As Living Conditions in Nigeria Continue to Be Unbearable, This BellaNaijarian is Considering Seeking Asylum Abroad

We hate to kick off your week on such a dour note, but we can’t sugar coat the fact that it is continually difficult to survive in Nigeria. A BellaNaijarian sent us this email narrating her experience, and we know that the story  echoes the sentiments of millions of Nigerians.

If there’s someone reading this who can, in some way, ease the plight of the common man, please help us. Na beg we dey beg. Things are so bad, Nigerians are looking for ways to flee the country, by any means possible.

We can’t continue like this. No light. Dollar is now 517 Naira, No health care; even our president has gone to London to get medical attention.

Please read the story below and share your stories of how you’ve been coping with the situation of things in Nigeria. As for the people who are balling and still able to turn up, please how are you people doing it? Show us the way! 

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Nigerians in diaspora, is there really need to come back home? I naturally don’t like to complain. My sister teases me that my middle name should have been Endurance. But mehn, life is difficult in this country! Ahhhhh!
How can people live without electricity for over 1 month. No blinking since January 5th 2017. I run generator everyday. My gen disturbs my neighbours terribly and theirs do same to me.

We all had to use our genes to pump water and now they are going bad. Mine blew up on Sunday. That will mean no light no water anymore. My neighbour decided to stop using his as well, because it could be next to pack up. Or is Dopemu, Cement, Mangoro axis an outskirt of Lagos? It’s a 5 minutes drive into Ikeja, and rent around here is as high as 1million Naira per annum for a 3 bedrooms within my estate.

After 3 weeks of black out , I started calling the lady who bring Nepa bills, she expectedly didn’t pick her calls or hangs up once she knows the reason for the call. Went to their office, no one was willing to talk. They only informed me that it’s a major problem, na transformer blow…..Went to Ikeja head office and was told the same. My question is, how long will it take to get it fixed? The worse part is we still have to pay for the month(s) of black out.

Ah this country is difficult! Nothing works. I run a shop or office whatever best describes it on Toyin street, Opebi axis Ikeja, the experience is almost the same.. How much is my income that I have to run generator 24/7 to exist? Chaiiiii! Bills for Toyin street are always huge, because they say it’s business district. Business district where you can only be guaranteed electricity not more than 4 – 5 hours in a week. The current is also always low during working hours, they say it’s ‘the load’…. when offices begin to close from 5:30pm it becomes full current gradually if the light is available at the time… and we pay 18,000# upwards on a monthly basis. Weekly fuel budget for my shop is #5,000. (Imagine what we went through during fuel scarcity, when they refused to sell fuel in kegs) that one is story for another day…,1st time suicidal thoughts actually skidded through my mind. I will go with my shop girl to beg managers and fuel attendants. Sometimes we were subjected to carrying our 8.5kva generators to the gas station.

The long ques. No light at work, no light at home. God! I’m weak mehn. A friend of mine recently relocated to America. Please can someone put me through on immigration or asylum visa?

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