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  • The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.

    This week’s subject on Abroad Life was excited to move to China to study medicine in 2014, only to get bumped through three different schools within two years. She talks about studying in China as a black woman, the crazy system of control there and why she hopes Nigeria would work so she can move back.

    What’s your travel history like?

    Coming to China was my first trip outside Nigeria, but I used to go on a lot of road trips with my parents before then. I’d always been interested in going to other countries though. There was this channel on DSTV when I was younger. I think it was called ONE Gospel or something like that. I really liked it because it showed what life was like in South Africa. It made me fall in love with the country. I still haven’t been there, but it’s on my list.

    When did you decide to move abroad?

    I’d say 2014. I finished secondary school in 2013, but I failed JAMB the first time. I passed the second time and got admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, but my mother was scared of all the news of cultism in the school. 

    So we started thinking about private schools. It was at that point we discovered the cost of studying medicine in some foreign countries was around the same as in a private school in Nigeria. Another thing was most private universities at the time had issues with accreditation, so my parents weren’t comfortable letting me attend them.

    Why did you choose China?

    I already had friends and family there. So it was natural that this was where we’d look into. Also, the school fees in China were pretty low compared to other countries and that made it seem like a no-brainer.

    How did the application process go?

    My school application was actually handled by my cousin. I didn’t know anything about China’s education system, but he’d been there for a few years. He helped me find schools to apply to, asked for my documents and handled every other thing. 

    For the visa, that’s where I faced small wahala. It was 2014 and the Ebola outbreak was still a thing in Nigeria. The Chinese embassy wasn’t granting visa interviews to Nigerians because of that. So I went there multiple times without getting an interview. 

    Eventually, my dad had to go with me. He’s a high-level civil servant, and so, he had the blue ECOWAS passport which I guess commands some kind of respect. They let us into the embassy. Funny thing is, they didn’t even ask me anything. When they saw my father’s passport, they were like, “Civil servant? I’m sure you’re very busy right now”. My dad said yes. They just told us we could go, and I got my visa approved. What small nepotism cannot do doesn’t exist.

    LMAO. How did you feel about going to China?

    I was 16 at the time, so it was exciting for me. As I mentioned before, my dad and I liked to explore different countries on DSTV, so we basically did the same thing here too. We spent a lot of time watching one of those Chinese channels, and we enjoyed it. I liked how friendly the people seemed and how in tune they were with their culture. I’m Efik, so that resonated with me. I thought this was what I’d see when I got here. LMAO.

    Expectations vs Reality: China Edition

    Where do I even start? When I landed in Beijing, I was slammed with their fear of Africans and Ebola. They basically treated me like I had the disease. They seized everything I had, and they separated all who came from West Africa from every other person. After asking us so many questions and wasting our time, they eventually let us go.

    After that, I had to buy airtime to call my cousin that I’d arrived. I later found out I paid more than I was supposed to pay for it. I didn’t care sha. I called my cousin, and he told me he just got a notice that the school said I shouldn’t come anymore because of Ebola. 

    Mad

    LMAO, yeah. But he’d thought this would happen so he applied to different schools. I had a backup admission to study Mandarin at another school. I wasn’t planning on taking it before, but it had now become my main option. That’s how plans changed and I bought a plane ticket from Beijing to Shenyang.

    Having been in China for so long, I know I was duped on that flight ticket price. I paid RMB1,000 when the actual price was around RMB290. Even now, a first-class ticket from Beijing to Shenyang is just RMB900. But I’d definitely remember it if I was in first class.

    LMAO. What happened after that?

    I got to Shenyang and a family friend I’d called before getting there came to pick me up. I stayed with him in his apartment for a few weeks, and he was my guide throughout that time. He was also a student so he knew how everything worked. Going to school, navigating the city, everything was easier because of him. Whatever I needed to do, he’d help. Settling into Shenyang was also easy because the school was very welcoming. You could tell they had a lot of experience with international students, especially Africans. So that’s how I started studying Mandarin.

    What was that like?

    I know a lot of people talk about how hard it is to learn Mandarin, but that wasn’t the case for me at all. Maybe it’s because I was already very interested in Chinese culture before I left Nigeria. I also find it really easy to learn languages. I’m about to start learning French. 

    They taught us the basics of the language in a very structured way. We also learnt a lot about the culture. 

    Everyone was going at the same pace, so it never felt like I was slacking or anything like that. The teachers and the environment were very helpful, and I had a good time at the school. 

    Had? You mean, you’re not there anymore?

    I only spent a year there before moving to a medical school in Shenyang. I mean, I came to study medicine, not learn Chinese. So, I applied to another school, but after a short while, I left there too.

    Why?

    When I got admitted to the school, the value of the naira started falling and my school fees literally doubled. I was supposed to pay RMB35,000 per year, which was higher than the school I was coming from. But the value of the naira dipped from ₦23 per RMB to ₦50, so my school fees went from around ₦1.2 million to ₦3 million. 

    My parents wanted me to stay, but I honestly couldn’t. I knew they could afford to pay the tuition but it felt too expensive. So I applied to transfer to another school in Ganzhou city, and I was accepted. Changing schools the second time was pretty smooth. My school gave me a letter I’d give to my new school so they can allow me continue in my second year. But they didn’t allow it. I had to start all over.

    Enough about school. Let’s step outside and touch grass, please

    LMAO. Ganzhou  is a metropolitan city like Shenyang or Shanghai. People in the city are used to seeing foreigners, but it doesn’t mean they’ll be nice to you. Some people mind their business and act indifferent towards you, while others are downright nasty. For example, if you sit beside a Chinese person on a bus, they’ll most likely stand up and leave. Especially if you’re African. I think they always assume we have some kind of disease or something. It used to be Ebola, but now, it’s Monkeypox and there’s this weird behaviour of, “Oh, don’t touch foreigners”. It’s just rubbish sha. They even still excluded foreigners during COVID. 

    Europeans probably experience this too, but the bulk of the exclusion happens to black people. Things like covering their nose when they see you, or outrightly running away, doesn’t happen to Europeans. But I’ve learnt the language so if anyone tries shit with me, I’ll insult them or shout at them.

    How have you managed to stay sane in situations like this?

    I’ve made Chinese friends, so when I’m in a particularly weird situation, I can just text them for what to do. They’re very petty so they usually just send a voice message insulting these people instead of helping me. Some Chinese people also ask all these weird questions that make no sense.

    I remember a guy asking my friend, who had really dark skin, if she showers. She speaks very good Chinese, so she told him, “I showered this morning, and I’m going to shower this evening. I’m very sure you haven’t showered this whole week”. He just stood there dumbfounded.

    LMAO

    They wash their hair more than they shower. So having them ask that question was just funny. Lots of weird things like that. My friends and I have actually had our hair lit on fire before.

    Wait, what?

    Yeah. It was back when I used to have braids on often. I was on a bus and suddenly started smelling something burning. I turned around and saw that my hair was on fire. I was so confused. I stopped doing braids after that. The hair thing is stressful because they’ll start asking you if your hair is real. One time, I was about to get on a bus and someone dragged my hair. I had to get down. I was already pissed off and asked her why she did that. This woman was angrily screaming at me saying, “I wanted to see if it’s real”. I was livid. 

    You’ll be on your own and one woman will warn her kid saying, “If you don’t behave yourself, I’ll ask that black person to come and carry you”. So, I’m ojuju or what now? There are just so many things that make me feel like an alien even after living here for so long.

    Omo, China is cancelled. But is there anything you like about the place?

    Oh yes. I like the fact that everything works here. And I mean everything. The power, the subway, the roads, the police. It’s like a giant machine. I feel really safe here and I can actually walk around at anytime. This is something I can’t even do in Nigeria. 

    It’s so safe here that you could forget your phone on a bus and come back to find it. Nothing goes missing unless you just don’t have the energy to look for it. There are cameras everywhere, and everything is so orderly. I think part of how they achieved this is if you commit a crime, you’re not the only one who’d suffer for it. It’ll affect the social standing of the people in your family too. It’ll affect their ability to get an apartment or a job. So there’s an incentive for everyone to keep themselves in check. 

    Even in their politics, they have this system in which a city gets governed by someone from another city. So if you mess up, it’s a stain on the reputation of the people from your province. That way, everyone stays in check. The orderliness and safety is quite freeing. It makes me wonder if being a democratic country is really worth anything. I mean, this is a communist country and public services are this good.

    Do you think you’ll stay after school?

    No, please. I’ve done enough. I need to move on to other things. I’m currently in my final year, and I’m doing my medical internship. I had the option of doing it in Nigeria, but that’s obviously not the better choice. When it comes to when I’ll go back to Nigeria, I’m not sure yet.

    It really depends on who wins the next elections. I can’t come and be eating cassava and agbado. I really hope Nigeria works soon sha because there’s too much we’re missing out on.

    Hey there! My name is Sheriff and I write Abroad Life at Zikoko. If you’re a Nigerian and you live or have lived abroad, I would love to talk to you about what that experience feels like and feature you on Abroad Life. All you need to do is fill out this short form, and I’ll be in contact.

  • There’s no need to spy on your partner when you can just take this quiz and find out what they’re doing right now

  • So you’ve decided you don’t like the typical 9-to-5 or you need some extra cash. Or maybe, you’re just getting started and you want to build experience before finding a full-time job. Either way, you’ve decided you want to try your hand at freelancing. This guide will show you how to do it like a pro.

    First, what is freelancing?

    Freelancing is using your skills, education and experience to work with multiple clients on different projects, without committing to a single employer. 

    In simpler terms, freelancing is contract-based work. You’re using your skills to help people or companies accomplish stuff, but you’re not actually employed by any of them.

    How’s this different from a full-time job?

    You already get the main gist, but there are other differences between freelancing and a full-time job. 

    The first one is you don’t earn a salary. Most freelancers earn on a project-by-project basis. This means you can earn more when you have a lot of high-paying projects at hand. But when you don’t, brace yourself for sapa.

    So, how to freelance well

    First, get a skill

    You probably know this already, but you need you can sell to clients in the first place. Most likely digital skills such as digital marketing, social media management, copywriting, content writing, software development and a whole lot of other things you could do.

    You need some experience

    We all know the chicken-and-egg problem of needing some experience to find a job while also needing a job to get the experience. It’s not very different with freelancing. You need to show you’ve done what you claim you can do.

    A good fix is to have side projects presented very nicely in a portfolio of some kind, to show your potential employers.

    You also need access to clients

    People will tell you the best way to get clients is to sign up on freelance platforms. But the best way is actually through referrals from a network you’ve built over time. 

    But again, you need to find clients to work with to build your network. So back to freelancing platforms, websites like Upwork, Freelancer, Gigster and many others. You’d have to create a profile on these sites to sell yourself and your services/skills. 

    Know how to negotiate

    Most freelance platforms are marketplaces, and the people who want to hire you will definitely price your market. Stay guided, and make sure you know what you’re worth. Have a minimum rate you’re willing to accept and go from there. You might be earning very little at first, but you can expect your income to increase with your experience and rating on these platforms. 

    Negotiations will either make you eat good or stress for nothing. There are useful resources online that teach you how to negotiate and price your services better as a freelancer. 

    Have good internet

    Make sure your internet won’t air you when it’s a day to deadline and you’re trying to fix a part of your work. If you need to make a good choice, read this. Choose well and have peace of mind.

    Even after choosing well, your service provider can sly you anytime. That’s why you should plan to have a backup or number of backup providers as you start making money.

    Have steady electricity

    You can’t work well as a freelancer if you’re having issues with electricity. But if you live in Nigeria, there’s a good chance you’ll have this issue anyway. A small generator might come through for you in this case. If you have a bit more money, you can buy an inverter to save yourself the stress of looking for fuel every other day. 

    You need a means of receiving money

    In the end, you’re doing this for the money. And even though it’s sweet to earn in dollars, you need a way to actually receive it in your non-dollar account. There are many apps for this — Payoneer, Grey finance, Wise, and cryptocurrency apps — so pick the ones that suit you best. 

    When you start earning your dollars, come back to Zikoko and buy us puff-puff.

    NEXT READ: We Curated These Sites to Help You Make Money Online

  • The heart of a Nigerian employer is filled with antics, one of which is writing a wild job description. If you want to be an employer one day, read this and learn how to write one the Nigerian way.

    You need a simple job title

    Nothing too fancy here. You need a simple title like “Business associate” or “Executive assistant”. Something that sounds sweet to say but vague enough to hide your evil plans.

    Follow it with a long prose

    When they think this will be a quick read, hit them with your 1000-word description. If they don’t have the mental stamina to read through, they should shift to one side. You’re not here to play.

    Add confusing requirements

    You need to let them know you only want people below 25 years old. That’s not all. They also need to have five years of experience. It doesn’t matter that you wrote entry-level at the top of the description. That’s none of your business.

    Crazy job responsibilities

    Yes. We all know it’s an entry-level job. But where’s the fun in actually giving them entry-level responsibilities? They should grow up and do whatever you want them to do. Nobody has time to waste.

    RELATED: How To Write A Nigerian C.V.

    Add extra skills they must have

    Your prospective employees need to be able to work well under pressure. It doesn’t matter that living in Nigeria and the price of sardine are putting them under enough pressure already.

    Do not say a word about salary or pay

    You don’t want people who like money. That’s the root of all evil. You want people who have a passion for this odd job you’ve just written. Money is just a distraction from important things, and that’s why you have to lock up about the issue of salary. Make sure even if they read your long prose twice, they’ll see no money.

    …or say it’s “competitive”

    Maybe you want to give them a hint at what you’ll pay, so it’ll not look like your wahala is too much. In that case, just tell them your salary is “competitive”. Because their salary and survival will continue to be in competition as long as they work for you.

    NEXT READ: 12 Signs Your Nigerian Employer Will Stress You

  • Watching BBNaija is a lot of fun. And even though the money won’t touch our pockets, we can at least take a few things to use in our own personal lives. Here are seven BBNaija wager tasks you can do to start off your day.

    Cultural dance

    Do this to thank God, or your ancestors, for waking you up in the morning. After doing small traditional legwork for them, pour yourself a cup of Lipton, and start your day.

    Do small mental math

    Do small four-figure-table calculations in your head to know you still got it. Once a brilliant, always a brilliant. Then drink a cup of Lipton Extra Strong tea to reward yourself before going to work.

    Debate with yourself

    Stand in front of your mirror and debate with yourself about everything from “ewa agoyin vs akara and pap” to “japa vs fight for Nigeria”. Or do a few self-affirmations to lift your spirits. If you don’t know what to say, try: “I’m a beauty”, “I’m a spec” and “I’m as fresh as morning Lipton”.

    Anthem presentation

    No, you’re not actually presenting the national anthem. You’re singing any praise and worship song of your choice. How can you not sing praises for seeing a brand new day? Do this with the cultural dance to really enter that morning vibe.

    Work your body out with a dance

    This one is for you and not for God. Give off some kinetic energy to get your day moving ASAP.

    Actually work out

    Has your day really started if you haven’t done a few pushups after taking a cup of Lipton Yellow Label Tea?

    Make the strongest cup of Lipton possible

    You know drinking tea is essential, but not just any kind of tea, please. If you can pour yourself a strong cup of Lipton Extra Strong tea, we’ll know you’re serious about starting off your day on a good note.

    NEXT READ: 6 Relationship Lessons We’ve Learnt From BBN “Level Up” So Far

    Speaking of tasks, Lipton is bringing their own task to the BBNaija LevelUp house, and it’s going to be lit. Don’t fall our hand by missing the LiptonxBBNaija task because if you do, you’ll be missing all the fun.

  • If you’re into online dating apps, you know your bio is basically your CV. No one’s going to read a boring bio. That’s why you should use one of these 13 Tinder bios to step up your online dating game and find your dream partner.

    1. “It’s your time to shine”

    Find your dream partner

    2. “The Nigerian prince they told you about”

    Nigerian prince wants to help you Find your dream partner

    3. “Jesus saves. I spend”

    Your dream partner spends

    4. “If you like, swipe left. My God will judge you as you’ve judged me”

    5. “If you’re not getting a Canadian passport soon, please, swipe left”

    6. “I’m the Lord’s chosen. But I still want you to choose me”

    7. “I’m not here for a hookup. I just want to get hooked on you”

    8. “I have fuel, and there’s rice at home”

    9. “Hi, My name is Tess. If your surname is Tickle, I’ll have to marry you”

    10. “I gag on my toothbrush, so don’t get too excited”

    11. “I take mad pictures. Your Instagram is gonna be lit!

    12. “At least, your kids will be fine”

    13. “Are you somebody’s son? Find me right now”

    NEXT READ: These Conversation Starters Will Take Your Online Dating Game to a 100

  • It’s 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning. If the world made sense, you’d be in front of a TV screen watching cartoons while waiting for breakfast to be ready. But adulting has taken that away too. 

    That’s why you should watch these 13 cartoon intros to relive your childhood Saturday mornings.

    1. The Animaniacs

    https://youtu.be/whUOy_q7_vA

    2. Pinky and the Brain

    3. Cow and Chicken

    https://youtu.be/Vii7Tkejrfg

    4. Johnny Bravo

    5. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends

    6. Ben 10

    7. The Powerpuff Girls

    8. Skunk Fu

    9. Samurai Jack

    10. My Gym Partner’s a Monkey

    11. Justice League

    12. Ed, Edd n’ Eddy

    13. Time Squad

    14. Scooby Doo

    15. Phineas and Ferb

    16. The Flintstones

    NEXT READ: 10 Best Feel-good Anime for Beginners

  • You’ll get in trouble online one day and they’ll drag you. This quiz knows why.

  • We’ll dash you (fake) $1m on this quiz. Spend it and we’ll suggest a career that fits you.

  • Maybe you’re supposed to meet the love of your life on the scary streets of the internet. If that’s you, you need to know how to hit them up online because, in this life, fortune favours the brave. 

    We spoke to seven Nigerians about the wildest online dating conversation starters they’ve seen to give you a sense of what you should and shouldn’t do.

    hit them up online

    Jane, 27

    I posted a picture on my Instagram story about people with compatible genotypes marrying each other. The next thing I know, this guy slid into my DMs and said, “My name is Ibraheem, and I’m AA”. I was confused at first, but then, he sent me the picture I put on my story. I actually laughed at it, and we started talking from there. Nothing romantic came out of it in the end sha, but we’re still good friends.

    Omotola, 25

    I get a lot of message requests on Instagram. The funniest I’ve seen to date was from a man who simply wrote, ‘Which bank?’ Obviously, I like money so I replied his message. I didn’t collect money from him, but that line was enough to get me interested. Everything scattered when I later found out he was married with two kids.

    Dayo, 31

    I started talking to my current girlfriend after she shaded Chelsea on Instagram when they lost a match. I thought it was a man because the shade was in pidgin. I was going to unleash frustration on the person when I checked the profile and saw it was a fine woman.

    I responded with a laughing emoji, and we hit it off from there. It was a lot of football banter at first, but then, our conversations grew deeper, till we decided to go on a date together.

    Diana, 29

    I was on my own when this man came into my DMs on Twitter with this line: “Word on the street is that you’re my girlfriend. Let’s not disappoint them. Let’s give them what they want?” To be honest, I was more shocked at the audacity than I was confused. 

    I laughed and told him he should go back and tell them to stop saying rubbish. He said he’s not going anywhere. More audacity. I sha surrendered, and we started talking. Soon, I was laughing away my WhatsApp phone number.

    Lolade, 24

    Someone once used a bible verse to slide into my DM. It was hilarious because I was a very religious person at the time. He literally said, “Hi, Genesis 2:24. I’ve only come to fulfill God’s wishes”. Immediately I saw the message, I started laughing out loud. As a sharp babe, I replied him with, “Father, let thy will be done”. We really hit it off and were dating after a month or so. He eventually served me breakfast, but I enjoyed the relationship sha.

    Tolu, 28

    The wildest episode for me was when someone liked my pictures on Instagram and followed me. Naturally, I was expecting him to send me a text, and he did. I was already eyeing him because I liked what I saw on his page. 

    We got to talking, and he started complimenting me with sweet words. At one point, I asked him to tell me more about himself. His response was, “I’m a doctor. I really love watching football, and I have two kids”. What blew my mind was he went on to ask me when we could go on a date. My guy snuck in the kids part like he was talking about chocolate.

    Emmanuel, 28

    I think this lady had watched all these ridiculous videos online on different pickup lines to use. Because why would she come to my DM and be saying, “Are you Okro? Because you draw me closer to you?” I wasn’t even in the mood for rubbish. I just replied the message with “Who be this one?” Then she sent, “Hi, my name is Tolu”. It’s been almost a year and I’ve still not opened that message till today.

    NEXT READ: Top Dating Sites in Nigeria