Nigeria

[indogal]

Does anyone have any insight on working in Nigeria? In regards to personal safety, health care, expat community?

[PsyGuy]

Dont work in Nigeria. There isnt safety, there isnt health care and the expat community may as well not be there. Its Nigeria.

[Heliotrope]

According to Numbeo, Lagos is still safer than Johannesburg on all parameters: bit.ly/2R7QRb2
And Lagos is safer than Cape Town on 11 out of 13 parameters: bit.ly/2R8qWQu

I wouldn't consider any of these three, since I don't like being limited to the (safer but still not very safe) expat bubble, but Lagos has a worse reputation than Cape Town, which according to these numbers is definitely undeserved.

[reisgio]

What happened to you in your childhood that you would even consider it?

[kjbar]

I worked in Nigeria. Health care was hit and miss. It depended on the illness, doctor, hospital, etc. While I was there a couple of expats died from malaria complications. Many people I worked with contracted malaria and typhoid. I was lucky not to have these issues.

Safety was also hit and miss. We we always warned to be careful. I never had serious issues, but other expats did (robberies, kidnappings, etc.). My biggest problem was being pulled over by the police and asked for bribes on a routine basis. They station themselves at roundabouts and flag you over. We had to keep all car doors locked and windows rolled up but for a crack otherwise police officers had been known to hop in the backseat and refuse to leave until money was given.

I did have wonderful times there too. The food and local people's zest for life is second to none. There's a real sense of being alive there (probably enhanced by the fact that you've successfully not died that day!)

[shadowjack]

I had friends at AIS Lagos for quite a few years. They liked it in many ways, disliked it in others. Disease was never brought up - traffic and hassle of getting around was a constant - but it is a constant in ANY large African city...