Enonymous

One year is a long time to wait on a passport. Do you have a US passport? If you do, consider flying to Brasilia, Brazil to get it done. Same day service, with no extra charge.

Not sure what state you're in, but the cost of flights + DC hotel rates might be about the same as the cost of a flight + hotel in Brasilia. Except with Brasilia, you can book an appointment for tomorrow, get the passport in a few hours and go home.

I did a renewal in Brasilia last year. I wrote about it here. Check my profile.

This has nothing to do with Nigeria. I was in S. A for about 2 months, last year.
South Africa has been experiencing a major power outage issue for an extended period, which they term "load shedding." During load shedding hours, which are published by the power outage companies, the power goes out for 2-3 hours. It happens nearly every day.

It's the equivalent of what was termed "rationing" in Nigeria a long time ago. South Africans are fed up with the power outage issue, and this video is simply a humorous show of that frustration.

donogaga:


Thanks boss.

I want to go for holiday in Brasil, I will use the opportunity to get a new passport there since I can get it same day. That makes sense.

As long as you were planning to also visit Brasilia on your trip. Otherwise, the total cost might outweigh the benefit, if you're based in Nigeria.
For anyone based outside Nigeria, it might be okay.

I say that for two reasons:

1. Brasilia generally isn't a very exciting place, so your vacation will most likely be to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo or maybe Florianopolis.
This means you'll have to make a detour to Brasilia, at an additional cost of flights + accommodation for at least 1 night.

2. The cost of renewal outside Nigeria is significantly more than in Nigeria.
I can't remember the exact cost, but I believe the immigration fee + admin fee was in the $150 range.

donogaga:



Quite impressive.

Could you please send me the address of the Naija Embassy in Brazil?

It's at Lote 5, SEN Av das Nacoes, 70800 - 400. Asa Norte, Brasilia

Their number is +55 61 2106-0050

I saw a thread on the front page a few days ago, titled "Can This Happen At Nigerian Embassies?"

The thread had a pic depicting a lady's social media post about getting an emergency US passport in a few hours, at a US embassy.
In that thread, the overarching sentiment of posts was - that could never happen at a Nigerian embassy.

Well, the definitive answer is.. YES, it can and it does.
I know this, because I did it only 3 months ago. A standard Nigerian passport renewal, not an emergency passport like thaty lady got.
And no, I'm not talking about any "back doors" or "greasing" any palms.

I responded in that thread, but felt it's also relevant to emphasize it in detail in a new thread. Nigeria is incredibly incompetent at most things, but once in a while, something works. As they say, even a broken clock is correct once a day.


Just for context, I travel with a US passport, but use my Nigerian passport when going to Nigeria, or some African countries.
I've renewed my US and Nigerian passports in multiple countries (as I travel quite a bit), so I've had some experience with both.

From the screenshot in that previous thread, it's clear the lady was NOT in the US when she got the emergency passport. In the US, we don't go to an "embassy" to get a passport, as "US embassies" don't exist in... the US. The emergency passport is no big deal and comes with only 5 or 6 pages, so you still need a standard renewal when you get home.

Also, the current estimated time for a US passport within the US is 11 weeks, and the "rush" service is 5-7 weeks. There has been a lot of passport backlog, similar to the situation in Nigeria, but it's a bit better now, I believe. I renewed my US passport in Argentina last year, and got it in about 2 weeks.

Anyway, I went to Brasilia, Brazil 3 months ago, to renew my Nigerian passport, as that was the only passport-issuing location in the region I was traveling. I first visited the Nigerian embassy in Argentina and was told they don't produce passports, but I could get it in Brazil on the same day. I was very skeptical of that information, because... Nigeria.

As it turns out, the entire process from getting there, to receiving my new passport was a few hours. It wasn't some emergency passport either. It was a standard passport. I paid online > booked an appointment > went there. Paid an administrative fee > did the capturing and walked out with my new passport all in 2-3 hours. I was literally the only person being attended to at the Nigerian embassy, though. It was empty, except about 4-6 embassy staff I saw. The guy who attended to me was also very polite and professional (something lacking in most Nigerian operations).

So, not only can you get your international passport at a Nigerian embassy in a few hours, it's a permanent passport - not an emergency one. Shout out to the Nigerian embassy in Brasilia, Brazil. The embassy in New York is a different story. Took me many months and headaches to renew there, in 2017.

The attached image is from a video I took outside the Nigerian embassy, in Brazil.

The definitive answer is.. YES.
I know this, because I did it only 3 months ago. A standard passport renewal, not an emergency passport like this lady got.

For context, I travel with a US passport, but use my Nigerian passport when going to Nigeria, or some African countries.
I've renewed both my US and Nigerian passports in multiple countries (as I travel quite a bit), so I've had some experience with this.

From the OP's image, it's clear the lady was NOT in the US at the time of getting the emergency passport. In the US, we don't go to an "embassy" to get a passport, as "US embassies" don't exist in... the US.

I was in a US embassy in a South American country last year, to renew my US passport, and met people getting emergency passports. It's no big deal. The emergency one comes with only 5 or 6 pages, so you still need a standard renewal when you get home. I was there for a standard renewal, for a larger 50-page booklet, as I had enough time (2-3 weeks). So mine clearly wasn't same-day.

All that said, I went to Brasilia, Brazil 3 months ago, to renew my Nigerian passport, as that was the only passport-issuing location in the region I was traveling. The entire process from getting there, to receiving my new passport was a few hours. It wasn't some emergency passport either. It was a standard passport.

I paid online, booked an appointment, went there. Paid an administrative fee, did the capturing and walked out with my new passport all in 2-3 hours. I was literally the only person being attended to at the Nigerian embassy, though. It was empty, except for about 4-6 embassy staff I saw.

Not only can you get your international passport at a Nigerian embassy in a few hours, it's a permanent passport - not an emergency one. So shout out to the embassy in Brasilia, Brazil. The embassy in New York is a different story. Took me many months to renew there, in 2017.

The attached image is from a video I took outside the Nigerian embassy, in Brasilia, Brazil.

I have no recent encounter with the New York office, but they seem generally incompetent, and that's one rundown office. I did a renewal there in 2017, as I needed to visit naija, and certainly won't apply for a naija visa. 2-3 months later, it was one excuse after another. Their booklet production machine was always broken back then. Managed to get it in about 3 months.

The most efficient Nigerian passport renewal I've done was a few months ago, in Brasilia, Brazil. Entire process took a few hours. Paid online, made an appointment, showed up at the embassy for capture and they produced the passport immediately. I was literally the only non-staff at the embassy, so I guess that explains the speed.

elonmuskbaby

I haven't been to Cape Coast, but I spent about 2 months in Accra, very recently.
You'll likely be in Accra at some point, so I'll provide some details about it.
I have nothing against Ghana or the people. Many of my friends in the US are Ghanaian.

My honest opinion is, Accra is highly unremarkable as a city, and overpriced (for what it is).
I've spent time in many countries and Accra has one of the worst value, for money spent. Especially airbnb accommodation.

That said, your question is about "fun places." Everyone's definition of fun is different, so you'll need to be more specific.
If fun for you is tourist sites/activities, well, there are only a few of those in Accra:

Black Star Gate and Black Star Square:
This is what someone referenced as Independence Square earlier. It's a monument with a black star on it.
The square beside is the equivalent of Nigeria's Eagle Square, in Abuja.

People only go there to take pictures at the Black Star Gate. Nothing else happens there, in general, except there's an event.
It's free to access.

Osu Castle:
The Osu Castle is a historic castle related to the slave trade. However, it has recently been closed to public access.
You won't be able to get in there anymore. When we went, we were turned back.

The city beaches: Labadi Beach & Laboma Beach:
The good part is these beaches can be lively, with a lot of people and activities. Bars/restaurants, ATV-riding, horse-riding etc.
There are also several nice beach clubs, like Sandbox and Polo on Labadi beach, and there's Alora on Laboma beach.

The bad part is these beaches are the dirtiest I've seen in my entire life, and of the 100+ beaches I've been. Actual garbage on the sand and in the water. Especially at the far ends. The water is heavily polluted and has rip tides, making swimming dangerous. For a cleaner beach experience, you'll need to travel far out of Accra. Cape Coast likely has much better to offer for beaches.

Nightlife:
Accra definitely has a lot of nightlife activities, like bars, clubs, lounges etc. They're mostly concentrated around the Osu area of the city, on and off the main street called Oxford Street.
Drinks aren't expensive, per se. A small stout beer, for instance is typically about 25-50 cedis, depending where you are.
You can look up the menu of most places, on their Google Maps page.

Food:
There's a bit of variety in Accra. Food can be pricey (for West Africa), depending on where you eat. Like once, I paid 2000 cedis, for a meal for 5 people. Nothing out of the ordinary, just grilled chicken + rice/salad, lamb + rice/salad etc, and some juices. It was a restaurant called Persia, I think. Osu area.

One of the nice restaurants for local food is called Buka, in Osu. It's a pretty big Nigerian restaurant, but they serve most Ghanaian local dishes too. Their prices aren't bad. For instance, egusi + pounded yam and a drink, for 2, runs around 300 cedis. That's about N24,000. That might sound expensive to some, but wait till you get to Accra. As with any country, there are definitely places you can eat for less though.


Overall, Accra is not a very developed city, so keep your expectations in check. It's exactly what you'd expect of a typical West African city.
There are a few neighborhoods like Labone, Cantonments and North Ridge, which are similar to Abuja. Outside of those areas, the rest of the city is comparable to places in Nigeria like Zaria, Makurdi, Enugu, Ibadan etc.

NOTE: This thread is not about politics and which government or party is good or bad. Please avoid engaging that.
This is about root causes, and how Nigeria can possibly emerge from the current state it lies.

Anyone with basic education who has traveled a bit, should recognize that Nigeria has the financial capacity to be much better than it is.
A lot of comments in a thread I saw today - "Why Do Most Nigeria Streets Look Like This?" tells me Nigerians are slowly starting to blame the right things for the general condition and underdevelopment of Nigeria.

In that spirit, I'll add a few thoughts. I could write an entire book about this, but I value my time, so I'll keep it short.

Contrary to popular claims, the root cause of the shameful state of Nigeria is NOT as simple as:

- Bad Government: It is a result of a collective rot in the citizenry. Nearly everyone, top to bottom fuels corruption in their own way. It just so happens some of the citizens eventually become the government. You can't scoop clean water out of a bucket of polluted water.

- Lack of Funds: Nigeria's federal income has had many periods of significant surplus. 100% of the time, it has been looted.
Deposit 10 trillion dollars into the federal account today, and nothing will change in society (except looters getting fatter).
So any policies geared toward increased revenue in Nigeria is a waste of time, if the people don't collectively stop having a looting culture.

- Colonialism: Does colonialism have its effects? Yes, slightly. However, anyone still blaming colonialism for the state of Nigeria, while exonerating thieves robbing them blind deserves it. If Abacha was alive today, and returned to contest as a civilian ruler, he'd still get massive votes, after robbing the country with complete disregard. That is the paradox of the Nigerian polity.

It's like if a man broke into your family house at night and raped your mom and sister. The next morning, the community decides to hire a security man, and you nominate the rapist for the security job. This is what Nigerians have been doing repeatedly for decades and expecting positive outcomes.

In other words, Nigerian "leaders," the entire chain of command AND the citizens are directly responsible for keeping Nigeria in its current state. The colonial masters have mostly pulled out of the pillaging. So direct the blame where it truly belongs.

frog12:
@ram-a-lot, good to hear from you. na true those madmen actually were found in brazil ??

I saw this story a few days. Yes, the story is true. You can look it up on reputable news sources, like Reuters.

There seems to be a lot of ignorance here about Brazil. Brazil is not the US, but it's not remotely Nigeria either.

I'm a US citizen, and currently spending 6 weeks in Brazil. I also spent about a year in Brazil, in 2020, as the pandemic hit. At the time, overstaying was permitted, because of the pandemic.

The development level of major Brazilian cities aren't nearly in the same league as Nigeria or any African country, except South Africa. A simple Google image search of Brazilian cities should offer you an idea.

Of course, there are many crappy neighborhoods and favelas, with high poverty and crime. In the same way, I can show you a bunch of slummy neighborhoods in the US with high crime.
The Brazilian economy has had major growth over the last 20 years, even though it has slowed down slightly.

Also, Brazil has a very strong passport. It gives you visa-free access to nearly 170 countries. For comparison, Nigeria's passport gets you to about 55 (mostly African countries).

For anyone who hasn't been to Brazil for at least a few weeks, you probably have a warped view of what it is like. So instead of making assumptions, it's better to look up some vital stats and info.

colonelwealth:



For me: my negative impression was the unnecessary fear for Nigerians.....this made me appreciate Nigerians for their welcoming attitude towards foreigners irrespective of nationality.


While my positive impression was the general contentment and ease with which life is approached.....this made me criticise our mindset of 'get everything by all means necessary " in Nigeria.

I'm hoping you realize how contradictory these two statements are, and how the second completely justifies the first.

It's perfectly logical for you to consider the cautious treatment Nigerians receive as a "negative impression." However, it's illogical to call it "unnecessary." The reality is, it's absolutely necessary, for the same reason you highlighted in your second statement.

While all Nigerians aren't criminals, the "average Nigerian" will attempt to take undue economic advantage of people and places, at the slightest opportunity. It doesn't matter if they're in Abuja or Abu Dhabi.

For general context, when I moved from Nigeria, Obasanjo was President. So it's been a while. I've done my fair share of traveling, which I spoke about a bit, here: https://www.nairaland.com/7484940/lived-visited-over-30-countries

@iqtest

Nice pics, but instead of copy/pasted descriptions, it would be more interesting if you provide personal insights/stories about the places in the pics, and your experience there.

I find Egyptian pyramids interesting and would like to visit (most likely in some months). I've climbed both the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon at Teotihuacan (Mexico), as well as all the smaller ones there. Pyramid of the Sun is only half the size of Giza, so I'd like to visit Giza as well.

Iqtest:
Pic 1&2
My accommodation la pacha resort
3&4
Night at sheraton street

You're most likely attaching images larger than 4 mb. Resize your pics with an online tool.

anutioluwa1:
Hello, i am a first year MBA student here in the University of Arkansas.
I have a program that i have to attend in Chile and i seriously dont know how to go about getting CHILE visa or if i will be needing it. Is there anybody that can put me through the processing?

You will have to get a visa, as I assume you're on a Nigerian passport.
Some countries allow you visit them if you have a valid US visa, but I doubt Chile is one of them.

Santiago, Chile is a nice enough city. I was there for two months.

Kolenda:
Please ramalot and others, I would appreciate a professional and experienced input/advice from everyone.
I did my undergraduate studies on a non-tech field(BSC Marketing). Being conscious of the age and time we are in pushed me to intern with a tech company on Digital Marketing and I'm good at what I do. My being in the tech company and seeing young guys like me fully in tech made me develop interest in Programming and honestly, I'm doing quite well and I'm constantly working on myself as we all know that programming requires constant practice.
Now, I have this desire to start working towards an MSC abroad. This is where I need your input please, would you advice I try out an MSC in a tech related field e.g. Software Engineering or I should go for an MSC in my undergraduate related field.
P.S. I am not planning on working on myself as regards the tech I've transitioned into and we all know that programming is all about what you can do and not really about certificates.
Please I need your responses/input/advice

I think this question is better-suited in one of the job/career sections of Nairaland, as this is a travel thread and I'd rather keep it that way.

However, I'd say get an MBA from a good business school, instead of an MSc in Marketing. If you keep improving your practical tech skills, in combination with an MBA, you'd be more formidable in the labor market, as a leader of both tech and marketing teams.

Suky01:
Please is it true that Argentines are realy racist. I've heard a lot about the country but since you mentioned that you are in argentina what's your experience like

Please read the thread. I've answered this a few times.

Konquest:

That's awesome!

What language translation devices have you used for learning Spanish and Portuguese in those LatAm countries?... Or did you enrol in a Spanish immersion program?

I love the fact that you have visited
Brazil. They are warm folks but things can head south fast if you are in the wrong hood or favelas of
Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and other cities where unsuspecting visitors could be robbed or brutally shot.

The very strong retention of the cultures, languages, and religions in Salvador, State of Bahia, of the Yorubas (of Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo and Benin), Angola and Congo due to the Trans-Atlantic deportation of Africans on slave schooners shows the triumph of the human spirit.


Happy 2023!

I used duolingo in learning the basics. However, nothing beats real-world use of a language. The more you speak a language with native speakers of that language, the better you get.

And no, I haven't been to Cuba. I've looked into it and honestly don't see much of an appeal. I'll consider a 3-5 day trip to Havana, but nothing more.

geraldo077:
Hi Ramalot,

This thread is the most informative and educative thread have read on Nairaland and I must commend how detailed you are in narrating your wonderful experience arround the world and also how civil your responses are generally. I'm really impressed we have great Nigerians like you.

I'm a legal professional residing in Abuja seeking to make that career transition to Tech in 2023 and also later travel around the world. Therefore, this thread is very timely and has given me much motivation and believe to start something today!!!

So my questions are?
1. What's the most amazing experience you've enjoyed travelling to the South American countries and How's Luxembourg like for a tourist?

2. How do you juggle work/life balance considering the fact you work remotely and also a tourist? Do you have daily time schedules you adhere to?

3. What's your advise to a first timer tech enthusiast seeking to build a career in Tech and what programs should he start with which can be economically rewarding?

4. Everyone usually thinks Brazilian ladies have big booties lol, from your thread it's obvious there are more obese ladies than curvy ones....what do you think changed them?

5. What's your worst travel experience and how did you deal with it?

Once again thanks for this fantastic thread, I'll be following you Sir.

Thanks.

1. Getting to meet some of the people at that event in Uruguay was certainly one of the highlights.
I haven't been to Luxembourg, so I really can't say. I know it's certainly not cheap though.

2. Work/life balance is great. As I detailed somewhere before, traveling the world isn't one massive extended tourist vacation, for me. Sure, my entire lifestyle is similar to a vacation, based on varying locations, but everyday life isn't.

I spend a lot of my time working at home, same as I would if I was back home, in the US. When you stay in a place for say 3 months, you've already seen the major attractions in a few days, and from then, life becomes relatively "normal," which is great. Trying to be in full-time tourist mode, wandering around all day is a recipe for burnout and low productivity.

3. Look into Data Analysis, Cyber Security, UI/UX Design, and any programming languages you can handle, if you want to challenge yourself with programming.

4. I talked on some of the reasons earlier in the thread, but it's a combination of an improved economy and diet changes. Since the average Brazilian has more money than 15-20 years ago, they've discovered a love for fast food, and can now afford it. So yeah, teletubbies everywhere in Rio.

5. I once missed my flight from Amsterdam to Bangkok, around midnight. Spent 24 hours at Schiphol airport, because I waited till morning, so I could have the airline re-issue my ticket in the morning. They refused to re-issue it, so I lost the ticket and had to buy a new one. Then I had to wait till the next flight, at midnight. So a full 24 hours of frustration and having to pay double for the flight.

This is certainly not the most dramatic event in my travels, but I'll leave it at this one.

Correspondence:
I have BSc and Msc in Geology. Please what tech can I switch to in order to earn more money and be to travel like you ?

I answered this a few times in the last few pages, so please go through them. The summary is Data Analysis, Cyber Security, UI/UX Design, any programming languages and more. Artificial Intelligence is the future, so look into any related field.

Since you already have a quantitative background, the transition shouldn't be hard, if your general computer skills are good.

flyinnizam:
I mean is it dollars you used everywhere or how do you convert your dollars?

In most places, I go to an ATM with my bank card and withdraw cash in their local currency, at the official rate.

Remember, unlike Nigeria, Argentina and some places with "black market" exchange rates alongside their inaccessible official rates, most countries have a single official rate. So changing dollars at currency exchange businesses in most countries will leave you with a worse rate than an ATM.

Blessiing:

good evening,pls is there anyway i can apply to relocate Abroad based on health issues?if yes would you be so kind to put me through the process or steps to take??thank you

Sorry about your health issues, but I have no information on this.

Hotty321:

Thanks for the response.. I discussed with a tech guy I know that I will like to learn data analysis from him and I told him I don't have science back ground but he suggested I should go for product management.. I don't know much about it.. can you tell me more about it and he said the product management be is also a tech

You're unlikely to be hired by any established company as a Project Manager, without significant management experience.

Once again, you don't need a science background to learn data analysis. You just need to be capable of analytical thinking and good with normal use of a computer. Most basic aspects of data analysis happens in Microsoft Excel and for larger databases, you'll go into querying tools.

Take time out and research these things online, and watch informative YouTube videos.

I don't know the OP, but I'll attempt to offer some perspective on a few things about this thread. I don't think the OP is up to anything shady, as some have suggested. However, the OP has certainly overstated several things.

The OP has done a good job documenting his journey, but too many people visit a place for a brief time, and make conclusively assertive statements, like "there is no racism in Russia." The more accurate statement is "I haven't experienced racism in Russia."

Just for context, I have only briefly transited Russia (about 6 hours in Moscow). However, my fiancee is native Russian (Slavic) and I'm Nigerian-American. We've lived together nearly 4 years, so she tells me a lot of firsthand things about Russia, from a native perspective.


A few things the OP has inadvertently overstated (by no ulterior motive of his, just a common thing people do):

1. Racism: I'm not someone who runs around yelling everything is racism, and I don't even watch TV news, so I have nearly zero media influence on my opinions. So is there racism in Russia? You bet your sweet ass, there is. Just like anywhere in the world, the majority of people are NOT racist. However, some native Russians have a significant racial prejudice against others. This isn't even mostly about blacks, as there aren't too many blacks in Russia.

The main victims of this racism and discrimination are from neighboring countries, like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan etc. My lady tells me a lot of stories of how people from those places are regularly harassed in the streets, on trains and such. Typically being told to go back to their countries, by random people, and how she felt bad for them, whenever she saw it happen.

2. Russian Police: Russian police in the grand scheme of things are better than Nigerian police, but that is a very low bar to set. However, Russian police are also very corrupt. People bribe them on the streets, just like Nigerian police. So once again, instead of "Russian police are as clean as a whistle and incorruptible," the accurate statement is "In my time in Russia, I have had only good experiences with the police."

3. Development: Yes, the big Russian cities are developed. However, the "real Russia" is a lot of underdeveloped towns and villages, with dirt roads and babushkas everywhere. Russia is certainly much more developed than Nigeria, but also faces significant poverty and underdevelopment in its rural areas.


I also see a lot of people talking about the Asian people in the image. Yes, they're clearly ethnically Asian, and that's because Russia overlaps Europe and Asia. Russia is also the largest country in the world, with parts of it having ethnically Asian populations. Most parts have ethnic Russians, some parts have ethnic Turkic people (Bashkir, Tartar) etc.

All these different parts speak both Russian and their local languages. For instance, people in Bashkortostan, Russia speak Russian and Bashkir language. Russia is a lot more diverse than many people realize.

If you want a great travel vlogger who travels deep into the remote parts of Russia, check out "Bald and Bankrupt" on YouTube. You'll certainly be entertained.

And mushroomFarm, all the best with your studies.

Itzteewhy:
This isn't actually a question, but I would like you to narrate how you were able to meet the Uruguay president.

P.S: I think you promise to gist us the story some pages back

Read above.

Gerrard59:

How do you navigate taxes, especially if you reside in a place for almost a month?

I'm not sure what kind of taxes you're referring to. I stay in most places for 1 month or more. Since the pandemic, it's typically been 3 months or more. If you're referring to income tax, US citizens are taxed on their worldwide income. So regardless of where you are, you still have to file your US taxes every year.

Some people who don't plan to ever permanently move back to the US renounce their US citizenship, in favor of whatever country they settle in. That's the only way you can't get taxed on your worldwide income. Only the US and 3 other countries do this.

If you're referring to taxes at the destination, then there's typically no income tax requirement. You're visiting as a tourist, and not expected to engage in local commercial activity. What you do online with clients outside the jurisdiction isn't locally taxable. As a tourist, you only pay local taxes through sales tax and similar everyday taxes. Very few places have a "tourist tax," and when they do, it's usually a negligible amount. It's also rarely paid directly, as you'll typically find it bundled into temp accommodation charges.

Gerrard59:

I re-read from the beginning and saw your MBA tale. Quite interesting because I was curious how a digital nomad got invited to an event with the Uruguayan president in attendance. The MBA school, M7 or T25?

Haha, I don't think I've ever referred to myself as a digital nomad, and actually really dislike the term. "Digital nomad" doesn't mean anything in particular. It's really just as broad and vague as a term like "commuting worker." So if you asked someone, "hey, what do you do for a living?" and they responded, "I'm a commuting worker," it would be a non-answer answer and make little sense. All they've told you is they have a job and they commute to work by car, bus or train every day. They haven't told you what they do, so you really can't infer their income.

In the same way, if you asked another person, and they said "I'm a digital nomad," they still haven't answered the question. All they've told you is they work digitally online and travel often. That's a lifestyle, not a job description or gauge of income. So one "digital nomad" could be plugging away on fiverr, making $500/month. Another could be running a real business online, making $50,000/month.

All that said, my being invited to that event had very little to do with my professional or academic standing. It had everything to do with my social skills and personal interests. An example of why I've emphasized being outgoing while traveling, multiple times here.




How I met the Uruguayan President

I've decided not to detail too much of the entire story in this thread, but I'll tell the summarized story (which might still be a bit long).

Shortly after arriving Montevideo, I stumbled on an establishment dedicated to an incident I've always been fascinated by, since I was a kid. I even did a powerpoint presentation speech about it once, in college. I didn't know this place existed before stumbling on it. So I took my fiancee, whom I've told many things about this incident, to check it out. While we were there, we met the owner. We got talking about the place, and also made some small talk and jokes.

He took a liking to us, and asked us to come have a seat with him in a lounge area in the building, if we had time. I'm always down for a good chat, so we sat and discussed the establishment and incident that inspired it. We talked about many random things, made many random jokes, while laughing out loud like we've known each other for years. Keep in mind, this is an older gentleman in his late 50s. Like I said earlier in the thread, I get along well with all categories of people.

Sure, in the process of all that chit-chatting, we talked about some of my professional and academic background. However, those things were only secondarily relevant, and at best, let him infer I wasn't a bum. Social skills is what did the heavy-lifting. At some point, I mentioned how it would be great to meet some of the people involved in the incident. So he asked how long we'll be in town for, because there was a small private event he was organizing and hosting at the establishment, in some weeks.

He said he sees I have a personal interest in the subject matter and know a lot about it, which is rare for him to see. And that he likes us as an interesting Nigerian-American and Russian couple, so he wants to invite us to attend. He said it was a private event, so we shouldn't tell anyone about it (before it took place).

He said all the people from the incident will be there and the President and Vice-President will also be there. We were excited and accepted his invitation, as I was happy I'd get to meet those people. Honestly, I wasn't too concerned if the President would be there, or not. My main interest was in the other people. We didn't have to go through any background checks, security clearance or anything. Just his instinctive judgment.

We simply waited some weeks till the event day and attended. It was great. Small event at the same establishment. Maybe 60-70 of us in attendance. I got to meet people I heard about as a kid, and watched movies and documentaries made about. Not just a quick hello, but standing and having long conversations with some of them, while eating empanadas and making jokes with them.

The President was there, and we said a quick hello, but like I said, my main interest was in the guests of honor. After some formalities, we spent most of the time talking with them, taking pics and interacting in a casual "get-together" party format.

It was certainly an honor to meet the sitting President of a country, in person, though. For most of the event, the President was always anywhere within 10 feet or right in front of me, within arms length. It was a relatively small room. I found this interesting, as we didn't have to do a security clearance. I guess it speaks to the safety culture in Uruguay. Uruguay is the safest country in South America, so I guess they're not as paranoid.

Anyway, it was a great event I was honored to have the opportunity to attend, and meet all those people. The man who invited us is an absolute legend in my books, and is now a friend. We reach out to each other and stay in touch.

AngelicBeing:
You are absolutely right, l agree with your last paragraph, l spent close to one year advising a Doctorate Degree holder, he has the potential to be a billionaire in his country of residence, what he wants to get into, l am already in it and he has seen and heard from different people of the success of my own, l gave him several tips on the steps to take but till l post this message, he has not taken any step, l now ignored him completely since November 2022, he has sent me over 19 messages on whatsapp but l ignored him as well, l don't have time to waste for people who are not serious about taking steps to succeed in life, it is risky not to take a risk

Most people are risk averse, so the majority of people will never strike out on their own. Which is fine, as not everyone needs to go into business. However, if a person is nursing the idea and keeps talking, planning, talking some more, but never taking action, then too bad.

Hotty321:

Thanks for the response. Is programming more advanced than Data analysis? I just want to know

In general, yes. Data Analytics involves some programming, but it's typically surface level data querying. Except you're dealing with massive "big data," then it can get a bit complex. Either way, you'll need good deductive reasoning to do well at it.

Programming on the other hand, requires significant problem-solving skills and attention to detail. So even if you learn a programming language, but have poor attention to detail, you'll still struggle. The consequences of typos in code can be significant.

As far as income potential, a great Programmer would earn a lot more than a great Data Analyst, on average. A Data Scientist on the other hand can earn more than a programmer, or fall in the same range. Also, I use "programmer" loosely. All programming languages are valued different, so choose wisely.

There are a ton of resources online, so do your own research on these things.

iamL:



What africa countries, been to any?

I have friends who are inviting me to Kenya and a tech company is offering me a job in zambia but I am still skeptical due to my business in Nigeria.

Truth is am tired of staying in Nigeria honesty.

I haven't been to Kenya or Zambia, so I don't know. However, Kenya has a vibrant capital city and an active startup scene.

So you'll have to do your own research, to see what works for you, or not. If you're tired of living in Nigeria, then make an exit plan and make the first move toward it today. It could be as simple as filling out a passport application, if you don't have one. It's one step in the direction you want to go.

Blurpy:
Nice thread you’ve done here Ramalot. I hope to be like you someday, I’m a healthcare professional but I’m switching to tech in order to be able to get that freedom to travel. Business analytics and cloud computing are on my mind for now. I’ve been to SA twice and I received a good welcome from their women( you understand). From your thread, Brazil would be the next place on my list. Once again, nice thread you’ve got here. I wish I could connect with you someday.

Brazil is great, you should check it out.

My fiancee is also a healthcare professional, but in order to get the freedom to remain traveling with me indefinitely, she made the transition.

She didn't move into tech though. I had her learn Social Media Management, so she could start a digital agency. Managing the online presence of healthcare businesses, and businesses in other fields.

She's intelligent, and learned what she needed to and launched the business quickly. Within 6 months, she was already making as much as what her full time healthcare job paid. Fast forward a few years, and she has a few employees doing most of the grunt work, and she's making about 5x what her 9-5 salary used to be. Plus the freedom of not having to go back to Russia, to work.

The difference between people who receive advice and succeed and those who don't, is action. Great business ideas and great advice are completely useless without taking true action on them.

bepositive11:


LinkedIn is usually a major source of clients for businesses that work with other businesses, especially in IT. It's interesting to know that you've found success with no presence on LinkedIn.

I would like to know what your acquisition channels are, but it's not related to your purpose of this thread. So I'll leave it up to you to decide whether to answer. You don't have to.

You're correct. However, as I said, I have my personal reasons for not using Linkedin. It goes beyond its effectiveness, or lack thereof, but more of a platform culture incongruence. And yes, I'd rather not get into the weeds of these things on this thread.

topsquino:


Thanks for your insights. I am highly appreciative. With that income I put early, what African countries do you recommend I start with. Please note that I'm not planning to stay in the places where wealthy people stay. I feel my natural habitat is where the middle class stays considering my income and considering the fact that I want to get a real feel of a different African culture

I haven't done extensive traveling in Africa, but I do know getting an identical standard of things cost more in Africa than SE Asia and LatAm.
So a decent $800-$1000/month 1-BR airbnb apartment in Bogota, Colombia or Buenos Aires, Argentina might cost $1,500-$2500/month in Abuja or Addis Ababa.

Keep in mind, you'll be getting lower value for your money in both Abuja and Addis, because you're in a less developed location. Power outages, unreliable internet and more things that rarely happen in most of SE Asia and LatAm.

If this is your first time venturing out of Nigeria and you're the type who thrives on familiar environments, then maybe visit Accra, Ghana for a bit. It should be familiar territory. You could switch it up to nearby places like Cotonou, for a different language culture.

Outside West Africa, South Africa is a good option. Sure, people will have their reservations about xenophobia and all in SA, but if you go to cities with fewer Nigerians, you might be better off.

Addis Ababa is also a nice place, if you like Ethiopian women (who wouldn't? ). The city is decent, but as I said before, the airbnb apartment costs are highly inflated. This is a problem in many parts of Africa. Since safety is often a problem in Africa, you don't want to put yourself in unnecessary danger by trying to stay in a bad neighborhood. You don't need to stay at the best, but as you said, a nice middle-class place.

I wouldn't really recommend North Africa, but some people I know, like Morocco.