Mobilia:



I didn't see the Op's thread as being meant to disparage and demean Nigerians...
She was speaking through the lens of being a "naturalized citizen".....and explaining her experiences.
She was happy with her decision...point blank.
She was encouraging others who may want to take the step...
She presented her experience in a very fair manner...
Just so you know...I have "0" clue who she is. My only words to her were what I wrote much earlier to her in the beginning of the thread...
Don't know her from Adam...but what and how she wrote it was so eloquent.
I'm not looking for anything per se on this thread...I just happened to run across it as I look at threads on the Travel Section.
I explore many different sections here on N.L.....and am just soaking in how people relate to one another, how they view the world at large and how daily life is...

I was referring to the adultery statement that you made earlier and about visiting the "states/cities that matter" thing.
I'll have to look back and see about anything else you wrote...cause frankly, (and I must be honest), you were starting to annoy me with your posts here.

Nice meeting you!

I don't

theamerican:


Do you know you don't have to take a driving test to get a drivers license in Nigeria? You can sit in your house, give someone money and they'll come home with your license. Now put that into perspective and imagine the sort of dangers that could cause. I can already imagine the "Accidents also happen in America" counter-arguments.

EMMAACHILE:
One of the limitations in my findings especially Africa is the limitation of a credit card system. Credit cards are good if used for business purposes.
A friend got a €40000 credit limit for a 36 month duration in Finland. Imagine if it was available here in Nigeria.
We are still a long way to go though an Australian man told me there are ways of tapping into the US credit card system from anywhere worldwide.

Godson201333:



Many stuff remain unrealistic in Nigeria and in the entire Kingdom of Africa.So you want Nigerians to start using credit card so that can use their dubious altitude to runaway with funds.Nigeria still have a long way to go..Have you ever asked yourself why we only receive foreign funds but cant really send out?

Mobilia:


Thanks...I appreciate this info.

Affordablerent:


Did you notice that the lady listed the bad things she noticed from the movies she had seen but didn't equally list the good things she also noticed?


Hahaha @ good deal, you will surely get one from me

pansophist:


This is poignant. The dangers of a corrupt system.

The average Nigerian sees materialism (money, cars, houses) as the goalpost for a good life. The police that collects bribe from reckless driver might lose his child to one, bit he doesn't think about it from this perspective. There is always a backfire effect on corruption. The incompetent public officer that got into public office via nepotism will in due time, disgrace himself publicly (e.g, the Nigerian IGP). It cant be benefited from without exhuming a deficit elsewhere.

Sadly, the world is moving at an accelerated rate. If Nigeria (and largely Africa) won't drop corruption and develop the continent. the adversity will be severe in the next decade. Right now, there is a massive transfer of wealth going on in the country, the citizens are getting poorer, fighting each other and dancing afrobeat to hell, without realizing that there is a reality outside Nigeria and perhaps Africa.

The currency is useless, associated with everything bad, to name a few. This is the inevitable punishment that comes with not developing like the rest of the world. The politician that refuse to develop the country, and the public servant that should put the public interest at heart will realize the painful truth that in other to go far, indeed, you must work together, a lesson that is experienced when one leaves the shore of the country. Lots of big business that will make life easy won't come (e.g PayPal for e-commerce entrepreneurs etc)

My condolence to that country in advance.

theamerican:


You make really good points. When I say I don't see any hope, it's because the rot is so spread that only God knows how it's going to be fixed. Suppose I get arrested for a crime and the fine is 5000 Naira, the officer who arrests me asks for 500 Naira bribe and he'll let me go. The law says fine is 5k.

If I pay 5k, I'll be called stupid. That 5k may not even go to the account of the government. If I pay 500 Naira, they'll hail me for being sharp/smart but isn't that part of the problem that should be fixed?


Those who want to stay and fix the country, please do (I'll cheer you for your service from afar). I am here in Dallas, I'll be fixing the bad name Nigeria has and be a good example too. To live a good, law-abiding, non-corrupt life and show that not all Nigerians are bad (you should also cheer me for my service) see? Win-win for everyone.

Dremca:
Hell is already filled up, Nigeria is an extension.

pansophist:


This is poignant. The dangers of a corrupt system.

The average Nigerian sees materialism (money, cars, houses) as the goalpost for a good life. The police that collects bribe from reckless driver might lose his child to one, bit he doesn't think about it from this perspective. There is always a backfire effect on corruption. The incompetent public officer that got into public office via nepotism will in due time, disgrace himself publicly (e.g, the Nigerian IGP). It cant be benefited from without exhuming a deficit elsewhere.

Sadly, the world is moving at an accelerated rate. If Nigeria (and largely Africa) won't drop corruption and develop the continent. the adversity will be severe in the next decade. Right now, there is a massive transfer of wealth going on in the country, the citizens are getting poorer, fighting each other and dancing afrobeat to hell, without realizing that there is a reality outside Nigeria and perhaps Africa.

The currency is useless, associated with everything bad, to name a few. This is the inevitable punishment that comes with not developing like the rest of the world. The politician that refuse to develop the country, and the public servant that should put the public interest at heart will realize the painful truth that in other to go far, indeed, you must work together, a lesson that is experienced when one leaves the shore of the country. Lots of big business that will make life easy won't come (e.g PayPal for e-commerce entrepreneurs etc)

My condolence to that country in advance.

travelland:
One good reason about being Nigerian/West African is that having melanin in your skin is never a taboo. I've never suffered from racism here. Much still needs to be done in terms of increasing our local tourism potential.

Macaulay10:
American streets and highways are largely smooth and
most without the pot-holes and craters that riddle most Nigerian roads.

American streets are substantially WIDER than most Nigerian streets, with the exception of those in central Abuja.

It is extremely rare to see large "snow drifts" of trash covering American roads, whereas it is just as rare to see a clean street in Nigeria.

Sewers in Nigeria are OPEN GUTTERS that present mortal danger to pedestrians and vehicles, whereas sewage and drainage systems in the US are entirely underground or fenced off where they can never constitute the death traps found everywhere along Nigerian streets, particularly in major cities.

Vehicle emissions are strictly regulated in the US, but are not a concern in Nigeria so far. This means that large numbers of antiquated vehicles ply Nigerian roads belching out smoke that is thick enough to obscure the view of drivers and cause wrecks. Similarly the Nigerian police do not pull over motorists for having vehicles with no tail lights, adding a substantial risk to Nigerian night driving which does not exist in the US.

You can hop in your car at any hour of the night and share the freeway with numerous other drivers in most parts of the US, whereas Nigerian highways are largely empty at night due to fear of armed robbery ambushes, "police" attacks and unmarked craters or huge tree logs left over from day-time police "check points".

Streets in most US cities are laid out in an orderly rectangular grid which makes navigation very easy, particularly with today's GPS mapping technology found in many new vehicles, In Nigeria the streets are largely random in placement, with numerous un-posted one-way lanes and cul-de-sacs, making navigation a living nightmare for visitors.

Pedestrians and drivers traversing the streets of most American cities are unlikely to be accosted by hordes of pick-pockets, beggars, aggressive street-vendors, and hoodlum gangs, whereas that is the rule and not the exception in Nigeria.

A person being pulled over by the police in the US will reach for their driving license and registration, whereas anyone pulled over in Nigeria had best reach for their wallet, hoping they have enough cash money to avoid a vehicle impound and visit to the police station on trumped-up charges based on non-existent legislation.

Wide pedestrian walkways line most streets in the US, but are a very rare sight in Nigeria outside of Abuja, with the few existing in other towns often fenced off and guarded by road-side businesses, forcing pedestrians to take their chances ducking cars, buses and swarming motor-cycle taxis in what passes for a road.

A person may live in North America for a decade and never experience an electrical power outage, whereas in Nigeria it is rare for the lights to flicker on for so much as a negligible 10 % of the time in any given 24 hour period.

Pay your utility bills in the US and you can be sure your home will be supplied with electricity, CLEAN water and cooking gas on tap. The uninterrupted flow of those basic utilities are remains a wistful fantasy in Nigeria, hopefully to be realized in coming decades for the benefit of generations yet un-born.

Bribes are expected and demanded for even the most mundane rights in most Nigerian government offices, a situation as foreign to American culture as would be the sight a Nigerian-style motorcycle taxi transporting a family of six.

There are virtually NO public toilets in Nigeria, so the sight of men and women defacting and urinating beside the road and in full view of the public is commonplace and routine, a revolting spectacle absolutely unheard of in the US.

Other than these differences, Nigeria and North America are comparable in that there is terrain below and a sky above in both countries.

Note: I haven't traveled out of the country before, the world is now a Global Village where you don't have travel out to know or see this things.

I am preparing for the Gre and Toefl exam, when everything clicks......... I move OUT.

Hell is full, NIGERIA is an extension SITE.

Macaulay10:
American streets and highways are largely smooth and
most without the pot-holes and craters that riddle most Nigerian roads.

American streets are substantially WIDER than most Nigerian streets, with the exception of those in central Abuja.

It is extremely rare to see large "snow drifts" of trash covering American roads, whereas it is just as rare to see a clean street in Nigeria.

Sewers in Nigeria are OPEN GUTTERS that present mortal danger to pedestrians and vehicles, whereas sewage and drainage systems in the US are entirely underground or fenced off where they can never constitute the death traps found everywhere along Nigerian streets, particularly in major cities.

Vehicle emissions are strictly regulated in the US, but are not a concern in Nigeria so far. This means that large numbers of antiquated vehicles ply Nigerian roads belching out smoke that is thick enough to obscure the view of drivers and cause wrecks. Similarly the Nigerian police do not pull over motorists for having vehicles with no tail lights, adding a substantial risk to Nigerian night driving which does not exist in the US.

You can hop in your car at any hour of the night and share the freeway with numerous other drivers in most parts of the US, whereas Nigerian highways are largely empty at night due to fear of armed robbery ambushes, "police" attacks and unmarked craters or huge tree logs left over from day-time police "check points".

Streets in most US cities are laid out in an orderly rectangular grid which makes navigation very easy, particularly with today's GPS mapping technology found in many new vehicles, In Nigeria the streets are largely random in placement, with numerous un-posted one-way lanes and cul-de-sacs, making navigation a living nightmare for visitors.

Pedestrians and drivers traversing the streets of most American cities are unlikely to be accosted by hordes of pick-pockets, beggars, aggressive street-vendors, and hoodlum gangs, whereas that is the rule and not the exception in Nigeria.

A person being pulled over by the police in the US will reach for their driving license and registration, whereas anyone pulled over in Nigeria had best reach for their wallet, hoping they have enough cash money to avoid a vehicle impound and visit to the police station on trumped-up charges based on non-existent legislation.

Wide pedestrian walkways line most streets in the US, but are a very rare sight in Nigeria outside of Abuja, with the few existing in other towns often fenced off and guarded by road-side businesses, forcing pedestrians to take their chances ducking cars, buses and swarming motor-cycle taxis in what passes for a road.

A person may live in North America for a decade and never experience an electrical power outage, whereas in Nigeria it is rare for the lights to flicker on for so much as a negligible 10 % of the time in any given 24 hour period.

Pay your utility bills in the US and you can be sure your home will be supplied with electricity, CLEAN water and cooking gas on tap. The uninterrupted flow of those basic utilities are remains a wistful fantasy in Nigeria, hopefully to be realized in coming decades for the benefit of generations yet un-born.

Bribes are expected and demanded for even the most mundane rights in most Nigerian government offices, a situation as foreign to American culture as would be the sight a Nigerian-style motorcycle taxi transporting a family of six.

There are virtually NO public toilets in Nigeria, so the sight of men and women defacting and urinating beside the road and in full view of the public is commonplace and routine, a revolting spectacle absolutely unheard of in the US.

Other than these differences, Nigeria and North America are comparable in that there is terrain below and a sky above in both countries.

Note: I haven't traveled out of the country before, the world is now a Global Village where you don't have travel out to know or see this things.

I am preparing for the Gre and Toefl exam, when everything clicks......... I move OUT.

Hell is full, NIGERIA is an extension SITE.

theamerican:
Watching Nigerian movies will make her realize Nigeria is better than what is projected on here? I beg to differ! On the contrary, it's going to show that what we say here is spot on and they still have a long way to go. Nollywood is a joke lmao.

You're right, @Mobilia. No matter what the plot is, you'll always see traces of worshipping money/the rich, looking down on the poor, equating happiness with riches, early marriages, women having to serve men, a woman's life is worthless if she doesn't have a husband, homophobia, any religion that's not Christianity or in some cases Islam is frowned upon, and everything is solved when the pastor intervenes. Your husband is drinking, cheating, womanizing? Just wait, the pastor will soon come and cast out the demon causing it. The list goes on.

Best way to learn about Nigeria will depend on what you really wanna know. You can talk to Nigerians who migrate, you can also talk to people who can speak without letting their emotions/patroitism cloud their good judgment. That's the only way you can learn. Also, remember you'll get a different treatment as a foreigner and may not get the real deal as to what the average Nigerian faces.

Don't get me wrong, Nigeria is still an interesting country. There's still a lot to catch your attention and so much to enjoy (depending on what you want). I lived over 3/4 of my life there yet I still learn about the country daily.

travelland:



My brother, you will make heaven(America) and when you get there you will no longer have any problems in life, like all Americans are currently living in heaven without problems

Ugosample:


A poor attempt at sarcasm.


It's better to be poor in the USA than in Nigeria, because at least, you have a support system there (food stamps et al )
In Nigeria/Africa, who sabi you?

travelland:



My brother, you will make heaven(America) and when you get there you will no longer have any problems in life, like all Americans are currently living in heaven without problems

theamerican:


Amazing post. I have nothing to add to that. You make really good points and I was surprised you've not traveled before. You make more sense than some people who have spent years down here. I wish you the best on your exams. Please if you're considering migrating, do it the right way and you'll see how smooth your life would be over time.

Macaulay10:
Oh spare me all that....... Heaven Heaven!

Note: I believe in God but "If you are emotionally attached to your tribe, religion or political leaning to the point that truth and justice become secondary considerations, your education is useless. Your exposure is useless, the religion you practice is useless, If you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind."
Last time I will reply you........ Pls just stay off my mentions, I know your type.

travelland:


Yet you will still see people in US sleeping on cartons and inside vehicles? I pray you all make heaven(America) to see things for yourselves

timesup234:
Funny how you have time for dese braindead mofos who form a large group of frustrated jobless Nigerians. They really do believe their illusions.

travelland:


Yet you will still see people in US sleeping on cartons and inside vehicles? I pray you all make heaven(America) to see things for yourselves

travelland:



When people who haven't been to a place before hold strongly to illusions as they are doing here, there's nothing else I can do than to play along with them.

signature2012:


I dont just know,but I feel you are a son of a politician in Nigeria.Your patriotism to my country makes me feel that way.

orimahspence:
One of the dangerous things that can happen to man is for a cerebral and active mind to be limited in exposure or restricted to his local hamlet in Nigeria. A widely-travelled dunce will possess a more productive mind than such person

Truth is that some of us living in Nigeria have devised different techniques to maintain our sanity. It is a hard job to remain focused to the pursuit of personal goals in the midst of chaos. Getting worried daily over issues that one has no control is energy draining. I think the best one can do is to keep on enlightening the electorates (few reasonable ones) about their power at the next polls.

Do you know that Nigerian newspapers now dedicate two pages daily for crimes and vices in our society? They hardly promote innovation, intellectualism or ingenuity among the youths.