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| Good, not so good and bad. |
This blog exists for me to express all and any feelings I might have about life in Nigeria. I started it because I think a lot everyday about why I am in Nigeria, how I got here, and what I can do to make it better. I don't know if that is a lot, but it's worth a try. Every little bit helps, right?
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| No one rides a tiger to school, no matter what you think :P |
The thing that bothered me most about coming here was that even I had been brainwashed. I had started to believe the news, that Africa was a lawless place, a vast jungle, with Africans roaming as wild as animals on the streets. You see Africa only makes the news when there is some great malady or tragedy, so you never hear the good things. That bothers me. I want to change that. (The US embassy writes a post about how Nigeria is not so bad here)
The truth here (in Nigeria at least) is that the "middle class" here probably live better than the ones in the US, partially because with the cheap cost of living their money goes so much further, and also because as a society that has not been set up on credit cards, you actually pay for what you can afford upfront, as compared to middle class American families who are in credit card debt, owe on their houses, and are probably still paying off student loans when they start their families.
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| Domino's Pizza in Nigeria |
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| Johnny Rocket's (US Burger Chain) in Nigeria |
I can go to a supermarket that resembles Walmart and buy many of the same things I would eat in the States for about the same price. So I've got my apples and cereal and cookies and chocolates if I want them, and it's what I am used to. But where it differs is the cost for many other services. Fresh fruits and vegetables - in the markets for dirt cheap. In a market you can haggle the price of anything. Getting your hair done - easily a $50 affair in the states, can cost you less than $10 here. 
So you save money and live better. The "middle class" families here can afford maids, gatekeepers, drivers etc, because their salaries are dirt cheap. It's big money to the average person here, but converted to dollars, it's a steal. That's why expats still come here. (And this satirical piece on expats in Nigeria was a rather amusing read)
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Expat = Superstar... seriously!
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So does this mean the news is entirely wrong? Of course not. There are many terrible things in Nigeria too. The average Nigerian family lives on $2/day. The country (particularly cities) is vastly overcrowded (140 million people is way too many) but child planning is frowned upon. Electricity is not stable here, therefore, one must own a generator or else suffer the consequences.
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| People live like this... |
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| ...and this |
In a country ridden with poverty, it is no surprise that in certain regions armed robbery is a real threat, as is terrorism in the North with the growing Muslim radicalization (the South is mostly Christian while the North is Muslim). In a country that produces as much oil as Nigeria does, this much poverty is unacceptable. Call it what you will, but I believe it is the fault of the corrupt politicians. Since Independence from Britain the majority of them have spent time in office stealing BILLIONS OF DOLLARS from the country, while the average person suffers, and no one says anything about it. It's sad really.
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| Image from http://www.bayoadekanmbi.com/ Click to Enlarge |
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| Image not mine |
Culturally it is very different. Western concepts like monogamy and individuality are ... well western concepts. My food is my brother's food, and it's OK for me to have three wives. Just because it is different doesn't mean it is bad. It can be, but more on that later... The real conflict for Africa is trying to reconcile their traditional values with the ones imposed on them by colonial and neocolonialist powers especially in the 21st century, where those traditional values no longer make sense (this is all my opinion and I am too lazy busy to find any evidence for it, so take it with a grain of salt). - If you are interested read more about the history and culture of Nigeria.
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| Cold stone in Nigeria |
Still, it's a country with a lot of potential, particularly for business, and that's why the West won't leave it alone. Currently the newest developer on the scene is China, pumping in as much as they can. The average middle class Nigerian wants to spend their money on things deemed western - coffee shops, bakeries, gyms etc, if well maintained, thrive and bring money. The wealthy Nigerians are an even different breed, exclusively schooled in posh schools in the UK, Nigeria is their oyster and playground, they jet-set everywhere, even inviting friends from abroad to summer in the gargantuan mansions. So, the biggest problem with Nigeria, in a nutshell, is that the economic divide is massive.
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| The rich get richer and the poor suffer |
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| People are outraged |
So that's what I want to focus on in this blog, writing about everyday life as I see it, the good and bad, as candidly as I can. Now that you have an idea of my purpose, I hope you keep reading it
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