Living In Nigeria, Opportunities For Expats And Education Possibilities

Nigeria is a country of great contrasts and great opportunities. Oil (black gold) has brought great wealth to many, but this stands alongside poverty and disease. Nigeria has so many developing markets and is fighting to produce so many everyday products within the country that there are huge opportunities in so many sectors.

Expatriates workers are visible in many sectors of the Nigerian economy, but perhaps most obviously in sectors such as oil and gas, telecommunications, banking and finance, and basic infrastructure programmes. Starting a business can be difficult through problems such as water and electricity supply, communication networks, the cost of land and import / export difficulties. Much is made of security issues by the international media, but common sense and a reliable driver will ensure that the huge majority of disturbances can be avoided.

Most international products and services are available, but it can take time to find them or to access them. The traffic on the roads has to be seen to be believed and a Lagos 'go slow' can be very frustrating making travel times excessive.

There are plenty of schools to choose from and both UK and international programmes are available. Most of the best schools have their own websites, but you need to visit the school to get a real feel for the place. When you do chose a school, think carefully about location and travel times as these can be very important factors. Ask for advice from schools and your driver. Do not chose a distant school unless you want to consider the option of boarding.

A levels are quite widely available, but you will probably want to look to the UK, US, Canada or South Africa for university. Also, be aware that many schools are still offering the (very) old GCE 'O' level programme which was replaced in the UK by the GCSE (equivalent to IGCSE) in the early 1980s.