A traveler shares his impression of Nigeria, in which he experienced the following worst thing about the country.

A traveler shares his impression of Nigeria, in which he experienced the following worst thing about the country.

Street Children
Child beggars have become one of the biggest complaints among foreign travelers visiting Lagos and other major cities in Nigeria. Street children are those that beg for money from tourists and business travelers alike. The numbers of these children in Lagos has been on a steady rise over recent years and many believe that one of worst things about Nigeria is their presence in every urban area. Many groups such as The Red Cross aim to help these children by providing places for them to stay while giving them an education.

Corruption
By far, corruption is probably one of the worst things about Nigeria. I don’t just mean that petty bribes are common on an everyday basis but rather how entrenched it is in every aspect of life. As you drive along roads that were clearly not properly maintained for years at a time and will never be fixed (caveat: if you know someone who works for said government), you become aware of how deeply ingrained it truly is. You might choose to avoid paying for road construction or police escorts or even protection (which is officially forbidden by law anyway). And who knows? Maybe some day there will be no corruption in Nigeria.

Traffic in Lagos
If you’re traveling in Lagos, traffic might just be your worst nightmare. On any given day during weekdays, it’s not unusual for rush hour traffic in Lagos (and Ibadan and Port Harcourt) to stretch for hours. Some drivers don’t seem to realize that others are trying to get home after work; they drive as if every driver in front of them has been waiting for miles just so they can get stuck behind them. Lagos is a metropolitan city with an abundance of cars that keep multiplying by thousands every year. Most commuters have no choice but cram themselves into their own cars because of the prohibitively high cost of transportation fares and poor public transportation system.

Pollution
On our recent trip to Lagos, we were shocked by how much trash was lying on streets and in gutters; there was garbage everywhere. If you want to experience one of those worst things about Nigeria, take a walk around Victoria Island - you’ll see plastic bags tangled in trees and piled up against parking meters. The government is making an effort in trying to clean it up with green police who have even been known to use brooms. But until everyone takes responsibility for their waste- that pile of bottles won’t be going anywhere soon.

Rude people

One of my worst experiences traveling was getting stuck in Lagos traffic because one car decided to break down in front of several million other cars. It was impossible for me not to notice how rude people were; I had horns blowing at me constantly and someone even threw up on my car window. When I got out of my car to give them a piece of my mind, people told me that it’s expected because it’s so hard for most people there. For two weeks after that trip I was furious every time someone honked at me or cursed—it took awhile before my patience returned!


What do you think?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK8RWbYqyDk

A traveler shares his impression of Nigeria, in which he experienced the following worst thing about the country.

Street Children
Child beggars have become one of the biggest complaints among foreign travelers visiting Lagos and other major cities in Nigeria. Street children are those that beg for money from tourists and business travelers alike. The numbers of these children in Lagos has been on a steady rise over recent years and many believe that one of worst things about Nigeria is their presence in every urban area. Many groups such as The Red Cross aim to help these children by providing places for them to stay while giving them an education.

Corruption
By far, corruption is probably one of the worst things about Nigeria. I don’t just mean that petty bribes are common on an everyday basis but rather how entrenched it is in every aspect of life. As you drive along roads that were clearly not properly maintained for years at a time and will never be fixed (caveat: if you know someone who works for said government), you become aware of how deeply ingrained it truly is. You might choose to avoid paying for road construction or police escorts or even protection (which is officially forbidden by law anyway). And who knows? Maybe some day there will be no corruption in Nigeria.

Traffic in Lagos
If you’re traveling in Lagos, traffic might just be your worst nightmare. On any given day during weekdays, it’s not unusual for rush hour traffic in Lagos (and Ibadan and Port Harcourt) to stretch for hours. Some drivers don’t seem to realize that others are trying to get home after work; they drive as if every driver in front of them has been waiting for miles just so they can get stuck behind them. Lagos is a metropolitan city with an abundance of cars that keep multiplying by thousands every year. Most commuters have no choice but cram themselves into their own cars because of the prohibitively high cost of transportation fares and poor public transportation system.

Pollution
On our recent trip to Lagos, we were shocked by how much trash was lying on streets and in gutters; there was garbage everywhere. If you want to experience one of those worst things about Nigeria, take a walk around Victoria Island - you’ll see plastic bags tangled in trees and piled up against parking meters. The government is making an effort in trying to clean it up with green police who have even been known to use brooms. But until everyone takes responsibility for their waste- that pile of bottles won’t be going anywhere soon.

Rude people

One of my worst experiences traveling was getting stuck in Lagos traffic because one car decided to break down in front of several million other cars. It was impossible for me not to notice how rude people were; I had horns blowing at me constantly and someone even threw up on my car window. When I got out of my car to give them a piece of my mind, people told me that it’s expected because it’s so hard for most people there. For two weeks after that trip I was furious every time someone honked at me or cursed—it took awhile before my patience returned!