Ways Of Supervising Your Building Projects In Nigeria

To get a building constructed can be very easy if you follow these steps I will be explaining to you. Before you begin at all or planning to do anything is better you know what is involved on that thing, and in your plan know how much you are going to spend,and you need to know the numbers of people you'll be using so that you don't end up paying people on your site that didn't work for the day.

There are stages in building constructions that you must follow and requirements of labor varies but have it in your mind that anybody you bring to your site, work or not, they will have to be paid. And in case your first plan doesn't work you can try another one.

A lot of books are out there advertising new innovations on building, you may be surprised to find out that what you need right now are right in those papers , and you have more opportunities of alternatives.

The reputation of your professional or contractor; how honest is he and which of his past jobs can he point to? who can stand for him, or recommend him to carry out your job. Make sure this person is actually qualified for the job.

Whatever you estimate, our economy is besiege by unending inflation, you will always be expected to spend more at the end of the day, so earmark 20% of the estimate for your building for exigencies, though make sure you don't stretch your budget to the limit, or what is the essence of a shelter if you don't have money to provide food for you and your family?

It is important you approve your building plan because of future occurrences, the government can decide to turn your building to a road, what will you use to fight back or at least be paid compensation for your property. If you are a businessman with an approved plan you can turn your property as a collateral to obtain loan from the bank to help your business.

You and your contractor must have written agreement on a specific task he is to
perform and also documents amount you pay him and always let him sign under to confirm amount of money you have paid to him, if you fail to do this, the probability is very high that you'll quarrel over money with your contractor as the job progresses. I have seen several cases of this. If you feel what he's charging is a bit on the high side is better you price lower and find out how your building will reflect the amount of money you are paying. Though the cheapest price is not always the best and the cheapest at the long run may end up being the costliest.

The safety of your workers on site is very important to avoid disaster let your contractor stipulates his health measures for his workers especially in a large building.

When you are not sure of a step you are about to take, please don't hesitate to ask the professionals before you embark on it, it may ruin your plans when you don't seek advice, and local contractors and professionals can be of immense benefits also when you need them at short notice. Remember you are employing and creating a job by giving out your project to be managed by a professional who may actually be your friend, but in this case this is business and should be treated as such.

When purchasing materials, always go for the best quality and don't hesitate to ask for discounts, you will be shocked by the amount of money that will be returned to you.
When your contractor is offering you a deal that is too sweet to your hearing and too generous to your purse then you may be heading for disaster. Building work is not always as smooth sailing as some people will make you believe.

You can also save cost unknowingly when you build the biggest possible size you can afford as it will cost less if done at the initial stage rather than as extension later on especially when you are sure of your capabilities.

There is no need for being unnecessarily apprehensive to get your building completed very fast, be patient to watch out for favorable weather when building and also give room for waste management, so that you don't end up having no space for your septic, refuse and other wastes. Whatever kind of material you are purchasing make sure they will be ready when you need them and always make sure of the presence of services on the site before you purchase them.

Where you keep your materials is also important, are they safe? Using an artisan (bricklayer, carpenter, welder etc) to do the job of a professional like Architect, Structural Engineer etc. is not advisable on your site make sure everyone is qualified for the job at hand and don't allow any contractor to decide for you because you are the boss and pay only when the job is satisfactory however, don't cut corners because it will cost you more later.

You can get the best quality of materials in Nigeria, you may not need to go abroad for this, don't accept poor quality material or workmanship for your job.

Omion Emmanuel is an architect that has great passion for online marketing, He uses the medium to teach young Nigerians on how to effectively build,manage and supervise their building projects.

He is more at home with construction industry of his native country Nigeria.

He specialises in Residentials and Bank building design and Construction.

He is best called Nigerian online building management pro.

[http://www.buildingcontractorsecrets.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emmanuel_Omion

Entrepreneurial Development In Nigeria

While these statistics bide well for the country's economic prospects, they also serve to reaffirm the vital importance of entrepreneurial development in achieving that potential.

Past Entrepreneurship Developments

People of the Ibo community in Nigeria are considered one of the oldest entrepreneurs in history, their expertise stretching back to times before modern currency and trade models had developed elsewhere on the planet. In the more recent past, Nigerians adapted their natural talents to evolve traditional businesses and crafts that have sustained most of the country's rural and urban poor for the better part of the last half century. While the oil boom of the '70s brought in billions of petrodollars, most of the country's population remained untouched by the new-found prosperity, thanks to widespread political corruption and catastrophic economic mismanagement. Because of these and other factors, the World Bank estimates that 80% of oil revenues benefited just 1% of the population.

Most of Nigeria's current woes trace back to a historic overdependence on oil to the negligence of all other sectors, including customary trades and agriculture. Decades of non-inclusive policies alienated the vast majority of Nigerians, plunging the country into a miasma of extreme poverty and ravaging civil and political strife. The climate of economic stagnation spawned a mammoth informal economy that continues to sustain the bulk of Nigeria's 148 million people. It is a measure of Nigeria's inherent entrepreneurial capacity that this informal, unorganised sector presently accounts for 65% of Gross National Product and accounts for 90% of all new jobs.

All these factors have tremendous relevance for Nigeria's future prospects, even more so considering the extent of official neglect and lack of assistance and infrastructure that the country's indigenous entrepreneurs have had to overcome. Harnessing the informal economy and leveraging its full potential is a prerequisite for Nigeria to emerge from the shackles of its Third World legacy.

The Future of Entrepreneurial Development in Nigeria

It is not as if Nigeria's hopes of economic superiority rest on individual optimism and enterprise alone. Right after the reinstatement of democracy in 1999, the government of former president O Obsanjo unveiled ambitious plans to take the sub-Saharan nation to the top 20 world economies by 2020. Abuja is also a signatory to the UN Millennial Declaration of 2000 for the achievement of universal basic human rights - relating to health, education, shelter and security - in a time bound manner by 2015. Both objectives present mammoth challenges for Nigeria in terms of reversing past trends and evolving innovative strategy for sustainable and inclusive growth.

The primary focus of Obasanjo's policies centred on accelerated development through entrepreneurial education (which he made mandatory for college students of all disciplines) and the creation of conditions favourable to a new business regime built on innovation and adaptability. The federal government has since initiated successive programmes aimed at promoting enterprises through widespread use of technology and socially relevant business models. The extent of success of these and other measures, however, is still a matter of debate.

According to the 2007 Gallup poll, 69% of respondents planning new businesses had no intention of registering their operations, indicating they would still prefer to be part of the informal economy. In light of Nigeria's long-term goals, this is certainly bad news.

Obstacles to Enterprise Development

Disinterest in the formal economy reflects the status of Nigeria's policies and tax regime, which have long been deemed detrimental to the growth of viable enterprises. Even more disturbing is the fact that this continues to be the case despite the energetic reforms process initiated after the return of democracy. It is more than evident that piecemeal measures are unequal to meeting the challenges that Nigeria has set itself up to.

The following are the most important obstacles facing rapid entrepreneurial development:

• Absence of a pro-active regulatory environment that encourages innovative enterprise development at the grassroots level.
• Significant infrastructural deficits (especially with regards to roads and electricity) and systemic irregularities inimical to small businesses.
• The presence of administrative and trade barriers that curtail capacity building and inhibit access to technical support.
• Absence of regulatory mechanisms for effective oversight of enterprise development initiatives, especially those in the MSME space.
• Poor access to vocational and skills-development training for rural and urban youths involved in the informal economy.
• Rampant political and bureaucratic corruption, together with the absence of social consensus on important macroeconomic policy issues.

More than 73% of Nigerians featuring in the Gallup survey conceded access to finance was the single-most important hurdle in the way to setting up successful enterprises. More telling is the fact that about 60% of respondents claimed that current policies, despite the government's focus on enterprise development, do not make it easy to start a business in Nigeria.


Some Additional Factors to Consider

Forbes Magazine recently sat down with Lagos Business School's Peter Bamkole to discuss the current obstacles facing aspiring Nigerian entrepreneurs. The interview outlines three major problems:

• Constrained access to local and international markets that stunt entrepreneurial expansion and proliferation.
• Severe infrastructure deficits (mainly of power and electricity) that hamstring both new and existing businesses.
• Inadequate access to finance and the absence of a credit policy that addresses the specific needs of enterprises.

The road to Nigeria's emergence as an economic superpower is muddy and treacherous. More than just optimism, it calls for clever economic manoeuvring that will help turn the country's fortunes around for good.

Peter Osalor is a multi-skilled director, chairman of trusts, proprietor and consultant. Peter Osalor has been a successful entrepreneur since 1992 when he formed Peter Osalor & Co and which has since grown to a very large client base with a turnover of millions. He is currently a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Nigeria (ICAN). Peter is also a member of the Chartered Tax Advisors and the Chartered Institute of Taxation in Nigeria (CITN).

He is a business mentor for Princess Trust in the UK. He is a member of the Inter Governmental Committee of ICAN and also a member of BCBC, which represents Black Church Membership of Christians whose responsibility is to ensure that the Christian businesses are not left out in the business opportunities arising from the 2012 Olympic Games In London.

Currently he is one of the professionals behind the Entrepreneur Revolution and Africa Entrepreneurs (http://theafricanentrepreneurs.com/). His TV program called success in your business (http://www.successinyourbusiness.com) has become a massive hit in Nigeria.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_O_Osalor

Africa Look To Nigeria For Leadership

Mr. Sharaf Nageeb, the out-going Egyptian ambassador to Nigeria, recently spoke extensively with journalists on his experience, achievements and challenges during his tenre in the country. Daily Trust brings you some of the highlights. What have been your achievements during your three-year stay in Nigeria?

 Full article: ‘Africa look to Nigeria for leadership’

Nigeria Relapsing Into A One-Party State?

The recent development in Nigeria where elected leaders or representatives of the people cross over to another party, with the people's mandate, is both alarming and unhealthy. Most of the political leaders - Governors, Ministers, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, local government chairmen, councillors, etc were voted based on their party manifestos. Defecting with their votes to other parties therefore, should be seen as a rape of their mandate.

The beauty of democracy is in checks and balances which is provided by the opposition parties. Where there are no checks and balances, there is the tendency for the ruling party to become dictatorial. And when there is dictatorship the people suffer unjustly. This is what PDP is driving the country into - becoming a one-party state, where there would be no one to oppose her.

Our politicians are indirectly telling us through their conduct that either they do not understand their party manifestos or they lack integrity. Whichever the case, they cannot be trusted with the people's mandate since they are not honest enough to protect the people's votes.

They have also shown that they are in politics simply for their selfish gains and not because they want to represent us. They only see politics as business and so they jump to any political party that offers the best bargain. The last gubernatorial election in Anambra state exposed some of these avaricious politicians; notable amongst them was this particular woman who contested on the platform of one of the parties she thought could easily secure the people's mandate for her. As soon as it was announced that Peter Obi had won the election, the next week she ran back to the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP).

Politics in our country has become exploitative: people now use the smaller parties to secure a mandate and then run to PDP where they think they stand the chance to personally gain more. They use the people's mandate to negotiate for their Ambassadorial, ministerial and other appointments. If we allow this ugly trend to continue in our national polity, sooner or later our nascent democracy would be destroyed by these selfish, dishonest, shameless and greedy politicians.

Recently the former governor of Abia state, Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu went back to PDP (after ruling under the platform of PPA). He was accepted at the national level, but the state refused to accept him back because they understood he was coming back for selfish reasons. If other states would emulate Abia state, the political harlotry in our nation would be checked.

The declaration by the national house of assembly that everyone has the right to cross over to another party irrespective of whether he is carrying the mandate of the people on another political party platform is not helping matters. The house of assembly should realize that this declaration is moving the country in the wrong direction where our national political boat would soon capsize. They are elected to make laws that would suit the nation and not their political party. The country belongs to all Nigerians and not to PDP alone; they should therefore make laws that posterity would applaud and not condemn. Everyone should stand up to condemn this development that is threatening to destroy our nascent democracy and take us back to the military era.

Joseph Ezie Efoghor is a professional nurse with years of practical experience. He writes on variety of topics which you may find beneficial to you. For more on his write-ups visit http://politicalfield.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Ezie_Efoghor

Nigeria And Switzerland Negotiate Immigration Pact

Nigeria and Switzerland have taken further steps to review the existing immigration ties between both countries to address issues of illegal migrants, repatration procedures and investment inflow.

Full Story:THISDAY ONLINE / Nigeria news / African views on global news

Nigeria's Brain Gain - CNN Video

Nigerian expats repatriating to take advantage of opportunities in Nigeria and Africa's growth despite global economic downturn.

‘Nigeria’s Private Sector Is Arguably One Of The Most Enterprising In The World’

While the lack of infrastructure has been fingered as the bane of organisational growth and development in Nigeria, the Managing Director of Lekki Concession Company Ltd., Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuma, says the Private Public Partnership scheme will help address the problem.

Full story: The Punch:: ‘Nigeria’s private sector is arguably one of the most enterprising in the world’

My Account: From A Nigerian Expat

Many Britons dream of giving up the rat race and volunteering abroad. This is what Justin Scully has done.

I came out to Nigeria last February on a two-year placement with VSO, having left my job managing pubs and restaurants for Scottish and Newcastle. I decided to volunteer because after 10 years working in and benefiting from the "system", I wanted to give something back...

Full Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2632861.stm

Nigeria - What is Good And Great

Another great article from Vitus Ejiogu. Certainly worth a read...

I have watched with great admiration the wisdom behind the slogan: "Nigeria, Good People, Great Nation", which I have personally helped to popularize. Going by the things that developed as a result of a careful study of the Nation Nigeria, I began to see that the people of Nigeria are neither united nor diverse; they are a people in limbo!

No doubt, Nigeria is a great nation, inhabited in every corner by a wonderful, great and warm people. History has it that modern Nigeria dates from 1914 when the two British protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were amalgamated by Frederick John Dealtry Lugard (later Lord Lugard of Abinger).

Prior to this date, the territory contained a number of people, each severally pursuing its own destiny, each at its own pace and each following its own chosen direction. Despite the differences, these various people had contacts with one another because sporadic commercial and social contacts had, for centuries, been in existence even though each group had remained distinct and separate politically and culturally.

Vocal Slender – Welcome To Lagos

Vocal Slender - Welcome To Lagos from 3dnam on Vimeo.

You can listen to Vocal Slender's music on his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/vocalslender

Nigeria - Dealing With Issue Of Morality

A great article on the Nigerian national pride and the people of Nigeria's ongoing pursuit to make their country great again!

I have heard it over and over again that diagnosis is the first essential step in a journey towards recovery. In patients as well as nations, ailments, physical or moral, have chances of cure if they are well understood and their root causes identified. It is very important for us, Nigerians to know the moral state of Nigeria as a big step to curing her, to giving her a moral face-lift.

Let me start by sounding like the loyal citizen that I am. Loyalty is a very important virtue which God desires every one of His children to exhibit. To be "loyal" is to be "unswerving in allegiance; to be devoted to and faithful in allegiance to someone or to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product." As a Christian, I owe my absolute loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the Lord desires that I exhibit this virtue in other areas of life. He wants me to be a loyal citizen of my country - Nigeria.

Disloyalty to one's nation is the reason certain government officials can divert public funds for their personal use. It's the reason someone can climb a pole and steal streetlights meant to serve all of us, and go sell them. Disloyalty is what makes people vandalize government infrastructure and amenities without remorse. What on earth can make me be a disloyal person?

My desire at all times is to see this nation, Nigeria move forward and make progress. Despite the problems of corruption, violence, fraud and infrastructural decay that we see in our society today, which unfortunately are outgrowths of greed and disloyalty, I still believe that something good is about to take place in Nigeria. Therefore, I challenge you, dear fellow citizens of Nigeria, to be the best you can. In your place of work, dare to be different! Be known as a loyal employee.

It may sound true that Nigeria is an open society where evil people operate openly without a serious restriction, yet when you do the best you can, progress will be achieved. Nigeria may be a nation whose criminal record can easily be said to be as complex as its population, with an average citizen's moral judgment on it, mostly negative and disappointing, yet we are never the worst at it. There may be basic problems, socio-physical in nature such as lack of good roads, traffic hold-up in many areas, poor and inefficient power supply, water supply, inflation, high cost of living, etc, yet there is a promise of light at the end of the tunnel.

The slogan, 'Nigeria: good People Great Nation' truly is a clear description of the nation, Nigeria. Despite all the problems and even more serious ones that threaten the very survival of the nation and its citizens on daily basis, there is still a high level of tolerance that keeps them adjusting to the situations on ground. Having been troubled and influenced in all fronts negatively, an average Nigerian has learned to live with half-baked truth, power play, marginalization, loss of honesty, moral integrity; lack of moral conscience by public officials, businessmen and even professionals; lack of restraint and discipline in private and public lives of the citizens; lack of genuine enthusiasm for spiritual goods and values; and in fact, lack of the moral sense of right and wrong in practical life such as business deals, contracts, etc, still Nigerians, I mean, true citizens are doing greater things to counter the negative.

Nevertheless, what is really very disturbing about Nigeria and Nigerians is the seeming conviction on the part of many that only crime and criminal ways pay, which suggests to the uninformed that those are the only ways by which someone, becomes important, rich, respected, easily powerful and crowd-puller. This is not the true state of the Nigeria of our dreams? I mean, a nation without moral scruples, plagued all about with various kinds of social ills? God forbid!

Though unfair competition, bribery, corruption, rising costs of living, brigandage, embezzlement, etc have made and are currently making recurrent themes in print and electronic media, yet I see Nigeria leaping out of the moral sickness and the eventual death. I see the veil of criminality lifted out of this country and catching fire - a sign of liberation. I see moral laxity, poverty, injustice, immoral cultural habits, crime, etc giving way to give rise to a New Nigeria.

However, in this task of societal moral reconstruction, it is very important that Nigerians should be Nigerians indeed, believe in Nigeria and act in order to give this country a moral face-lift. Let us play out loud, this indispensable role of being true to ourselves and what we stand for. NIGERIA shall truly be GREAT again!

Source: Vitus Ejiogu is a writer and publisher with the Fire-Brand Int"l Ministries, a media ministry that is based in Nigeria.

He is the editor of FOUNDATION SATELLITE magazine also published by the ministry. He pastors a Church in Bauchi and is married with two children.

You can reach him at: firebrandhq@yahoo.com or 234 802 8181 829.

Website: http://www.palmgates.com

or http://www.firebrandhq.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vitus_Ejiogu

Cost Of Living In Lagos

LOCATION: Nigeria is in Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon.

CAPITAL CITY: Abuja

LARGEST CITY: Lagos

CURRENCY: Nigerian Naira (NGN)

ECONOMY: Nigeria is a low-income developing economy despite its many natural resources, including oil reserves, metals, forests and fertile farmland. Petroleum plays a large role in the Nigerian economy, accounting for 40% of the GDP.

Lagos has an overall cost of living index which equates it with high cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups. Lagos is currently ranked 53 overall, most expensive place in the world for expatriates to live, out of 276 international locations. The cost of living overview for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs for alcoholic beverages such as alcohol at bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine as well as tobacco products such as cigarettes is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 120 out of 276.

Clothing costs for clothing and footwear products such as business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 101 out of 276.

Communication costs for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract and calls is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 182 out of 276.

Education costs such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 12 out of 276.

Furniture & Appliance costs for furniture, household equipment and household appliances such as dvd player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 228 out of 276.

Grocery costs for food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 48 out of 276.

Healthcare costs for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance such as general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 25 out of 276.

Household costs for housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes such as house / flat mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 24 out of 276.

Miscellaneous costs related to stationary, linen and general goods and services such as domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 76 out of 276.

Personal Care costs for personal care products and services such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 29 out of 276.

Recreation and Culture costs such as books, camera film, cinema ticket, DVD and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 30 out of 276.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs such as business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food) is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 253 out of 276.

Transport costs for public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance such as hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 139 out of 276.

Your exact customized cost of living index for Lagos is based on which of the above basket groups as well as the comparison location you select in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Lagos is ranked as a high degree of hardship location with a hardship index of 30%.

Your exact customized hardship index premium for Lagos is based on the comparison location that you select in the Calculators.

Source: http://www.xpatulator.com/outside.cfm?lid=150

About the Author: Steven is Chief Instigator at http://www.xpatulator.com a website that provides cost of living index information and calculates what you need to earn to compensate for cost of living, hardship, and exchange rate differences.

Nigerian Visas From The UK

If you are planning on going to Nigeria either as a holidaymaker or on a business trip from the United Kingdom then you must adhere to Nigerian visa requirements. Since 2007 visa application submissions have to first be made on the net to the Nigerian Consulate. If you are planning on seeing some of the amazing attractions of this sub-Saharan region then you first have got to receive an invite. It isn't straightforward whether invites can be acquired via whatever travel company you happen to be using.

You cannot be accepted into Nigeria unless you are inoculated from Yellow Fever. You must have been vaccinated as a minimum ninety days before you are expected to travel and additionally a duplicate of your official document has to go with your Nigeria visa application. As soon as you apply for your Nigerian visa you have to be in a position to demonstrate that you've sufficient finances to support yourself for the period of your stay, present proof of your itinerary and flights. If you are planning on staying in a hotel you'll need to provide details of this.

Nigerian Business Visas

There is certainly still extensive opportunity for UK corporate investment within Nigeria, although you do need to thoroughly verify the credentials of anybody inviting you to Nigeria for a business trip. You will have to present a duplicate of your letter of invitation with your Nigeria business visa application explaining the reason behind your visit. All visa application submissions have to be accompanied by a current passport, that has no less than 6 months remaining prior to its expiration date along with a passport sized photo.

Religious Visits

Religious fighting continues to be a cause for concern in areas of Nigeria and conflicts can break out involving Christians and Muslims. Christian religious travelers and tourists require a letter via the Nigerian Church. Foreign national representatives of both Islam and Christianity should have an invitation from a religious organisation as well as agreement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Abuja, Nigeria, has to be submitted together with all the other paperwork needed for a Nigerian visa application.

Academic Travelers and Tourists

In the event that you intend to take a trip to Nigeria with regard to educational reasons as a foreign national college lecturer or university dean, then you will have to have a letter of invitation from the host college or university in Nigeria. The letter from the host establishment must define the reason behind your visit and these will need to be affixed along with all of the additional documentation essential for Nigerian visas. Should you be a student seeking to visit to Nigeria while on an exchange trip, then you will need to submit a duplicate of your student i . d . cards, as well as a letter of invitation from the host university or college. You will need to submit the letter of invite, in addition to all other essential details necessary to make a Nigeria visa.

Source: Get specific details of how to apply for a Nigeria visa by visiting www.passportandvisaservice.co.uk/nigeria-visa or contact info@passportandvisaservice.co.uk

Living in Nigeria

A video with lots of facts about life in Nigeria.

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.

Houses and Rents in Lagos Nigeria

In Lagos Nigeria, houses of different types and shapes have various going rates and duration but that largely depends on environment and location. Please note $1 = N 150. In order to explain how rents are collected and where best to seek what kind of apartment let us decimate houses and rents in lagos Nigeria into houses on the mainland and houses on the Island.

Lagos Nigeria is typically divided into two segments namely the Island which houses much of the Middle class and upper classes and the mainland which houses a small segment of the upper class, middle class and the bulk of the upper class.

Houses on the mainland of Lagos Nigeria

Most houses on the mainland are exclusively occupied by the lower class with the bulk of them being unskilled labour. They are made up primarily of the face-me-I-face-you kind of houses in which the apartments are rooms which could be occupied by families sometimes comprising of as many as 12 members. The lower middle class of the Lagos Nigeria society usually occupy houses with apartments such as self contained, two bedroom flats and three bedroom flats. The few middle class folks would either go for three bedroom flats, bungalows or duplexes. On the mainland rents vary from as little as N 30,000 a year to over N 3,000,000 ($ 200 to $ 20,000)

On the mainland, houses and rents are most expensive in the Ikeja and Surulere. Most of the middle class on the mainland live in places like GRA, G Cappa Estate, Allen Avenue, Toyin Street, Opebi road for Ikeja and Alaka, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Eric Moore among others in Surulere. Generally speaking self contained apartments go for as little as $ 2,000 a year. Other flats especially 3 bedroom flats go for between $ 4,000 and over $ 10,000 per annum. Other places on the mainland where apartments are a bit expensive include Apapa, Ilupeju, Magodo, parts of Yaba, Ajao Estate and Festac.

On the other hand places where the poor and lower class abound offer mainly one room apartments on different floors with a single toilet, kitchen and bathroom serving all the tenants on that floor. Rates go for anything from $ 200 to $ 500 per annum.

Houses on the island of Lagos

With the exception of Epe, Obalende, Idumota and other shanty towns Lagos mainland is the exclusive preserve of the middle class and upper class. Many of the people in this class are expatriates who are in Lagos Nigeria on business or leisure. The options are very attractive but expensive. Luxury apartments can be found in Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki Pennisular and Ajah with rates ranging from $ 4,000 to well over $ 100,000 a year. Some expatriates prefer to lodge in five star Hotels which also offer the same amount of luxury except that they are more expensive.

Places like Adeola Odeku, Akin Adesola, Admiralty way and Victoria Garden city are places on the Victoria Island and Ajah Extension that offer luxury apartments. Ikoyi also has a number of luxury offering apartments in places like banana Island, Park view and foreshore estates. Niger Towers is also another well known luxury apartment building with hundreds of apartments on offer. With a budget of $80,000 you could get yourself a 2 or 3 bed room luxury apartment if you are a high end consumer.

Paul Onwueme is a business reporter and writes about business opportunities in Lagos Nigeria.

To find out more about genuine business opportunities in Lagos Nigeria visit his blog at http://www.lagosbusinesses.blogspot.com. or his other blog at http://www.lagos-nigeria-real-estate.blogspot.com 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Onwueme

Nigerian Airways

I’ve recently found a funny story which made me laugh. A typical flight on Nigerian Airways!

"Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen.

This is your captain welcoming you on board of Nigerian Airways. We apologize for the four-day delay in taking off, it was due to bad weather and some overtime I had to put in at the bakery. This is flight 126 to Lagos.

Landing in Lagos is not guaranteed, but we will end up somewhere in the South. If luck is in our favour, we may even be landing on your village!

Nigeria Airways has an excellent safety-record. In fact our safety standards are so high that even terrorists are afraid to fly with us! It is with pleasure, I announce that starting this year over 50% of our passengers have reached their destination.

If our engines are too noisy for you, on passenger request, we can arrange to turn them off!
To make your free fall to earth pleasant and memorable, we serve complimentary Bongo tea and Okin biscuits!

For our not-so-religious passengers, we are the only airline who can Help you find out if there really is a God!
We regret to inform you, that today’s in-flight movie will not be shown as we forgot to record it from the television. But for our movie buffs, we will be flying right next to Air Barka, where their movie will be visible from the right side of the cabin window.

There is no smoking allowed in this airplane. Any smoke you see in the cabin is only the early warning system on the engines telling us to slow down!


In order to catch important landmarks, we try to fly as close as possible for the best view. If, however, we go a little too close, do let us know.

Our enthusiastic co-pilot sometimes flies right through the landmark!

Kindly be seated, keep your seat in an upright position for take-off and fasten your set-belt. For those of you who can’t find a seat-belt, kindly fasten your own belt to the arm of your seat … and for those of you who can’t find a seat, do not hesitate to get in touch with a stewardess who will explain how to fasten yourself to your suitcase.

ENJOY Nigeria Airways!"

Getting To Know The Nigerian Climate!

The climate of a territory is related to the geographical features and in order to get informed regarding the climate of a nation, it is important first take into consideration the general geographical characteristics.
General geographical information about Nigeria. In the case of Nigeria, the following general geographical information is provided:

. Total area: 923.768 km2;
. Location: West of Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea;
. Borders: Benin, Niger, Char and Cameroon with which Nigeria also shares approximately 4.000 km;
. Divisions: Nigeria is divided into 36 states and one Federal Capital Territory;
. Highest point of Nigeria: Chappal Waddi - 2.419 meters;
. Rivers: Niger and Benue;
. Niger Delta - one of the largest world's river deltas and the perfect location for Central African Mangroves.

These are the main aspects that all interested people should know about Nigeria and its geographical positioning. However, for those people who are planning to visit or move to Nigeria it is also important to get more information regarding the climate and the weather.

Nigerian Climate

When it comes to the Nigerian climate, the nation enjoys a varied landscape mainly formed by tropical rainforest in the south with an annual rainfall rate between 1.524 and 2.032 mm. However, in the southwest and southeast area of Nigeria the predominant landscape if formed by the coastal plains also known as mangrove swamps. In the north of the nation the predominant landscape is represented by the rain forests.
Likewise, the whole area between the far south and north of Nigeria is formed of savannah where the annual rainfall reaches 1.524 mm. Furthermore, it is important to mention the fact that Nigeria offers a perfect combination between the tropical and semi-tropical climate. In this way, the agriculture is one of the principal activities in Nigeria, as this nation is effectively managing its available resources when it comes to food crops and fisheries. In this way, Nigeria is also able to export food crops, as well as petroleum.

Nigerian Weather

Due to the tropical climate, in Nigeria it is always warm but there are mainly two seasons: the dry season and the wet season. Having this in mind, the wet season lasts from April to October while June is considered as being the wettest month of the year, especially on the east coast of Nigeria. Due to the southern wind during this period of the year, the weather is cloudier and rainier. In this period the temperature is below 300C.
Still, from November until March the weather becomes drier while the temperatures rise slowly. In addition, the dry season is also affected by Sahara's hot Harmattan wind that contributes to the high temperature during the day. In this period, the temperature during midday can exceed 380C, but during the night the temperature is decreasing up to 120C.

These being said, the Nigerian climate and weather are important factors for the development of agriculture as well as the petroleum industry. In other words, the climate of Nigeria contributes to the economic development of the nation, while the tropical climate and wonderful landscape guarantee unique experiences either as a tourist or an inhabitant.

Atinuke Saletti - editor and writer of African and Nigerian culture and societies. A contributor for Naija Face (http://NaijaForum.net).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Atinuke_Saletti