₦airaland Forum

airsaylongcon:
Goodluck in your attempt. Nigerians will see you as forming, Brits will still struggle with your acquired British accent. And please disabuse your mind that you can can acquire a foreign accent from reading a book on Oral English. The Oral English book used in Australia is the same one used in South Africa and England. And none of them speak with the same accent. Professor Soyinka probably has authored loads of English books, taught in top schools in the UK and US and still doesn't speak with a British or American accent

Besides, I have nephews who grew up in Nigeria, but went to a school full with expatriates children on the island, and id exposed to cable t.v. / American accent....

If you hear the way they speak, you will know that the difference is clear, and in addition, they are not forming.

For people who grew up in those settings, you don't expect them to talk like people from oshodi/mushin....

Circumstances vary.

airsaylongcon:
Believe me local mandarin speakers will be able to tell when a Chinese American switches. Just like local Nigerian speakers will be able to tell when a Nigerian American switches

Though the Nigerian accent is stronger than the Chinese/Latino accent because our diction os horrible.
To me, as long as one does not sound bizarre, any accent you want to speak, speak and speak it well to the best of your ability

Don't let people with inferiority complex disturb you jare.

Speak and let people understand what you are saying.

xkenzlordy:
And some parents will be like "it is either you are a medical doctor or you pay your school fees yourself "

Myopic thinking is what caused it....

hUmaneOne:
OP @ mrphysics you stayed for 1year in Kano township and you're already concluding?.

And to think of it, people are already falling for it. There is more to Kano state to kwankwasiyaa and dangote.

Even if you mind your business, don't toast their babes, don't insult their religion, they will still find a way to deal with you the moment they know you're a Christian ,they are majorly illiterates.

If you have a choice,stay back in the South because you can never comfortably raise a Christian family down in kano.in the event of a small disturbance,they will find you the infidel and use as collateral damage

I've been here for 2yrs now



Thank you

That is the key issue with the north.
ILLITERACY And lack of exposure (inferiority complex too)
if we tackle this, then the north will be better.

zorroeta:
90% of people's perception that Kano is volatile is not true, coz I grew up from a northern Christian family in kano.

I can boldly say it, I knew about 15 corpers that ar currently engaging in quite lucrative jobs here in Kano after their Nysc. One Ifeanyi is ofcourse working with the state Science and Technicals schools board as a civil servant since 2008 and has acquired land and living peacefully with his neighbours _majority ar muslims_, of which am very sure is difficult for a non indigine from north to work in the state civil service of states like abia, delta, imo and so.

The only serious problem u may encounter apart from means of communication is NEVER to joke wit their way of life, most importantly, don't abuse or derogate their prophet or Islam, coz if u try it ehn, believe me, u will not live 2 see 2morow. And for d male corpers enh, refrain from any rlntship or trying to toast deir daughters. Then u ar good to go!


I could remember when we were posted to abia -umunna bende, those market women were shouting BOKO HARAM at us despite about 3 of us Christians frm North. - This does not happen in kano.

What do you mean by "way of life" and communication problem?
Second, I know some of my cousins who married Hausa peeps there, so I'm just thinking how they did it without "toasting" the girls.


Please expand on these.
Thank you

Amah70:
Serve in Kano of Islamic sharia criminal codes? Islamic sharia criminal codes include death punishment for blasphemy, stoning women to death for adultery, cutting off fingers of petty thieves, etc.


Who wants to serve in the sharia states?

Who from the South of Nigeria can now take off to settle in the sharia states in the north?


Look o. By adopting sharia criminal codes, the sharia states don't even know that they have sentenced themselves and their area to backwardness. For now, the sharia states survive by crude oil revenues which the sharia areas get undue large quantities due to the undue large number of states and local government areas created by northern military dictators in the area.

But sharing oil revenues as done these years cannot last much longer.

For your information, Many southern people, especially Igbos live across the north in their millions.
I have got tens of kinsmen who live in Kano/Kebbi/Kaduna

airsaylongcon:
Do you understand Spanish or Mandarin well enough to say they speak it perfectly when they switch?

They actually do (not all though)
Though there will be a negligible differential tho, not 100 % but at least with 93% accuracy.

repogirl:
Once you go black, you never go back. And that's a fact!

You got that right.
It goes two directions (for both the men and women)

That is just how it is

Standing5:
Before the hate filled folks hijack this and spin it against their political opponents, this development is no fault of the present govt.

Whose fault is it then

Timbuktu14:
official rate is #1000 to 1800 CFA. So all dis black market own no go reach that one

How do I get official rate biko.
That extra 400 means a lot to me because I am doing bulk sum...

Timbuktu14:
Okay. I doubt if its more than #1000 to 1500 CFA

Chei

So they have not signed their visa free pact till now

Sacluxpaint:
Gospel and bitter truth.

We have this unique penchant as Nigerians to always exploit and manipulate things and privileges, thinking the other party is not smart.
Now these countries have imposed restrictions, who ksbthe smart person

craziebone:
not just proper education. I know some professors who still speak with typical Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa accent.

Majority of those who speak this distinct Nigerian accent are those who are below 35 and grew up in the city far away from their villages. These people were taught in somewhat good primary schools by teachers who are not native speakers of the English language and thus, do not have a foreign accent.

That is precisely my point.
You just put it in better shape.

Your best bet is schemgen visa. That will give you access to more countries.

Timbuktu14:
Yes oo! E don spoil pata pata. Not even planing any travels for now. What's the current rate like?

I don't know o.
That's why I asked here

Sacluxpaint:
Nigeria had a few privileges until 2009, with my virgin passport, I could go to Singapore visa free, until drug smuggling and overstaying spoilt the privilege, I could also go to Switzerland with my UK visa on it but now no more. Now with Buhari in power, we might apply for visa to Cotonou if care is not taken.

So to a large extent, we Nigerians spoilt things for ourselves.

craziebone:
there is a distinct Nigerian accent. This accent is different from a Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa influenced pronounciation, and still different from British, American, South African or Australia accent. It is also different from the Kenyan, Ugandan or Ghanaian accent. It is closer to the Sierra Leonian accent.

Have you heard Chimamanda speak? What about Linda Ikeji, Fashola, Okonjo Iweala et al? At first, some of them would try to immitate a foreign accent but down the line, their distinct Nigerian accent comes out.

Only those who've not listened to other people in other parts of the world speak, would argue this.

The Nigerian accent spoken by people with some form of proper education there right?

fittty:
Exactly!!! Your vocal cords naturally and FOREVER will continue with the accent you grew up with. Kids above 15 years will FOREVER and always have the accent they grew up with no matter where or how long they spend the rest of their lives.
Wrong!!! You can NEVER build an accent. You'll FOREVER stick to what you grew up with. Whatever accent he learnt is something anyone can learn withing a couple of days. You can hear his "American accent" because you're Nigerian but a typical American will notice his African accent no matter how much he tries to use the American accent. Correct!!! You develop the accent if you relocate as a kid. I've met several Liberians and Ghanaians that were born in Africa but relocated when they were less than 5 years. Fast forward till now when in their 20's 30's they DONT sound like Africans. They CANNOT even fake the African accent because they were raised here in the States. They say when you're in Rome do as the Romans do. When i'm with my American friends i speak like they do but when i'm with my Naija friends i switch to my Naija accent. You'll NEED to learn to some extent the American accent to secure a job here. You'll need to communicate verbally with people you work with or clients or customers depending on the type of job. Your thick Naija accent could be difficult for them to clearly understand without you repeating your sentences.

From your response, it means you don't even know Boris Kodjoe. lol.
Boris Kodjoe is German (though he has some Ghana roots but never lived there, and I know an American accent when I hear one (though there are many variants) .

Check out accent coaches and companies that are dedicated to improving accents of foreign people.
It works like magic, even if you don't get it 100 % you will get it 95% with determination.
Anything is possible, if you put your mind to it

tanimola22:
I will forgive the construction of your question as I sense that you are a recent secondary school leaver(correct me if I am wrong). Your question should read 'The Difference Between An Economi[i]cs[/i] Major And An Econom[b]ics[/b]-Political Science Combined Major. Economics is a course and so is Political Science. An Economist is someone that studied Economics. This person is mostly a PhD holder in Economics(eg Professor Charles Soludo). Although some people opine that having a B.Sc degree in Economics is sufficient for one to be called an Economist, I clearly do not agree. This assertion is subject to a debate, which we may hopefully engage in another day!

Now, to answer your question, I would suggest that you go for Economics. Why would you want to combine Economics with Political Science? Economics on its own is extremely robust. Political Science, on the other hand, is meaningless to me. If you talk about combining Economics and Mathematics or Economics and Statistics or Economics and Accounting or Economics and Finance, then that will make a lot of sense to me because Mathematics, Statistics and Accounting are courses that are directly related to Economics. In fact, you need a good understanding of these courses to thrive very well in real Economics. On the other had, Political Science, as far as I know, has nothing much to do with real Economics. Unless your future ambition is to become a Political Economist like Prof Utomi, doing Economics-Political Science combined is just a mere time wastage at best. If you feel you have the capacity to study more than one course simultaneously, then register for ACCA or ICAN or CFA or CIMA or any other professional exam while studying Economics at the university. This will no doubt be a good move because a professional qualification will always increase your marketability. A professional qualification is always a value added. You cannot go wrong.

Let me end my response to your question with two true life illustrations. Although one of them is not directly related to your particular situation, it will nonetheless serve as something you can ruminate on. The other one is almost exactly your case. Now, a guy I know studied Computer Science at undergrad level. While he was studying this course, he was also preparing and taking ICAN examination. Before we graduated from the university, he had already completed all the necessary papers and was already a chartered account. This means that the guy studied Computer Science and at the same time qualified as an Accountant while studying Computer Science at the university. Today, the guy works for one of the multinational oil companies in Nigeria, not as a Computer Scientist, but as an Accountant and a Chartered Accountant for that matter! Tell me, what organization in Nigeria can you work as a Political Scientist? Maybe a bank as a marketer The second one is about a guy who was initially studying Geography, but later switched to Economics. He wanted to study one other course in addition to studying Economics. Instead of him to go for a combined programme like Economics-Geography, he decided to register for CIMA(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants). Upon graduation, while his mates had either a B.Sc in Economics or a combined B.Sc, the guy could boast of having passed CIMA professional exams. That made him very marketable to companies like Toyota, Intercontinental Bank and one top consulting firm in Naija.

I actually have a third illustration, which is congruent to the above illustrations, but I will not speak about it. I am sure that you know where I stand in response to your question. Go for Economics! Add a professional qualification to it! Combined honours, no!

Good luck!

PS: The case could be different if your desire is to become a professor in the future, na you know wetin you want sha, My view is biassedly corporate, industry inclined.

Why don't you think that possessing a bachelor's degree is enough to be referred to as an economist.

Timbuktu14:
My oga, that 40k sef i no finish am o. I still get 22,450 Francs on my way out! Entered with 126,000 CFA!

As Nigeria be now, you no fit try this formula again o.
Exchange rate don spoil

MENTORCH:
If you didn't spend your first 13years abroad,even if you live abroad for 40years your accent can't change unless you are forming it.

There are accent coaches bro.

Listen to Boris Kodjoe speak.
He moved to the U.S. in his 20s, and speaks like an American.

It is possible bro, just that it is very tough.
But with determination, and using accent coaches, it us achievable.
I did that with French

Hello house.... Update on the exchange rates pls. For those that went recently. Thank you

Any update?

You see am

walemoney007:
Nigeria army and air force were not the only military personnel in Liberia and sierra Leone..go and read about the two civil war well

Nigeria played a KEY role and still does till today.
We still maintain forces there.
we are responsible for the liberation of many African countries.

But you are too biased, and full of hate to see it.

walemoney007:
which kin senseless post be this....Nigeria that cant take care of most of is citizen,is now the one that will protect the ecowas state Do you people think before typing sef.......in the world politics Nigeria is a light weight

No talk that your last statement for public again o
NIGERIA Na lightweight?
Stop talking rubbish please.
Who restored and maintain stability in Sierra Leone and Liberia?
Who was sent to push those AQIM boys into the deserts of Mali?
What of peace keeping in East Africa.

Stop talking out of emotions please

thelegend1:
The phone is a critical piece of evidence to track his accomplices, yet it is being to left to soak in the mud

Not everybody is as informed as you bro.
Good observation.

musicwriter:
Well, I'm not interested in the ethnic angle, I just want to add some information that've been plucked off the history books, because they don't want you to know.

Colonialism was about resource control and exploitation, making it possible for the colonialists (Britain, France, Spain, Portugal) e.t.c to get food and raw materials from their colonies for FREE. Our ancestors working as slaves grew everything Europeans wanted against our will. Example; when the texile industry was booming in Europe, all parts of Africa were forced to start growing cotton, because they needed more cotton for their cloth factories. This caused widespread famine, and there was starvation across Africa. Our ancestors were starving to death because they couldn't grow maize, yam, cassava, rice anymore. Instead we were forced to planting cotton, even though we didn't need it ourselves.

That's by the way................

It was only in the late 1800 century as calls for abolition of slavery intensified that they began paying ''peanuts'' for the raw materials. Therefore, if Lord Lugard reported £1 million for palm oil, be informed the real worth would be any where between £5 million- £10 million.

And if Lugard told you £100,000 for cocoa or groundnut, be informed the real value would be any where between £500,000 - £1 million. Slavery meant absolute possession. Colonization meant exploitation.

Prices were set by Europeans, so our ancestors had no say how much we wanted to sell our palm oil, cocoa, groundnut, tin, e.t.c. They were no bargaining or haggling as you would expect in a normal market setting today. They just weigh your stuff and pay how much they feel comfortable with.

That's how Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, got rich. And that's why we got poor.

I have writen songs around all these. Pray I get a record label and I'll use music to open up the minds of Africans.

Note:
Fortunately, this extreme greed by Europeans was a major contributory reason our ancestors fought for their freedom/independence.

There is no doubt that Indeed, Africa was cheated.
That one is not in doubt.
But my question is.....
Now that we have a new generation of skilled and enlightened Africans, why haven't we improved our lot as a people?

aribisala0:
There is a fundamental difference between palm oil and crude oil.
The palm oil belongs to the farmer not the government. So the proceeds of the sale of the palm oil goes to the farmer.The question of feeding anyone therefore does not arise
There was a company called the Royal Niger Company ,a British concern that made most of the money from palm oil but government cannot take peoples palm oil to sell and pocket the proceeds in the same way as they do crude oil

That is a fact that I cannot dispute.

So what is the point of this thread?
1914 was just one year, and according to Regionalism, you keep 50% to yourself.

Which country in this world does all regions generate the same level id revenue?
So you hear them say that they are feeding the country?

The mentality of the black man is indeed bleeped up

johnbuck81:
ok, gimme d right figure then.d truth is that tinz r getting out of hand under this govt.

The government has been doing a lot of wrong things, and to be honest, I never supported this government from day one.

But we should not support our arguments with fallacious figures.
Instead let's do that with FACTS on the ground.
That js what is done in most developed countries.