Abuja, Nigeria Report of what it's like to live there - 05/01/14
Personal Experiences from Abuja, Nigeria
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
Yes.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
From the U.S. get a direct flight to Frankfurt, Paris or London, then fly 5.5 hours to Abuja. Do not fly to Lagos - you must change airports to catch a domestic flight to Abuja and this has all sorts of safety and timing issues.
3. How long have you lived here?
2 years.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Government.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
For NGO staff: apartments on the local market are not up to U.S. standards and very expensive. Be sure you see it before sign a lease.
For USG employees: housing is very expensive here so it's more modest than you might expect elsewhere in Africa. All housing is on compounds. No private yards. Limited amenities. Commutes vary with traffic but most are 15 to 20 minutes.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Very high. Bring everything you can. Fresh fruits and veggies are available and delicious but not inexpensive. Easy to spend US$50 a week on them for a single adult who wants to eat healthy. Local chickens are small but tasty. Beef is very tough and needs a lot of marinating. Pork varies. American bacon can't be found.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
I brought a lot and am happy I did. I discovered I need more candles do to power outages than I ever thought I would need and thought I could get baking flour locally which turns out not to be reliable.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
The only American fast food is KFC. The Nigerian shwarma and suya stands are good and cheap. If you like BBQ fish you can find a lot of that. There are a few good Indian and Lebanese restaurants in town and one place that serves an American or British style brunch (sometimes they even have coffee!)
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Nothing unusual. Put your dry consumables in plastic or the freezer.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
USG employees use diplomatic pouch exclusively.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Very inexpensive and easy to find someone who has worked for other expats and is pretty reliable. Many families with kids employ a driver (so they can get by with one car), a steward (cooks, cleans, shops), and a nanny. For US$300 a month or less, a single or couple without kids can have all their cooking, cleaning, shopping, and dog walking done 5 days a week.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
A few expensive gyms that aren't really up to U.S. standards. Some tiny workout rooms in some USG provided housing. There are organized HASH and DASH running groups which I don't personally think are safe (too many expats very obviously in the same place every week at the same time). All USG housing has community pools so if you like to swim you can do lots of that. One USG compound is large enough to run but it's more like running on a track than a trail.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Do not do it. All cash society. Last thing you want is a Nigerian fraudster in your bank accounts.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Yes but in my opinion not in a safe enough situation to participate.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
None. English speaking country. Nice to learn greetings in a few local languages but all ethnic groups come through Abuja so it's hard to know which ones to use.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Not sure but it might be better than you expect. Given that no expats walk or take public transit and that drivers are inexpensive, and that most expats spend all their time at work or in provided housing, it might not be a big issue. With the right household staff, you really don't have to go anywhere other than your home and work, and perhaps to a few restaurants now and then.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Not safe. USG employees and families prohibited from using.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Bring as many parts and oil as you can. That stuff is marked way up here. Bring tires - you can always sell them before you go if you don't need them. Any other sort of car will do, but the higher clearance you have the easier things will be as there are some unpaved roads. That said, lots of people getting by here with older sedans and other small cars. Be smart. Do not bring a convertible.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Not available. Best option I've found is spending about US$50/month on a MIFI that creates a wireless hotspot in my apartment on 2G or 3G.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Bring an unlocked phone or buy one here cheaply. Local sim cards and recharges are easy and not expensive.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No quarantine. No quality care. Lots of pet sitting within the expat community.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
At Embassies. Some family members work at embassies from other countries (Brits at the American Embassy, etc). I don't know anyone with a local job outside an embassy except for people who provide services like hair and nails from their homes.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
This is tough. There are so many local needs and so few organized efforts to help. The expat community is currently trying to develop more but it's hard to say if any of that would be available when you arrive.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Suits are work. Dressy casual in public.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Yes. See regular travel warnings from embassies.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Very little local quality care. Embassies provide for their own and USG medevacs to London for anything but the most routine case.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
There is a 3-4 month Harmattan season when there is a lot of dust in the air. Borderline unhealthy, I'd say, but aside from some sinus infections, I don't know of anyone having a lot of trouble with it. The rest of the year the air is great - no air pollution problems at this point although people are frequently burning trash and cars here aren't exactly up to emissions standards.
4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
The rainy season :May through mid September - it rains 2-3 hours a day. The Harmattan: roughly January to March but it varies - see above. The Dry season: everything else. Temperatures all year between 90 and 110F.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
I don't have kids but I hear okay things about AISA for elementary kids and I know there is a smaller international school that is often used, also a French school. Keep in mind that there are very few expat kids here so most classes even at expensive private schools are more than 90% Nigerian students; expat kids can feel a little out of place I'm told. No good high school option at this point.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Don't have kids, but there seem to be a lot of happy parents of little kids who love their nannies and preschools. Both are quite affordable.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Not that I'm aware.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Pretty big. Morale is hard to assess but I'd say relatively good. People know what they're in for and come ready to work.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Potlucks.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
The happiest people here seem to be couples with very young kids. Overall, anyone who has an optimistic personality and is able and willing to "make their own fun" at home or with neighbors will do fine here. We are very isolated - it's hard to engage with the local community for many reasons (cultural and logistical) and it's very expensive to leave the city (US$350 to fly to Lagos, US$550 to fly to Ghana, US$1100 to fly to Europe and those are basically your options). No road trips out of the city do to security concerns. There's not much to do.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
This city has a big double standard. If you are black, you are assumed to be Nigerian and being openly gay or lesbian may well get you beaten or killed. If you are anything else, you will be assumed an expat, and then as long as you avoid public displays of affection, you should be okay. I know a number of openly gay or lesbian members of the American expat community who are doing fine here but they have to be discrete outside USG housing/embassies.
5. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Yes. Probably hardest for African-Americans who are regularly assumed to be Nigerian and treated as such until they make it clear they are expats (which can sometimes be hard to convince people).
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The work here is very, very interesting, no matter what your assignment is. The best expat stories come from Nigeria!
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Expats make their own fun - lots of pool side BBQ potlucks and such. There are a number of good but expensive restaurants. Very little else to do. Even difficult to find volunteer opportunities.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
You can get a lot of cheap Nigerian art - not of it super high quality - but there are one or two places selling expensive high quality stuff. You can buy very cheap West African fabric (in 6 yard packs) which is good for making quilts.
9. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Easy place to save money (unless you spend it all traveling out), weather is remarkably good - generally in the 90s and low 100s F all year and not terribly humid even in the rainy season. All expats come here for the challenges of the work. Whether you're working for an NGO or for an Embassy, the work here is fast and furious. Lots of interesting challenges, lots of international stakeholders.
10. Can you save money?
By not traveling out, yes.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
How expensive it would be to travel out and how nearly impossible it is to get to anywhere else in Africa.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Sure. It's an adventure.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
High expectations for just about anything except challenging work.
4. But don't forget your:
Sense of humor, curiosity, patience and all the consumables you can pack.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
Any writings by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
6. Do you have any other comments?
Life here is slow and monotonous but not actually too unpleasant.
