Finshaggy
Well-Known Member
Today I was speaking with a "friend" of mine on FaceBook who lives in Nigeria. He has been randomly speaking to me for about a year and a half now, and just asks how it is in America and says how his day is and says weird things like "May the sun shine on your day". So today when he hit me up I had an idea. There are some legal herbs that are rare in America, but completely common in Africa. So I asked him some questions about the exchange rate and he told me some stuff. Then I looked up some stuff about Nigeria online and found this...
This is HORRIBLE. I can't believe that there is a place that when you read about it, it sounds almost like they are talking about vaults and the wasteland from FallOut. I really wanted to help the world before, but like, now I really want to do something about it SOON. There needs to be more free trade between regular citizens of EVERY nation, between other regular citizens of EVERY other nation. We need to get rid of the UN and start working in small core groups however and with whatever we can, and work with people of other nations that we can contact. It can't keep being like this.the cost of living in Nigeria... a bit of an odd question as
90% of the population lives on less than a dollar a day but... Appartments may rely solely on NEPA plc (Never Expect Power Again please light candle- the government supply) or have a gen. that runs sometimes, relies on a diesel supply. Water will be from some nearby borehole/ delivered by truck and not potable.
public transport is a bit dodgy. I have seen many crushed bodies of either okada (motor bike taxis) drivers/passengers and mangled minibuses outside Lagos. But using hotel taxis in Lagos is relatively safe because traffic is usually moving very slowly or not at all.
Food prices- yams and cassava are cheap but if you want to eat western food or buy imported goods generally double the price in Europe.
Health insurance? if you get ill make sure your insurance pays for you to be medivacced to SA. Take prophylaxis for malaria to avoid dying.
... Is your husband in the oil industry? If you are in a gated compound with other expats and a school on site (Chevron?)you would be okay. There is nowhere safe to live in Lagos outside guarded gated compounds and it would be difficult with 2 young children as it is quite hazardous doing the school run. $100,000 pa is well below the going salary for an expat. For e.g. a well known major oil company pays a minimum of $250000 pa, 2 flights home pa, double that for non pensionable contractors. safety is a problem everywhere, 2 expat families recently were carjacked by armed robbers near their homes in ikoyi, a quiet residential area, there was a fatality. I would think carefully. It would be an interesting cultural experience but safety would always be an issue, most multinationals supply an armed escort to get their employees to the airport, many expat wives choose not to leave their compounds unless it's to get the airport but you can't do that if you have young children as they need to get to school and it would not be a good idea to send the driver alone (and yes everyone has a driver, if there is an accident the driver is the one who is lynched)
There is nowhere comfy to live as there is no infrastrucutre outside compounds (who have their own often unreliable water/ electricity supply) but it gets easier as time goes on, people are friendly and open but extreme poverty/ greed & a corrupt goverment drives so many to crime. There is no law and order as the police are not paid enough to make it worth their while to provide it, they are all looking to make money on the side, whether it is to turn a blind eye or do the armed robbing themselves. Don't go for less than $300,000pa as a contractor or $200,000pa with the protection of a large multinational...Don't go unless you have family there. No student would voluntarily go to Nigeria for any other reason, every Nigerian student's dream would be to go to Chicago where they don't need a sugar daddy/ have to sleep with their professors/ pay to pass exams and the lecturers would be on a decent salary, get their salary on time so wouldn't be forced to take second jobs/ bribes... You need an employment quota position (visa).You need to be able to do a job that cannot be done by a local or in some cases brought in because although there are many locals perfectly able to do the job they would be more vulnerable to corrupt practices