Nigeria, Lagos info
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Nigeria, Lagos info
Hi all.
It might be i'll get a job in Nigeria with Lagos as main base.
Can anybody give me some info about the country,life style and safety?
Thank to everybody.
MV
It might be i'll get a job in Nigeria with Lagos as main base.
Can anybody give me some info about the country,life style and safety?
Thank to everybody.
MV
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Check out 'What is new in West Africa' on 'Rotorheads'. It's mostly to do with the Niger Delta but trouble is spreading to Lagos, too. Working in Nigeria nowadays, well, 'Are you feeling lucky, punk?'
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I dont know how i'm feeling since i don't have anything sure at the moment.
i would prefere to end up in Lagos instead of Saudi arabia since these two are actually the options i have.
Besides, in Lagos i would not have to pay and in Saudi arabia yes so.........
cheers
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If you are going to be working for a reputable company e.g aero & Bristow you should do just fine as they have lots of expat staff and are used to helping expats out with issues relating to settling in Lagos e.g some provide transport, housing, and medical care etc.If you come from Europe or America dont expect things to be as you are used to them come with an open mind and be very careful in all your dealings.But very importantly disclose the company you are going to work for so that members on this forum in the know can give you helpful advice.
Manuelvi working in Nigeria and how much you enjoy it will depend very much on where you are based, where your accomodation is, and your own ability to adapt.
If based in the Port Harcourt area then security will be a major concern for you and your night life, off duty time, will be less free than if working in some other areas.
If based in Lagos and your accomodation is in Ekoyi or Victoria Island then there are many clubs, restaurants to amuse you in your free time. Security is still an issue, but not as major an issue as in the PHC area
If based in Lagos and living in the area around the airport such as Ikeja then options are much more restricted than on VI or Ikoyi. Good expat base to mix with if that is your scene.
The roads and power supply are universally poor all over Nigeria and those who have been in power over the oil rich years should feel ashamed of just how little has been done in these areas. Telecoms have been revolutionised by the advent of the mobile phone and just about everyone has one. The robbing of mobiles is a major issue in petty crime.
Food wise. In the V.I. area there are now a good selection of restauarants offering, Brazilian, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Western Steak etc and Western Fast food, Indian. It is a lot less varied around Ikeja and the airport.
If looking to self cater then it can be difficult to olan too far ahead as some items might become 'unavailable' due to Govt importation bans, but there are now some reasonable supermarkets springing up which offer reasonable range of product
Yes there are some scum bags out there, just as in any country, but most of the people are very friendly and helpful. Of course if you treat them as unworthy and beneath you they might not be as nice back
Accomodation will depend on whether you are living on a compound or company sourced accomodation. Perhaps you will be based in a hotel to start with? Either way, most big companies provide security and a maid and chef for you.
Some expats have their own cars and brave the traffic and police road blocks on a daily basis. Others have a driver and vehicle provided for them. The second option is much the better option if you are taking your family with you.
No one on here can tell you whether you will enjoy the experience because we don't know you. I enjoyed my time very much and will go back one day, but others I worked with never came close to enjoying it.
Vive la Difference and all that.
If based in the Port Harcourt area then security will be a major concern for you and your night life, off duty time, will be less free than if working in some other areas.
If based in Lagos and your accomodation is in Ekoyi or Victoria Island then there are many clubs, restaurants to amuse you in your free time. Security is still an issue, but not as major an issue as in the PHC area
If based in Lagos and living in the area around the airport such as Ikeja then options are much more restricted than on VI or Ikoyi. Good expat base to mix with if that is your scene.
The roads and power supply are universally poor all over Nigeria and those who have been in power over the oil rich years should feel ashamed of just how little has been done in these areas. Telecoms have been revolutionised by the advent of the mobile phone and just about everyone has one. The robbing of mobiles is a major issue in petty crime.
Food wise. In the V.I. area there are now a good selection of restauarants offering, Brazilian, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Western Steak etc and Western Fast food, Indian. It is a lot less varied around Ikeja and the airport.
If looking to self cater then it can be difficult to olan too far ahead as some items might become 'unavailable' due to Govt importation bans, but there are now some reasonable supermarkets springing up which offer reasonable range of product
Yes there are some scum bags out there, just as in any country, but most of the people are very friendly and helpful. Of course if you treat them as unworthy and beneath you they might not be as nice back
Accomodation will depend on whether you are living on a compound or company sourced accomodation. Perhaps you will be based in a hotel to start with? Either way, most big companies provide security and a maid and chef for you.
Some expats have their own cars and brave the traffic and police road blocks on a daily basis. Others have a driver and vehicle provided for them. The second option is much the better option if you are taking your family with you.
No one on here can tell you whether you will enjoy the experience because we don't know you. I enjoyed my time very much and will go back one day, but others I worked with never came close to enjoying it.
Vive la Difference and all that.
hmmmmm define reasonable? Suggest you give the budget hotels a miss as the quality is not good, and they are still expensive by African standards. There are some good 'boutique' hotels as well as the main chains. Where do you need to stay as that will determine your options.
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Port Harcourt
Hi surely not
Can you please elaborate on the nature of problems in Port Harcourt and the necessary security precautions to take?
I will be based there from next week onwards.
Regards
Can you please elaborate on the nature of problems in Port Harcourt and the necessary security precautions to take?
I will be based there from next week onwards.
Regards
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Lagos and Port Harcourt
If you need some informations about Lagos or Port Harcourt, just go to www.oyibosonline.com
To have access to security forum you need to register
Really nice website, thanks to chief oyibo
To have access to security forum you need to register
Really nice website, thanks to chief oyibo
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Lagos and Port Harcourt
CLB
I guess if you're going to look for work you'd like to be near the airport and if so PM me for the name of a good hotel (don't want to be accused of advertising on PPRuNe! Another good way would be to follow the good advice of froggypilot and go to the OOL website. They have a really good section with advice to 'fresh fish' (which is what you'll be
). They also have a section on accommodation, eating out and bars in both Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Beech19,
You haven't said whether you're going to be working for an airline or the likes of Bristow or CHC in PH. Last January 8 policemen were killed by militants in the Agip base in Port Harcourt, right in front of the Aero hangar. One helicopter was also damaged in the same attack as an AK47 round hit it. There were 3 car bombs in the city last year, one in the army barracks, one in the Shell Residential Area and one by the fence of the Agip Residential Area. One expat was shot and killed in his car in a suspected 'execution' killing (which was also, tragically, reported to have been a case of mistaken identity). The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) have announced that they will be increasing their bombing campaign and increasing the number of kidnappings this year. There were more than 70 expats kidnapped in Nigeria last year and one which had a big negative impact on the social life in Port Harcourt was the kidnapping of 8 expats from a karaoke bar with a large number of expat customers. This has led to a big decrease in the number of expats enjoying the local nightlife, which is a shame because there are a number of good, friendly restaurants, bars and clubs in the city. Most companies now impose a night-time curfew and many only permit expats out of their compounds to go to and from work, with an armed MOPOL escort. Your company and work colleagues should advise you on security precautions to take - posting them on PPRuNe would be a breach of security. There are currently (14 January) 9 expat hostages being held by more than one group, some for monetary ransom, and some against the release of people being held by the government for terrorism and corruption. The risk is real - one pilot and one engineer were kidnapped from Eket with a group of expats last year. Most companies are taking security very seriously now many are employing on site security specialists so they can keep up to date with the situation and react accordingly. You also would be well advised to sign on to Chief Oyibo"s excellent website as suggested by froggypilot - it's a valuable source of really up to date information for many expats and has some good forums if you want to ask questions.
I guess if you're going to look for work you'd like to be near the airport and if so PM me for the name of a good hotel (don't want to be accused of advertising on PPRuNe! Another good way would be to follow the good advice of froggypilot and go to the OOL website. They have a really good section with advice to 'fresh fish' (which is what you'll be
). They also have a section on accommodation, eating out and bars in both Lagos and Port Harcourt.Beech19,
You haven't said whether you're going to be working for an airline or the likes of Bristow or CHC in PH. Last January 8 policemen were killed by militants in the Agip base in Port Harcourt, right in front of the Aero hangar. One helicopter was also damaged in the same attack as an AK47 round hit it. There were 3 car bombs in the city last year, one in the army barracks, one in the Shell Residential Area and one by the fence of the Agip Residential Area. One expat was shot and killed in his car in a suspected 'execution' killing (which was also, tragically, reported to have been a case of mistaken identity). The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) have announced that they will be increasing their bombing campaign and increasing the number of kidnappings this year. There were more than 70 expats kidnapped in Nigeria last year and one which had a big negative impact on the social life in Port Harcourt was the kidnapping of 8 expats from a karaoke bar with a large number of expat customers. This has led to a big decrease in the number of expats enjoying the local nightlife, which is a shame because there are a number of good, friendly restaurants, bars and clubs in the city. Most companies now impose a night-time curfew and many only permit expats out of their compounds to go to and from work, with an armed MOPOL escort. Your company and work colleagues should advise you on security precautions to take - posting them on PPRuNe would be a breach of security. There are currently (14 January) 9 expat hostages being held by more than one group, some for monetary ransom, and some against the release of people being held by the government for terrorism and corruption. The risk is real - one pilot and one engineer were kidnapped from Eket with a group of expats last year. Most companies are taking security very seriously now many are employing on site security specialists so they can keep up to date with the situation and react accordingly. You also would be well advised to sign on to Chief Oyibo"s excellent website as suggested by froggypilot - it's a valuable source of really up to date information for many expats and has some good forums if you want to ask questions.
Last edited by soggyboxers; 14th Jan 2007 at 09:37.
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manuelvi,
There's an article about the Niger Delta in Vanity Fair (yes really!) by a guy called Sebastian Junger. It's a real eye-opener if you don't know anything about Nigeria. You can also access it through Oyibosonline. It's a straigh no BS article on what's happening and has an interview with the leader of the MEND guerilla army in the Delta swamps.
There's an article about the Niger Delta in Vanity Fair (yes really!) by a guy called Sebastian Junger. It's a real eye-opener if you don't know anything about Nigeria. You can also access it through Oyibosonline. It's a straigh no BS article on what's happening and has an interview with the leader of the MEND guerilla army in the Delta swamps.
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HI chrislikesblue - just got back from Lagos and stayed in a really stunning "Boutique Hotel" - prices reasonable and service outstanding. Name - Savoy Suites - website www.savoysuitesnigeria.com
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by spice; 15th Jan 2007 at 12:18. Reason: Spelling error
