trip, I always research available transportation options ahead of time. Most countries today have multiple ride-hailing services such as Uber, Bolt, Lyft, DiDi, and others.

Lastly, as Nigerians 🇳🇬, we should learn to celebrate and support our own. Things may not be perfect yet, but that does not mean there is no hope for improvement. Better days will come.

HacheNoire:
What’s has the Great APC got to do with the topic at hand?

If you cannot summarize, why then quote me?

the useless apc has a lot do with the current epileptic situation of Nigeria

OBTOREPA:
You speaks like one of those airports worker.
A possible one problem of Nigeria spotted!

Exactly

Ana2022:
Hello everyone,

I recently took a short trip to Nigeria, and I feel deeply saddened by what I experienced. I want to speak honestly to young people, middle-aged individuals, married couples—everyone. Please, don’t let anyone deceive you into thinking that “there is nothing abroad.” That statement is simply not true.

It’s difficult for me to even talk about this because of how heavy it feels. In Nigeria, there is a strong belief that money is everything. But I’ve come to realize that true quality of life goes far beyond wealth. Things like security, basic amenities, good healthcare, and decent roads—these are fundamental human needs, and they matter more than just having money.

Millions of people in Nigeria are struggling every day, and it’s heartbreaking. What makes it even more painful is that many of the leaders travel abroad, see better systems and living conditions, yet allow their own citizens to endure such hardship.

My brothers and sisters, think about your future. Think about your old age and the generations that will come after you. Try to find opportunities in places where you can build a better life. Nigeria, as it stands, is not working the way it should, and we must not ignore that reality.

Let me share my experience with you…

Sorry about your child's experience. But why embark on a journey to a malarial endemic region like Nigeria, bringing a malarial naive child without anticipating an incidence.
Emergency services in Nigeria is terrible depending on your location.
For purpose of next time, anticipate malaria. Take prophylaxis and procure treatment over the counter for first aid.
Pls take your child for proper treatment, not iced block or pcm. Malaria in people like him is usually considered severe as the immune systemnis mot used to it.

"Things like security, basic amenities, good healthcare, and decent roads—these are fundamental human needs, and they matter more than just having money."

All of these things cost money!! Sorry you had a bad experience in your homeland, but nothing is free, it all comes from taxes paid by the citizens. If all your resources are outsourced and the citizens don't pay into infrastructure expect less

Ana2022:
Now, back to the main reason I am writing all of this.

What I experienced has deeply affected me. To be honest, I feel ashamed to call myself a Nigerian citizen right now. This journey has opened my eyes in a way I cannot ignore. I now truly appreciate the countries abroad that have given me opportunities, stability, and a better quality of life. Things I once complained about, I now see differently. May God continue to bless those nations.

What I saw was in Lagos—I cannot speak for other states—but what I witnessed there was overwhelming.

I visited both wealthy and poorer areas, and I was left speechless. This is 2026, yet there is still no reliable 24-hour electricity. The roads are even worse than how I left them many years ago. Everywhere, I saw young children selling goods on the streets—even inside buses. These are children who should be at home, resting or in school, not out working in unsafe conditions, day and night.

Seeing them broke my heart.

The transportation system was another shock. Many of the buses on the road are in terrible condition and should not even be operating. On one occasion, we entered a bus during the rain, and water was leaking heavily inside onto passengers. It felt unreal—like something out of a nightmare.

The constant noise—especially in the markets—was overwhelming. It was nonstop, from morning until night. At times, it felt like my head couldn’t rest, as if there was continuous drumming around me 24 hours a day.

I also noticed exposed wires along the roads, and it wasn’t even clear whether they were live or not, yet people walked around them as if it was normal.

Crossing the road was another challenge entirely. I stood at pedestrian crossings expecting cars to stop—but they didn’t. Sometimes, we were nearly hit. I even saw a zebra crossing connected to a raised concrete divider so high that it made no sense—how is anyone supposed to cross safely?

I tried using pedestrian bridges instead, but many of them were damaged, poorly maintained, or completely abandoned. It honestly felt unsafe to use them. I just kept hoping no one would fall or get seriously hurt one day.

When it rained, the flooding was everywhere. Roads became almost impassable.

One day, I decided to go alone to Yaba Market. That experience was overwhelming. I could barely breathe. The area around Tejuosho Market felt extremely congested, loud, and chaotic. The noise, the crowd, the heat—it was too much. I honestly don’t know how people cope working in those conditions every single day. No one should have to live or work like that.

I also couldn’t ignore the sheer number of people struggling—working tirelessly, carrying heavy loads under intense heat, just to survive. It made me wonder how much the population has grown, because the pressure on daily life is clearly immense.

And then I thought about the elderly… where do they fit in all of this? What support is there for them? It seems like once you grow old, the system expects your children to take full responsibility. But what happens to those who don’t have that support?

The reality is painful. There is little visible structure to support the most vulnerable—children, the elderly, and those who are sick.

It is deeply concerning.

There is still so much more I want to say… I will continue later.

But one thing is clear: please, do not be misled into thinking everything is working. There are serious challenges that cannot be ignored.

AI written

Kaczynski:
airports everywhere outside of east asia and nordic countries are turd holes, lagos is just more honest about it. the system isn't broken, it's working exactly as designed. you brought your kid into nigeria expecting some fairy tale instead got slapped with reality and now you writing a manifesto. congrats you discovered that nigeria isn't switzerland. did you think the airport staff were going to sing kumbaya and hand out free viagra samples? the trolley guys are hustling because that's the economy. you want change? go be a political leader instead of crying on a forum. and that guy extorting you? classic nigerian entrepreneur, persistence is a feature not a bug. if you can't handle 40 minutes of mild harassment, you are not cut out for the motherland. you stay abroad and spare us this novel.

You are replying AI.😅
There's no human behind the story. It really doesn't take much to see it

MasterTeeUSA:
Next time, do you research about hotels...even in the USA, I have stayed in hotels with peeled ceilings, bad customer service...one even told us to come to the lobby to pick our own towels and new bedsheets. Sadly I had to stay in that hotel because the event we went for...that was the recommended hotel. I will pick Marriott over others.

Do your research well, pay for a great experience and you shall have it. I stay in an affordable solar complimented building when I am in Nigeria. Are they perfect? No, because I know I am not paying for luxury. If you want top experience, some hotels will set you back about N200k to N300k a night. Can we stop all these Nigeria is terrible stories?

Are you saying Nigeria is not terrible?
Yes it is good to be patriotic but the fact remains that the country is terrible for the average person, but ofcourse if you are rich you can use money to blind out some of the frustrations. Eg you can pay alot for a top tier hotel, you can run generators at 2k per liter of diesel, you can get an armored car with armed security to guarantee your freedom of movement. But for the average Nigerian it is a shit hole never to be compared with most basic countries, go look at videos of Iran, despite all the sanctions the bombing etc they still have steady electricity. Oga in my premises today alone I have blown 200k on diesel and counting, by tomorrow morning if they do not bring electricity consider it another 200k, that is our reality on ground.
I agree with you that 40k is nothing for a 30min ride, especially for someone comming from abroad, it is a little over £20, if I remember right gatwick to east London cost me £70 by Uber, so 40k naira should be nothing.
Also the op must have stayed in cheap run downed hotel probably due to finances. If as a Nigerian based abroad you are visiting naija the least you should budget for hotel stay per night is 80k and above, you do not go come and want to stay in a 10, 20k run downed hotel then expect to get service from Marriott. Even basic budget hotels like Holliday iin express, premier inn, travel lodge etc go for minimum £50 daily and since it is not to my taste I look elseware. I think op visited naija on a very lean budget.

Hian

SamuraiXXX:
Those airport guys that are always begging travellers for money, so annoying

The ones that beg in airport are even decent compared to the ones that approach us at bus stop. Those ones are criminals that can rob at any instance

MasterTeeUSA:
I do not get all these lamentations. In Berlin, you have to pay for trolley. If you dont have 1 Euro coin, you have no ways to get one and you are stuck. In US, for a 30 mins trip, plan to pay over $60 which is close to N80k. You waited for luggage...well I waited for luggages in Gatwick and at Dulles Airport...heaven did not fall.

Maybe you are not matured enough to travel with a child or travel at all. We do not sing all these Songs of Lamentations abroad. Even Flights get delayed like crazy...no one goes into a tirade. It is when we get to Nigeria that we act like everything is perfect abroad. Free buses from airport...in what country...maybe within the airport but even at Heathrow, there are no free buses from airport Lol.

Thank God some of us have traveled, else people like you will paint a fake picture.

Christlike01:
You didn't supply any information about the country you flew in from. Everything about your story is sketchy. It all seems like a calculated attempt to demarket Nigeria, especially Lagos. Trust me, there are so many holes in your concorted story— e no add up, man! What you painted is not Nigeria,and definitely that's not my Lagos. Try harder next time!

It is a totally AI story. Notice how he/she hasn't responded to anyone.

Seun hire people who can weed out AI stories!

Ana2022:
Now, back to the main reason I am writing all of this.

What I experienced has deeply affected me. To be honest, I feel ashamed to call myself a Nigerian citizen right now. This journey has opened my eyes in a way I cannot ignore. I now truly appreciate the countries abroad that have given me opportunities, stability, and a better quality of life. Things I once complained about, I now see differently. May God continue to bless those nations.

What I saw was in Lagos—I cannot speak for other states—but what I witnessed there was overwhelming.

I visited both wealthy and poorer areas, and I was left speechless. This is 2026, yet there is still no reliable 24-hour electricity. The roads are even worse than how I left them many years ago. Everywhere, I saw young children selling goods on the streets—even inside buses. These are children who should be at home, resting or in school, not out working in unsafe conditions, day and night.

Seeing them broke my heart.

The transportation system was another shock. Many of the buses on the road are in terrible condition and should not even be operating. On one occasion, we entered a bus during the rain, and water was leaking heavily inside onto passengers. It felt unreal—like something out of a nightmare.

The constant noise—especially in the markets—was overwhelming. It was nonstop, from morning until night. At times, it felt like my head couldn’t rest, as if there was continuous drumming around me 24 hours a day.

I also noticed exposed wires along the roads, and it wasn’t even clear whether they were live or not, yet people walked around them as if it was normal.

Crossing the road was another challenge entirely. I stood at pedestrian crossings expecting cars to stop—but they didn’t. Sometimes, we were nearly hit. I even saw a zebra crossing connected to a raised concrete divider so high that it made no sense—how is anyone supposed to cross safely?

I tried using pedestrian bridges instead, but many of them were damaged, poorly maintained, or completely abandoned. It honestly felt unsafe to use them. I just kept hoping no one would fall or get seriously hurt one day.

When it rained, the flooding was everywhere. Roads became almost impassable.

One day, I decided to go alone to Yaba Market. That experience was overwhelming. I could barely breathe. The area around Tejuosho Market felt extremely congested, loud, and chaotic. The noise, the crowd, the heat—it was too much. I honestly don’t know how people cope working in those conditions every single day. No one should have to live or work like that.

I also couldn’t ignore the sheer number of people struggling—working tirelessly, carrying heavy loads under intense heat, just to survive. It made me wonder how much the population has grown, because the pressure on daily life is clearly immense.

And then I thought about the elderly… where do they fit in all of this? What support is there for them? It seems like once you grow old, the system expects your children to take full responsibility. But what happens to those who don’t have that support?

The reality is painful. There is little visible structure to support the most vulnerable—children, the elderly, and those who are sick.

It is deeply concerning.

There is still so much more I want to say… I will continue later.

But one thing is clear: please, do not be misled into thinking everything is working. There are serious challenges that cannot be ignored.

You didn't supply any information about the country you flew in from. Everything about your story is sketchy. It all seems like a calculated attempt to demarket Nigeria, especially Lagos. Trust me, there are so many holes in your concorted story— e no add up, man! What you painted is not Nigeria,and definitely that's not my Lagos. Try harder next time!

@OP
Na wa for this level of negativity on a trip to Nigeria. You probably didn't plan well. There are so many good hotels. Google is your friend for appropriate searches including reviews. Foreigners come and enjoy themselves.

As for the heat, it's not unexpected. Depending on which country you came from, there are places abroad that are very hot at some times of the year. I remember being in London with temperature at 40° during summer. Dallas, Texas and Florida can also be very hot during summer. Anyone who wants to visit Nigeria when the weather is a bit cool should come during the rainy season.

Abuja airport is better by the way. You also get a free train ride from the airport to town.

LabStores:
You people should stop this nonsense and mentality.
How old is South Africa?
How old is Rwanda?
Think about it?
We have a lot of terrible people in this.
This is a country people would ask you for financial help, they'll tell you it's like a matter of life and death, after you help them, they'll refuse to pay back.
The problem of Nigeria is Nigerians

Was it only Age the factors listed up there.
That is how you people fail exams
Have you checked the annual budget of SouthAfrica and the country population(budget population ratio)? Have you ever in your life compared it that of Nigeria?

No wonder you always get dissapointed whenever politician promise you heaven and heart and they get their only to mess up.

This guy added sugar and salt for this his story

The only thing that's killing Nigeria is corruption.

I must say this story is fabricated and not true. Or probably it's a 5yrs to 10yrs ago story.

Christlike01:
You didn't supply any information about the country you flew in from. Everything about your story is sketchy. It all seems like a calculated attempt to demarket Nigeria, especially Lagos. Trust me, there are so many holes in your concorted story— e no add up, man! What you painted is not Nigeria,and definitely that's not my Lagos. Try harder next time!

Thank God I have a witness here...the story is full of lies. 5 stars hotel even full Ikeja. Radisson, Sheraton, protea e.tc.
He talks about bad road. I cant remember the last time I witness bad road in Lagos. Alot of concrete and interlock road everywhere.

MartinCorridon:
That's what annoys me the most. The reason Blacks are ALWAYS at the bottom.

German and Japan were crushed during the World War 2.

They rose to the very top again. Because the people didn't run.

ONLY Blacks feel Japa is a solution.

Few have brains like that Yoruba Dr from Johns Hopkins who chose to come back and do things.

They usually just come and complain.

I am currently in Europe and all I can think of is how to return and implement what I learnt there.

When I stayed here for more than a month, I understood the perspective of racists. How can you respect Blacks who hardly contribute anything to humanity ? And it's not a Nigerian problem... Many Africans are like this. We are just unique because we abuse our country the most.

Martin Corridon... Mallory