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    BEYOND FEARS. A Practical Information Guide on How to Live, Work and Do Business in Nigeria.
    BEYOND FEARS. A Practical Information Guide on How to Live, Work and Do Business in Nigeria.
    BEYOND FEARS. A Practical Information Guide on How to Live, Work and Do Business in Nigeria.
    Ebook145 pages2 hours

    BEYOND FEARS. A Practical Information Guide on How to Live, Work and Do Business in Nigeria.

    By Joel O. Akande

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    About this ebook

    About the Book.
    Let us not pretend, Nigeria has a bad image coming from history of bad leadership, documented events of lawlessness, impunity and from some subjects for which Nigeria is popular: corruption and advanced fee fraud (aka 419). Nigeria is not a minnow: being the largest economy and by population, largest country in Africa, the 7th most populous in the world and a powerful continental and regional player . Yet, millions of Nigerians are by emigration scattered across the world driven by the harsh realities of Nigerian environment. Still millions of descendants of emigrants and the emigrants themselves dream of returning to a country they now know little about. Further, no discerning business person from anywhere in the world can dismiss Nigeria. They want a piece of the cake of a nation that is in the top 25 biggest economies in the world. Business people needs and wants Nigeria. Nigerians at home also wonder how to navigate and survive in the Nation that seems to puzzle everyone: A desire that is wrought with high risks. This book is for everyone mentioned above anyone who wants to know more about Nigeria. A guide to help readers to minimise the risk, understand Nigeria in-depth and to help readers to take a full advantage of the vast and untapped opportunities that are available in one of the top oil exporters in the world with almost a virgin economy.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJoel O. Akande
    Release dateMar 26, 2019
    ISBN9781908064349
    BEYOND FEARS. A Practical Information Guide on How to Live, Work and Do Business in Nigeria.

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      Book preview

      BEYOND FEARS. A Practical Information Guide on How to Live, Work and Do Business in Nigeria. - Joel O. Akande

      BEYOND FEARS

      A Practical Information Guide on

      How to Live, Work and Do Business in Nigeria.

      An Insight on Facts, Fears, Myths and

      Opportunities.

      Joel O. Akande

      Fertility Specialist and Gynaecologist

      Medico-Legal and Business Consultant.

      Founder and Chief Executive Officer at

      Strategic Insight Healthcare

      Lagos, Nigeria

      Galaxy Books: Unit of Strategic Insight Publishing (SIP)

      Part of Strategic Insight

      ©All rights reserved. © Joel Akande.April 2019.

      © Cover and Internal designs by Strategic Insight Publishing

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or be transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and or the publisher.

      The facts and or opinions expressed in this book are entirely the personal views and the legal responsibility of the author.

      First published by Strategic Insight Publishing

      Print Book - ISBN 13:978-1-908064-34-9

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Acknowledgement:

      Dedication:

      Introduction:

      Chapter 1: Background

      Geography, Demography, History, Legal Systems, Politics, Culture and Economy of Nigeria.

      Chapter 2: Infrastructure - The Nigerian Plague

      Failures in Legal, Transport, Healthcare, Housing, Water Systems. Communication, Energy /Power Supply, Education, Security, Commerce Including Official Registry, Financial and Credit Systems.

      Chapter 3: Nigeria’s Business Climate

      The Peculiarity of Nigeria. Incredible and Untapped Opportunities: Potential Power House. Factors Limiting Growth. Regulatory Framework and Business Forms.

      Chapter 4: Cautions, Pitfalls and Warnings

      Trust, Utilities, Will and Trust for Legacy Preservation, Personal Requirements, Material Requirements for An Aspiring Nigerian Resident.

      Appendix of Key Official Services (Federal and Lagos State):

      References:

      Other Books by the Same Author:

      Acknowledgement

      I wish to acknowledge the contribution of my friend and editor: Rhoda Sawa. She simplified my masculine aggressive language and made the book more readable. That said, I take responsibility for all and any error that may be in this book.

      Further, as a writer, I value the intellectuality and proprietary ownership of artists and innovators. If for any reason I have failed to acknowledge and or credit any source of information that is in this book, I certainly did not do so deliberately. I hope to be forgiven for any omission.

      Dedication

      To everyone who in the face of severe opposition, persevere to overcome prevailing challenges in order to add value to their community and to their fellow human beings.

      Nigeria:

      A beautiful rose flower with a manifold of thorns attached.

      Introduction

      "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

      - Motto of the Special Olympics

      When I moved to live in Nigeria in 2011, my friends were very concerned. They wondered if I had thought this decision through properly, as a sudden decision to relocate to Nigeria from United Kingdom appeared outlandish. My mind was not only sound but I was also fit as a fiddle. Some even wondered if I had been deported from the United Kingdom. Their thoughts and suspicions were silenced when they noticed how often and easily I travelled to and from the United Kingdom.

      From the time of my departure from the United Kingdom up until the time of my writing this book, a countless number of people in Nigeria and in the Western hemisphere have asked me why I had to leave the comfort and conveniences of Britain to live in the harsh realities of Nigeria considering the fact that many Nigerians are so desirous of relocating to Europe and America which I had left. They dreamed of being in my shoes. My relocation in their own thinking just didn’t make sense and had left them perplexed and confused.

      In the course of providing explanations and reassurances to these inquirers, I have practically become a Counsellor, an Immigration expert, a Business consultant and a Motivator.

      Though a Briton by immigration rights, I was born, bred and educated in Nigeria up to my first university degree. I had worked in Nigeria before I immigrated to Europe. Having had the opportunity to return to Nigeria, I could now reflect on both worlds that I belonged to and considered as home to me. I could see the strengths and weaknesses in both Nigerian and European lifestyles. I could also see and appreciate the opportunities and risks of life in both societies.

      Since my return in 2011, I have gained a wider perspective on life and with this more matured mindset, I have been able to study Nigeria in more practical ways than before. So much so that I now run my own business in Nigeria. The opportunity of interacting with different communities, suppliers, employees, business clients/customers, friends, families, religious bodies and individuals, government officials amongst others have broadened my views extensively.

      For these reasons, I have written this book to educate and enlighten others about Nigeria in general, and Lagos in particular. Lagos is the economic heartbeat of Nigeria and the 5th largest economy in Africa.

      In respect of Nigeria, it’s no secret that Nigeria by name and character has a negative connotation attached to it all over the world. Many Nigerians are ashamed of their country. Yet, for millions of Nigerians, there is nowhere else to call their home. Nigerians at home work hard and many ask of me, how to make their lives better. As a Physician, I see first-hand, the needless distress and diseases that Nigerians suffer from considering the size and wealth in resources available to Nigeria as a nation.

      From my personal experience as a victim to injustice in Nigeria, my business was illegally shut down for ten days until I had paid a N250,000 fine to the State Government officials. On another occasion, local government officials threatened to demolish my building and close my business falsely purporting I owed and must pay N343,000. I fought these cases. It turned out the threats were all geared towards one thing: defrauding me of money. For one of the cases, I had to write a letter of complaint to the State Governor about the impunity and excesses of his civil servants. Yet, in another case, a neighbour who had some power in his hand as a junior civil servant, threatened to demolish my building unless I cooperate. The term to cooperate means illegal financial payment to him.

      An established resident in Nigeria is well aware of these manipulations. It will come as a rude shock to a would-be resident though. However, these are the experiences and many more, most especially perpetrated by persons who hold a position of trust and authority towards their fellow Nigerian citizens and residents. You will need to develop thick skin and determination not to run away in frustration. The value at stake is too high to be abandoned.

      In truth, many Nigerian migrants scattered across all the nations of the earth, desire to return to Nigeria. One recurring theme that stands between them and their actual return is the dilemma that is wrapped up in the following inquiries: What will I do when I get to Nigeria? How will I survive? How will I fit in? Where do I start from? On the other hand, the fear of Nigeria is akin to religious fear of a leper or modern day panic about Ebola disease.

      To further complicate the issue and reinforce these fears, a lot of Diaspora returnees have had to run back to where they came from: Europe, America and Asia because they discovered to their sadness, that they were unable to cope in Nigeria. In truth and in reality, such individuals are untutored and are unprepared for the life in Nigeria. Had they receive advanced counselling and or been fully prepared ahead of their return, the story may have been different. Still, it’s shocking to note that the people that seem to fear Nigeria most are Nigerians that were originally born in Nigeria. This generation, also instil the fear of the country on their offspring: Don’t go there, they say to their children.

      In some ways, a highly traumatised individual whose injuries were effected in Nigeria and who had no justice but has a chance to escape from Nigeria as is sometimes the case, may swear never to return to the country. They are justified. However, it should be remembered, that the parents, siblings and families of emigrants may continue to live in Nigeria as are millions of compatriots that have no route to escaping the realities of the country.

      On the other hand, I have seen Lebanese, Indians and other Asians, Britons, Europeans and Americans that have prospered in and made Nigeria their permanent home. In fact, it’s commonly said in Nigeria that foreigners hardly ever want to leave Nigeria. The logic in the saying goes that, the level of individual freedom (I say occasioned by lawlessness) to do as one wishes is unmatched anywhere else. So, aliens can be anything and behave anyhow without legal accountability. Who would want to abandon such a level of individual freedom?

      That said, the lure of opportunities to make money in Nigeria, in what some friends call at ease may be too much for some insightful businesses and individuals to resist. The thought goes that, one poor person may become a millionaire overnight in Nigeria. While that may be true for some, it’s generally not the

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