Being a Foreigner in Nigeria; A perpetual State Of Confusion.| Diane Asenoguan, An Australian Writes For BN BLOG

Being a Foreigner in Nigeria.A perpetual State Of Confusion.| Diane
Asenoguan, An Australian Writes For BN BLOG.

In this my 4th long period of visiting
Nigeria(I hold a Naija wife card) I can
say that the general situation and
attitudes of those Nigerians I have
come into contact with this time has
deteriorated immensely.

Doing
business here is fraught with twists
and turns designed to hamper and
prevent progress.
This time I came to partner in a new
business relating to Vocational
Education for Nigerians and to foster
the use of standards, and because I
was begged by many and encouraged
by the Nigerian High Commission
staff in my country I put 12 months
into designing courses, and other
workplace training information.

The first visit to Corporate Affairs with
appropriate forms in the Ikeja Office
in Lagos. (God help me I thought it's
all a manual system) What should
take but a few days has turned into
an epic tortuous event required the
intervention of a Lawyer after the
business name was rejected as "Not
being African enough" So 4 months
later, with another name issued that
they like I am still waiting for the
business registration certificate from
Abuja and cannot work. I have been
led down a million different pathways
by staff at the Lagos office of
Corporate Affairs, by the lawyer (who
made an erroneous signature on one
of the forms) by the staff at Corporate
Affairs Office Ikeja branch who had
me reporting to them half a dozen
times before they rejected the
application out of hand but there was
always the opportunity to slip some
money to staff working behind the
counters though. (See white invent
new rules and extract money)
Customs and Immigration don't
provide any service at all unless large
sums of money are produced, and
they create confusion as only
Nigerians can. Government rules
change at the whim of the person you
are dealing with. If this is an example
of government public service then the
people of Nigeria have no chance to
progress into a modern world.

I no longer feel safe on my own estate
and local district where I used to be
able to walk alone and do my local
business. Not so now, for Keke, Okada and other motorists have taken
extreme pleasure in diverting from
their path to drive straight for me.

Why? what has happened since my
last visit to Nigeria. Dealing with
government and business houses was
not as difficult as it is today. The
supply of power has reduced
significantly where I now go days
without it or as in this cycle we get 3
or 4 hours at night to pump water (if
we are lucky) The apathy to such
service reduction is amazing, no one
cares, no one bothers to report
exploded lines, neighbors don't
communicate. A society of apathy,
lamenting, bribing and no
accountability is what I find today.
It's no wonder the figures on poverty
have jumped by more than 30% over
the past few years.

I am exceedingly emotional about
these recent experiences and my
frustration prevents me from writing
with a greater level of
professionalism. So I give up You
have won and you are driving me
back to my own country.

Diane Asenoguan,
Senior Training
Development Consultant
at Amrose Train
International Ltd.

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