The 7 Wonders of Nigeria – 'The Nigerian Woman'

This is the third post of ‘The 7 Wonders of Nigeria’ series and this particular one was not difficult to write as the Nigerian woman definitely merits a mention as a wonder of Nigeria. If you have not read Part 1 and 2, search for them under the'Labels' heading on your right. It will be interesting to get readers feedback on 'The Nigerian Woman'. Read on!

The Nigerian woman is extraordinary. She pops up at every equation that captures Nigeria. She is the trader on the street, the tiller of the ground and keeper of the home - the economic powerhouse of the nation. She is the mother and at the same time father of the children, a position some men have voluntarily, if unknowingly, relinquished. She combines a full time job with mothering four children, wife to a demanding husband, holding down a major role in Church and studying for a PhD in Applied Science. She is the multi-tasker no one expects to complain.

Without the Nigerian woman, there would be no Nigeria. She is the spine of the nation by virtue of being the spine of her husband, the spine of her children and the spine of the extended family. She stays up to encourage her studying children whilst her husband is fast asleep. She still has to rise long before dawn to prepare food and plan the day. She is indefatigable, indestructible and indescribable.

She accepts her husband’s indiscretions with dignity and takes his intransigency on the chin. She deals with her societal-imposed minority role with utmost diplomacy. She smiles whilst suffering. She executes her role with the utmost diligence.

The Nigerian woman is the ultimate homebuilder, engineer, medical personnel, arbitrator between children and father, advocate on behalf of the children, human resource specialist, Operations Manager, the Prime Minister of the family government, the teacher of manners and etiquette, the prayer intercessor and the attentive listener.

She comes in every shade of colour, shape and style. There are eight types of Nigerian women - The fair-skin and the dark-skin; the slim figured (lepa) and the amply shaped (orobo); the short and the tall; the effizy one and the traditional.

The Nigerian woman is stylish. Whatever her age; style and looking good are indelibly programmed into her DNA. She relishes the beauty of her naturally tanned skin, full lips and her thick, strong and healthy hair. She is effervescent and drop-dead gorgeous. She believes that God spent extra time on her and this makes her unrepentantly confident. She is confident of her natural allure, confident of her body and confident of the future.

As a girl-child, she already has a routine of making her hair every week. She is big time into cleanliness and may even shower twice a day. She will speak with boldness and will not be led astray by anyone.

Between 18 to early twenties, she knows how to style her hair into different looks on a daily basis. She is either in the last lap of University or doing her national service. It is also possible that she is working in an oil company, Bank or pursuing a Masters programme.

At mid-twenties, she has a clear mental plan of her future. She knows what she wants, the type of man that will complement her plan for success in life. Except she chooses to be deceived, an average Nigerian woman in her twenties is too mentally and emotionally sophisticated to fall for any silly trick.

In her 30s, the Nigerian woman is an established businesswoman who knows every nook and cranny of Naples, Dubai, Milan and the outback of Guangzhou. Whether she has a shop in downtown Isale-Eko or the upmarket Isaac John Street in GRA Ikeja, she is financially savvy, hardworking and consistent.

Nowadays, there is no industry or vocation in which the Nigerian woman is not actively involved. The other day I met a lady who says she is a landscape gardener. There are also women motor mechanics, photographers and Danfo bus drivers.

Nigeria women do not settle for the dictate that a girl’s fame and fortune depend on her beauty, they will rather combine beauty with brain and brawn. At a period in 2006, the Director General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the Foreign Minister, the Finance Minister and the head of the Food and Drugs Agency in Nigeria were all women.

The Nigerian woman is also in many instances the unassuming, quiet woman at home, the one who hawked puff-puff on her head amongst other things to send her children to school (like my mother did). She is the one who plays second fiddle to her husband at her daughter’s wedding and subjugates her personal ambition to that of her husband’s.

The Nigerian woman is still, sadly repressed in many of our cultures and traditions but the future is hers. I have no doubt that the Nigerian woman is ably qualified for a Nobel Prize in longsuffering, sheer industry and nation building.

For her strength, indestructibility, dignity and her contribution to nation-building, the Nigerian woman deservedly is a wonder of Nigeria if not a wonder of the world.PostcardfromLagos

The 7 Wonders of Nigeria, Part 2 – 'Molue', the Lagos Yellow Bus

Nothing in the world compares to the ubiquitous Lagos yellow bus popularly known as Molue. I didn’t get to see a Molue until I was twelve. Even then I did not get to enter one until a few years later. The Molue is like a house built on the chassis of a Mercedes 911 truck, a deathly home. It is built to carry the maximum number of people possible (44 sitting and 99 standing according to Fela) as it dashes back and forth along the 3rd Mainland Bridge. It has become an iconic landmark on Lagos roads, it is deliberately menacing to other road users. It follows no speed limit. It is bold and brash. It is big and ugly. It is dirty, yellow and should disappear. It carries an unwilling but option-less human cargo, stripped of their humanity and forsaken to the vagaries of poverty.

Molues are unrepentantly and irrepressibly overbearing. They usually have hair-splitting horns used at will to dissuade and harass other road users. They have made up their own rules which is ‘there are no rules’. As a lion is king of the jungle, an oncoming Molue is unquestionably the king of the road.

It is really a matter of choice to decide which is the real wonder - Molue or the Molue driver. It drives so fast for a big moving truck as if it is invincible. Once inside a Molue, your life is mortgaged as anything could happen. If you never acknowledged it before, your life is in God’s hands once you stepped inside the Molue.

Inside the bus, Molue has a life of its own that is as interesting as staggeringly sobering. All forms of items are sold inside the bus including blood-red drugs that is claimed to solve any problem from stomach upset to curing HIV. You will also find courageous people who will brave the many eyes fixed on them as they preach the gospel. My sister once saw a man carrying life snakes inside a Molue. Molue lumbers everyone together, the smartly dressed man on his way to the office and the iya-oloja (market woman). It carries the attractive young woman and the ageing old man that thinks he is good enough to be her suitor.

Because of the way people are packed like sardines in a tin and the unforgiving Lagos tropical heat, the Molue can test your digestive system as various human smells join up in a deliberate attempt to make you want to puke.  Thankfully the current Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola is slowly phasing them out.

Molue suffers from 'impatientialisis'. It is always in a hurry as if non-movement will collapse its engine. Most users have therefore learnt the art of hitching and alighting from a moving Molue with perfection.

When I did get to hitch a ride on a Molue in the mid eighties, I learnt to my cost that jumping off a moving Molue was no child's play. I had seen many people do it and assumed it was easy. I later realised that to keep stable, you jump and run. Suffice it to say I didn't, and found myself flat on the hard tarmac of Legico Bus Stop on Ahmadu Bellow Way in Victoria Island. I lived. PostcardfromLagos.

(To read Part 1 of 'The 7 Wonders of Nigeria', check for the link under 'Labels' on the right hand side of this website) 

Schindler's List, Nigeria - close, but not exactly

The riots in Jos, Plateaus State, Nigeria in November 2008 was a national tragedy. Widely reported around the world, the death toll according to the media varied between 300 and 700. The killing rampage started after a Local Government election that was believed to have been rigged. However it soon became sectarian, pitching Christians and Muslims against each other in a needless ethno-religious conflict.

Several innocent people were hacked to death including the widely reported case of a young man who was on national service in the city.

A lot of people went missing including the heavily pregnant sister of a friend. Mary Bayil, 44 was a Sunday School Teacher married to a Civil Servant. Her house had been burnt and in the ensuing melee, she was parted from her husband and her three children who had taken refuge in an army barrack.

Hoping that she would be found after things had settled down, the search for her proved abortive. Each time we phoned our friend, the answer was the same; she was nowhere to be found. In mid-January, we heard the good news that she had been found and that she had safely delivered a baby girl.

What made the story particularly interesting were the circumstances surrounding her safety. Like many other people, Mary had tried to escape from her house after it had been set on fire by the mostly Muslim mob. Given her state, she could not run as fast as others and became a sitting target for the mob.

Some Muslim ladies who were watching what was happening from their house and aware of what was about to happen quickly came out to her rescue and brought her inside their own home. Noticing that they had been seen by some of the mob, they dressed her up in the Muslim garb and moved her to another village. She had the baby in a hospital in the village and became seriously ill, drifting in and out of consciousness for weeks until she was found last week.

The Muslim women who saved her had their own Schindler moment and they delivered. They saved two lives and brought a wonderfully good twist to what was otherwise a tragic part of Nigeria’s history. Incredible! PostcardfromLagos

Update on 'Medicare' Trust

Happy New Year to all our readers and thank you for supporting ‘Postcard from Lagos’.

The response to the ‘Medicare’ post was overwhelming. Pledges of support came from Nigeria, Europe and North America. We have gone a step further to properly set up 'Medicare' as a charitable organisation and the registration process is ongoing. Apparently it is a long process to register a charity in Nigeria.

We have assembled a team of individuals to serve as the Board of Reference for the organisation.

Dr Bayo Adesioye

Mrs Jibike Agboola

Dr Ayodele Ajayi

Dr Tonye Ajiteru

Mr Stephen Clarke

Dr Sola Fola-Alade

Mrs Taiwo Mayuku

Dr Ovo Oghuvbu

Mr Segun Olasode

Mr Deoye Oshowole

Dr. George Sekoni

Mr Tayo Sonuga

Sola Wilton-Waddell

All of these people have been tapped because of their passion to make a difference in the lives of ordinary Nigerians. Each of them has brought to the Trust their wealth of experience including international charity, business and medical skills.

Appreciation to those who have pledged to support 'Medicare in some form. Further developments will be published here on 'Postcard from Lagos'.

'Medicare' and a Tribute to Baba Akeem

Today is the beginning of a three-day Bank holiday in Nigeria. What is on my mind is not the privilege of having a rare three-day Bank holiday at the beginning of the week (in reality a 5-day break when you include the preceding Saturday and Sunday). What’s on my mind is the death last Tuesday week of ‘Baba Akeem’, real name Mohammed.

Baba Akeem was a guard in the estate where we live in Lagos. He was from the Northern State of Borno and had also worked in the house we live before we moved in. His third child was born earlier this year. Unlike many other guards in the area, he communicated very well in English and was a likeable person – attributes of which became known to me in the last six to eight weeks before his death.

I noticed about two months ago that he looked different from his normal self, when I mentioned to my wife, she felt that he must have put on some weight around his face. A few days later, I sighted him again and questioned him about the puffiness of his face, he then informed me that he had been sick ever since he came back from a recent visit to his home town and he was unsure of what he ate or drank that made this happen. He also had sores all over his body. I suggested to him to visit the General Hospital and to let me know of the outcome.

When he came back to see me a few days later, he lamented that after waiting for a whole day, he was only given a consultation card with the instruction to come back on the 20th August. He went for the new appointment and on his return, he informed me that the hospital carried out a series of tests and eventually told him to go home and seek ‘native’ medical attention.

At this juncture, I was a little bit confused, how could a hospital send a patient back home to seek native intervention? He was asked to buy some drugs as well. Needless to say that at this time, he was unable to work and take care of his wife and three children. Unfortunately, there is no social security system, no help whatsoever from the State, our much vaunted economic growth as a nation does not hold any water for the likes of Baba Akeem.

Three Saturdays ago, he came to say hello which meant his money had finished. We had a good chat, he also said his brother was going to take him to a military hospital in Yaba the following Monday. Things were looking up for him. A week later, on Monday 15th September, his wife came to see me for the first time and said her husband was very poorly and he had decided to go home to Maiduguri the following day. She wanted assistance with the transport fare. She also showed the medical notes from the Yaba hospital visit. I could make out ‘RVD’ from the notes which I googled. Unable to make a head or tail of this, I decided to make enquiries from medical practitioners the following day. When my wife came home that evening, I informed her about the visit from Baba Akeem’s wife and his intention to go back home. The following day, as soon as we got up, my wife said we must go and look for where Baba Akeem lives to stop him from going home, as she felt that going to Maiduguri will almost certainly result in his death.

We got in the car and took descriptions from people around. When we got to where he lives with his family in an uncompleted building, we found a group of people, probably about twenty in front of the house opposite. No clue. I noticed his first son who had come with his mother to see me the previous day, I asked him for his father and where they lived, he replied ‘my daddy don die’ meaning my dad is dead. We were led to a corner of a room in the uncompleted house where his wife was secluded from everyone else. Apparently, Baba Akeem died at 4.00am that morning and had just been taking away for burial. He was 36.

Anger and despair were the words that could express how I felt. I was devastated. I felt I had not helped enough, I felt the whole nation had failed him too. I also felt rather helpless and hoped that I would not become immune from the sufferings of people. I was hoping that Baba Akeem would recover, I never knew he would die so soon. With the benefit of hindsight, I now realise I was naïve, the puffiness and the body sores pointed at something serious all along.

Baba Akeem could not access medical care because he did not have the money, period. He probably knew he would die. Like many sick and poor Nigerians, he probably was waiting to die.

The lesson I learnt is to act faster in cases like this. I have therefore decided, in conjunction with others, to launch ‘Medicare’. Medicare will do the following:

1. We will provide financial assistance towards medical care for those who are sick and unable to access medical care.
2. We will work with doctors and hospitals who want to help
3. We will accept financial support from those who wish to give
4. We will also have representatives and agencies in North America, Europe and in Nigeria,
5. We will use 100% of money donated for medical care.
6. We will also be transparent and publish the names of recipients and expenses on a regular basis

If you want to be involved in any way or give to this cause, please register your interest by contacting me or send an email to medicare@postcardfromlagos.com

A follow-up report shall be published in due course including the names and contact details of representatives across the world. Thank you.

The 7 Wonders of Nigeria - Part 1 - Okada

Today, I am going to start a new series on what in my opinion constitutes ‘the 7 wonders of Nigeria’. I have no doubt that my list will differ from yours; what will be interesting is to find out what you consider as the 7 wonders of Nigeria and why. Please use the comments link on this blog to air your opinion and enrich the discussion. Happy reading!

Okada - the motorcyle taxi
Okada is a creation of necessity. Unlike the Chinese that have established the motorcyle as a means of transportation, Nigeria is not as populous to adopt this as a permanent form of transportation. We used to travel on taxis and buses in the major cities. We would easily prefer these means of travel; however, Okada surreptitiously crept into the Nigerian vocabulary and also into our carriage system as the economy bit harder in the 90s. The name Okada was adopted from a small town in Edo State. Now almost everywhere in Nigeria, Okada is the fastest means of transport and a very big headache for that matter for motorists and other road users.

They meander dangerously through traffic, they don’t obey any traffic regulations and anyone can put a bike on the road, with no training or registration required. They wear no helmets and offer their passengers none. Okada drivers are either deliberately inviting motorists to hit them and their passengers (they often carry two or more people) or they believe they are invincible. Sadly, it is said that a wing of the orthopaedic hospital in Lagos is set aside for victims of Okada accidents.

Although many would not admit to it, a good number of Nigerians, rich and poor would have had to take an Okada at a desperate moment for only Okadas can whiz through the depressing and parking-lot traffic of Lagos to deliver you to the multi-billion Naira corporate deal less than three miles away. An American Christian leader who is also the Editor of 'Charisma Magazine' wrote an insightful piece in 2007 on how he had to abandon his comfortable car to ride on the back of Okada to make a preaching engagement in Lagos.

Okada has become a legacy of our economic and political failures. The argument for Okada by its proponents is that it provides a quick and effective means of transportation for a vast majority of our people, and employment for those who might otherwise go into the underworld. However, the question is ‘do we as a nation really want an Okada economy’?

For its pervasiveness as a form of transport all over the country, Okada, the motorbike taxi is a wonder of Nigeria.

Moving to Nigeria - What to know and do (Part 4)

Where to shop
Although there are many small shops around, the best place to get all of your shopping in one go is at ‘Shoprite’ supermarket in Lekki. What works to Shoprite's favour includes relatively cheaper prices, adequate parking and a wider choice of stock. Besides, ‘the Palms’ where shoprite is located also houses other shops and restaurants. Be prepared however for traffic as this part of Lagos is generally congested.

Staffing
Staffing is always a major issue for many people. Come to think of it, this is not limited to Nigeria alone. For domestic staff, go by recommendation. Labour is quite cheap, but you are expected to give regular tips to your staff. It is to your advantage to treat your staff with dignity and respect. It is also the right thing to do no matter what you may see people do around you.

You may also experience communication issues with staff. The most confusing one is people saying 'yes' to a question that demands a negative answer. You will experience this with many people, so double check to ensure you and the person with whom you are communicating are singing from the same hymn sheet.

Handling Police Officers

It is no secret that a major shaking and reform of the Nigerian Police Force is needed. Whilst we hope and await this, you need wisdom to handle them. The following will help:

- Ensure your vehicle particulars are intact.
- Speak to them with respect; this will make life easier for you.
- Don't condescend or attempt to speak 'big grammar'.
- Never follow them to the station.
- You need to obtain a police permit to have your car windows darkened.
- You also need to carry a fire extinguisher and the triangular caution sign

- Have photocopies of your driving licence, insurance and vehicle papers with you.

Treat everyone with respect
In Nigeria, do not underestimate anyone. The office help or messenger is as important as the big boss. The secretary is probably much more important than the boss. If you don't treat them well, you may not get to see the boss.

Carry money on you
Nigeria is a cash society, so you always need to carry money on you. As they say, you may need to bail out yourself if you collide with an egg hawker. Seriously, you may need to bail out yourself from potentially embarrassing situations like if your tank runs low.

You also need money to give to gate-men, security guards in your estate etc on a regular basis. Apart from making a difference to their lives, the 200 or 500 Naira you give buys you considerable goodwill and is expected

Family and People issues
You will have to deal aplenty with issues relating to family and friends. Some arguments will be baseless and people may pick up quarrels with you without a just cause. The wisdom is to learn to ignore a lot of things and not get offended. Don't join issues with family or friends too often even on matters of principle or when you feel you are right. You will only succeed in acquiring enemies as your point of view in all probability will not be understood. Learn to ignore a lot of things, most of the time, they mean no harm.

Keep your feet firmly on the ground
Nigeria has a way of levitating people beyond their own personal reach to the extent that you will almost be doing a catch-up with yourself. When you have people doing for you chores you normally do by yourself (labour is cheap), it is not impossible to begin to misbehave. Sometimes, it is trying to be who you aren't in order to keep up with the 'joneses' (or shall we say keeping up with the 'Ades'). You will need to keep yourself under check so that your head does not swell. Keep it real, keep it simple, treat everyone with respect, keep your feet FIRMLY and DELIBERATELY on the ground.

Moving to Nigeria - What to know and do Part 3

In the last three months, we have looked at two editions of the topic - 'Moving to Nigeria, what to know and do' This post is a continuation.

The beauty of Nigeria is indescribable. You wake up to the beautiful chorus of cocks crowing at dawn. Sometimes it's a few birds singing their own version of Handel's Messiah. When it rains, the smell of the freshness of the earth is both breathtaking and breathgiving. If it rains at night, the beating of the raindrops against the earth, roof and concrete creates a spatter, splatter, splash drumming melody that will lull the greatest insomniac to sleep.

There is also a realness to the green of the dense bushes and the richness of the red earth where almost anything would grow.

In Nigeria, chicken tastes like chicken, and you can smell the delightful, mouth-watering aroma of its preparation a mile away. Although the quest for high yielding crops is beginning to eat into agriculture, most things are still organic and fresh without costing an arm and a leg as they do in the West. Before I bore you with my culinary experience, the following are further things to know if you are planning to move to Nigeria:

13. Where to Bank
Zenith, First, Access, Skye, Intercontinental, FCMB, PHB, Diamond, UBA, GTB are all very good Banks and have a wide nationwide network. Since the recapitalisation exercise in 2006, there are now 25 Banks (24 after the merger of IBTC/Stanbic). The days of the wonder Banks are long gone and your money is probably much more secure in a Nigerian Bank than in British Banks where I have repeatedly suffered from identity theft.

Nigerian Banks do charge for current accounts. So ask for an account that is C.O.T. free. Also consider the branch coverage across the country before deciding on a Bank.

14. Don't just eat anywhere
Some returnees have the habit of eating anything they see, everywhere they go. A bit of caution here. Except you have taken typhoid injection, and very sure that your stomach is not fragile, do not venture to Mama Sikira's buka to wolf down 'amala' and 'gbegiri' as you used to do before the Second World War. Having been away for some time, you may not have the same level of defences as you had then and it does take time to build this up.

Not scaremongering, same goes for the roasted 'agbado' and 'boli' on the street. People have come down with sicknesses because of them. Haven't you noticed that buyers touch all the bolis, size them all up before picking the lucky one to buy?

Be careful also with ‘suya’ or eating in public generally. Apart from the fact that your stomach needs time to adjust to a major change of diet, there is a serious possibility of food poisoning and the risk of typhoid. Ensure your suya is further roasted once you make a choice and only go to recommended ‘suya’ points.

15. Never drink 'pure water'
'Pure water' is the name for water sold in small plastic bags available everywhere. Some of the mainstream bottled water are even rumoured to be adulterated. I recommend 'Nestle' water followed by 'Eva'.

16. Schools for Children
There are a lot of good schools in Nigeria. Many of the private schools follow the British curriculum and a few follow the American system. Many of them also prepare their students for IGCSE

The following are the popular schools around:

- Grange School in GRA Ikeja
- Greensprings in Anthony Village and Lekki
- Chrisland School, Opebi, VGC, idimu
- British International School, Lekki
- Lekki British International, Lekki
- Avi-Cenna - runs the US curriculum, GRA
- Vivian Fowler, Ikeja
- Oxbridge College in GRA Ikeja run 'A' Level programmes

School fees vary but usually around the 1 million Naira mark per year for the very good schools.


17. TV Stations to watch
Beware of 'African Magic TV Channel' (the Channel dedicated to African Movies). Most of their films have a part 2, each running on average for up to 2 hrs. In other words, if you sit down to watch any of the films; you will need to devote a total of four hours, meaning that a sixth of your day is gone. If you do this on a daily basis, by the time you are sixty, 'African Magic' would have eaten up 10 years of your life. Beware!

'AIT' to me appears to be leading the charge in coverage and variety of programmes. Channels TV' Ten O Clock News is useful. 'Minaj' news is also very comprehensive. You probably do need the occasional dose of the local films to unwind, particularly the very good ones.

Foreign TV stations are also widely available on DSTV and lately Hi-TV.

18. Don't forget the poor and the beggars
The reason why this is part of what you need to know is because it is very easy to forget or ignore the poor especially because you get to see far too many of them. The reality is that too many people are hurting in our country and some rely on begging for their daily bread. Some days you can give, some you can't. This is OK. It however takes a conscious effort not to allow your sensitivity to be dulled by the daily familiarity with the poor.

Our people are hurting, so don't just splash puddle on them when you drive. At traffic lights, they will come to your car, militantly stand by your window begging, they will touch your newly buffed car. As irritating as this may be, never be fed up with them. Remember, there is no social security system for the weak, the old or infirm. They may even throw away the money you give if they judge it to be too small as it happened to me when I inadvertently gave a beggar 5 Naira.

You may think beggars are a nuisance. Whatever you may feel about this issue, begging is the only means of livelihood for some people. Postcardfromlagos

Watch out for Part 4

New features and Rejoinder on 'the Accident Incident'

Thank you for your continued interest in Postcard from Lagos. I will like to thank those who have left comments on the website and the many that send their comments directly to our email address. Please do note that your thoughts count.

Postcard from Lagos has generated nearly 10,000 hits since inception. One of our posts ‘Moving to Nigeria, what to know and do Part 1’ was published on Nigeria Village Square in April becoming the second most popular article on the site having been read by nearly 2000 people before the end of that month.

As part of the strategy to move forward, we have added new features some of which are shown below:

1. Email Subscription
You can now subscribe to Postcard from Lagos by email. What this means is that you will automatically receive an email version whenever a new post is published. You will also never miss any edition of Postcard from Lagos unless you unsubscribe. It will also imply we don’t have to compile and send out emails every time a post is published some of which may be lost as spam. I encourage you to subscribe.

2. Ditch the .blogspot appendage
You can now access Postcard from Lagos without the .blogspot appendage. From now on, log on to www.postcardfromlagos.com

3. Labels
To see the title of previous posts, check under ‘labels’ which is to the right of the blog.

4. Vote
We have also introduced a poll system to the site. You can vote on any of our two current polls:

Which is the most important factor in deciding to move to Nigeria?
Would you consider a move to Nigeria?

One poll is at the right-hand side of the blog and the other is at the bottom. Please vote even if you already live in Nigeria.

5. Your thoughts count
Your thoughts do matter to us, please keep them coming as they have helped to shape the direction of the blog. Even if it’s one line, it usually is terribly appreciated. You can also comment on past posts. All you need to do is click on the comments text at the end of each post.

6. Rejoinder to the Accident Incident
The ‘Accident Incident’ posts generated a good number of comments, on the site, by email and face to face. It has proven to be the most emotional publication yet. I am hoping to bring something positive out of this and will appreciate your ideas. Some people have volunteered their services for some form of citizens’ project to tackle motor accident problems. We need more ideas on how to make this work.

At the moment, the initial thoughts I have is to develop a ‘good driving website’ in conjunction with EtiquetteBank.com. This site will become a platform for all other campaign ideas. If you want to be part of this, please live a comment below this post or directly to thedrivingproject@postcardfromlagos.com with the type of expertise you can bring.

If you have not read 'The Accident Incident', please scroll down the site and you will find it there. You may email the post to your friends for their ideas and suggestions too.

7. Sharing the blog
We need foot soldiers to help publicise the blog to friends and families. You can do this by clicking on the envelope icon at the end of each post. This will take you to a new page where you can enter your friend’s email. You can send to 10 friends at a time by separating their emails with a comma and space.

Part 3 of 'Moving to Nigeria - What to know and do' will be published soon. PostcardfromLagos

Moving to Nigeria - What to know and do (Part 2)

In the last edition, I shared my experience on 'Moving to Nigeria - what to know and do'. The post is to give a factual view of my experience so far with respect to returning to settle in Nigeria. The strategy behind this post is to assist those who are planning to move to Nigeria and do not know where to start.

There are many stories around about the futility of trying to move and the impossibility of living in the country. Of course there are challenges; probably at every corner in Nigeria. The beauty however is that you do feel some sense of achievement for each hurdle you overcome.

Some have taken the view that moving to Nigeria is for those who have acquired a lot of money from abroad and can afford to splash out. Whilst this may be true for some people, I know and have met an increasing number of people who applied for and got a job in Nigeria from their bases in Europe and in North America. Some were headhunted and provided with the means to settle in Nigeria by their new employer

At a job fair organised by Jobs in Nigeria Exhibition (www. jinexpo.com) which I was invited to attend in England less than three weeks ago, nearly all the people present were under 23. Some of them have just graduated and a good number are graduating in June 2008. These are hardly people who have acquired wealth abroad. The gist here is that there are different experiences and routes to moving back home, this series is to assist with your settling experience whichever you take.

In this edition, I have identified some other things to know and do if you fancy moving to Nigeria. Please keep your comments coming and share your experiences too. Thank you.

8. Containing Malaria - The threat of malaria is a clear and present danger. This however can be contained by adopting some basic steps. Because malaria is transferred by mosquitoes, the challenge is to reduce your exposure.

• The most important is to get mosquito nets. This will ensure no mosquito can feast on you at your most vulnerable state. Buy ‘impregnated nets’ which have been treated with insecticides and therefore serve a dual function of not only protecting you but also allegedly kills mosquitoes on impact. Travelpharm.com sells double nets for £29.99
• Keep a bottle of insect repellant lotion or spray in hand especially when outdoors and apply to exposed part of your body every few hours. The non-sticky lotion in my opinion is better than the spray.
• Fumigate your home at least once a quarter. Include the surroundings and drains. This is an effective means of containing mosquitoes and other 'stake-holding pretenders' such as mice and wall geckos (omo onile). From my personal experience, I have found that once this exercise is carried out; there is true relief from mosquitoes for a few months. Ensure that the house is thoroughly flushed and aerated before attempting to sleep in after fumigation.
• Get your windows and the kitchen door netted.
• Always shut the door.
• In the likely event that you develop malaria; contact a doctor quickly, don’t rely on your past knowledge to self-medicate. Only combination drugs can effectively treat today’s new and improved version of malaria.

I have taken the time to write on preventing malaria because of the devastating effect of ignoring this scourge.

9. You need a generator – electricity supply is erratic. Apart from Aso Rock and the Governors’ mansions, practically everyone else needs a generator to augment the national grid. Until recently, I did not know that air conditioners are expressed in horse power and generators in KVA. Now I feel confident enough to give advice on this.

• A simple 5 or 6 KVA petrol generator will carry your fridge, freezer, lights and a 1.5 horsepower air-conditioner. If you switch on any of the following - iron, water heater, electric cooker, microwave or kettle in addition, the generator will almost certainly rebel.
• Petrol generators have a scattered annoying noise.
• To be able to carry all your household appliances including up to 7 air conditioners, iron, microwave, water heater at the same time, you will need at least a 27KVA diesel generator.
• 27KVA sound proof generators retail for between 1.5 to 2 million Naira. 'Cummins', 'CAT' and 'Perkins' brand are well regarded although you will need to check for fakes.
• If you can, get a sound proof generator, your quality of life will be hugely improved.
• The more appliances you have on, the faster the fuel consumption, so switch off any air conditioner or appliances not in use.

I am planning to buy an ‘Inverter’ which according to a friend can equally do the job without the noise and the fuel cost, howbeit, may not power air conditioners.

10. Internet Access – Most of the major telecoms operators also offer Internet services. Although most claim they offer broadband services, I have however not found any that gives anywhere near the speed of what obtains in Europe and North America.

Internet Service is horrendously expensive. A 24hour, 300kbs EVDO ‘broadband’ service averages 15,000 Naira (£65 / $130) per month. Visafone charges 15,000 Naira for their Gold Service whilst Starcomms EVDO card is 15,595 Naira.

11. Where to live - This is a matter of choice. Many returnees however prefer housing estates because of security reasons. The most popular on the Mainland are Ogudu GRA, Magodo GRA, Omole Phase 1 and 2 and Ikeja GRA.

On the Island, the desirable areas are Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Lekki Phase 1, Femi Okunu, Northern Foreshore, Goshen Estate, and Victoria Garden City (VGC). Apart from Ikoyi and Victoria Island, the rest of these Island estates are on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.

It appears that many returnees prefer to live on the Island because the shops, the good restaurants, and the cinemas are there. The Lekki axis is also geographically nearer to Victoria Island which has metamorphosed from a purely residential precinct to the Wall Street of Nigeria.
The downside to the Lekki axis is the very bad traffic. The reason being that the route is served by only one major road to which all of the estates along the route empty its people morning, noon and night. So whilst Lekki is nearer to the business district of VI, it often take hours to travel to and from work.

The minimum rent for a four bedroom house in Magodo GRA, Omole Phase 1 and 2, Ogudu GRA, Femi Okunu and Nothern Foreshore is 1.2 million Naira per year. Lekki Phase 1 and Goshen Estate are in the reange of 2.5 million per year. Ikeja GRA, Victoria Island will hover around the 4 million Naira mark. Ikoyi and VGC may well be around 5-6 million Naira per year. Standard deposit is 2 years plus 10% for other costs.

There are probably other good locations scattered around the city which may be better than those described, PostCardfromLagos will welcome your suggestions and comments.


12. Newspapers
The most popular dailies are ‘Guardian’, ‘Punch’, and ‘This Day.’ This Day’ is particularly popular on Sundays because of its colourful ‘Style magazine. Simon Kolawole’s articles on the back page of Sunday’s ‘This Day’ are passionate and relevant.

‘The Punch’ claims to be the most widely read Nigerian newspapers and at 100 Naira is cheaper than ‘This Day’ and ‘The Guardian’.

‘The Guardian’ has good editorials and is neatly laid out.

Watch out for Part 3 – coming soon PostcardfromLagos