Or relocate abroad for $7,000 monthly

From Germany to the United States, foreign recruiters are now more open to hiring from the West African powerhouse. As a result, remote working has become more popular among young, tech-savvy Nigerians.

However, there is still the trope that the Nigerian Dream is to leave Nigeria, to ‘japa’: to run away from Nigeria, relocate to greener pastures abroad, and hopefully live an overall better quality of life.

So we asked a few young software engineers what they would do if they had two options: a remote job that paid $5,000 monthly in Nigeria, or a $7,000/mo offer to relocate to a Western country.

The responses were interesting.

Abdulrahman

Omo, I’m still staying in Nigeria o! Do you know how much that is in Nigerian currency? Then again, you can always save and move in the future!

Kelechi

I would want to travel. I want to see the world outside Nigeria. Of course, earning $5k monthly in Nigeria is great and gives me some form of financial security. I would also be able to travel wherever I wanted. However, I would want work to take me abroad. It’s easier to network and connect better in work and career settings. Also, I would have teammates with who I could connect on a different level than if I were merely going there for tourism.

Ayodele

I would work remotely, please, $7k abroad is okay o, but I want to be a rich man here. Over there, taxes alone sef will divide the money, then again the high cost of living in the United States for example. Rent will take half of that money for a decent housing arrangement in some US states. In Nigeria, even $1k is enough to live a soft life, talk more of $5k –  A whole 2.4 million naira!  

Valentino

There’s no easy answer. However, as a patriotic citizen, I’d probably say $5k in Nigeria, but that’s because we have a much lower standard of living. Things are far cheaper down here. Compared to $7k in a developed country, $5k monthly in Nigeria is nearing upper-class energy. it doesn’t seem like a lot. If the offer was double, say $10 or $12k, I would have moved without giving it much thought.

But there’s another angle: with the way Nigeria is being run into to the ground, I may japa o! Insecurity is a major pain point. There is also the promise of stability abroad, career growth, and higher chances of a higher paying job in a saner environment. All of these make the decision even more difficult. That said, all things being equal, I would stay in Nigeria. But that’s just me being idealistic. Things seem like they’ll only keep getting worse in Nigeria, so I may just japa.

Patrick

Omooooo! The way I will go to that country ehn! I wouldn’t even think about it. I would want to give my children options, exposure, the chance at a better, most stable life than I’ve had. $5k monthly in Nigeria is great, but is it worth the constant fear? How many times have people literally died and their money couldn’t save them from a preventable death? Definitely japa.

David

With time, mindsets change. But right now, with the perspective I have, I’ll take the deal of receiving a $5k salary and staying in Nigeria. For me, even though the country is in a bad state, if I have such an amount of money and make certain investments and put certain things in place in Nigeria. For instance, no matter how bad the economy gets, real estate prices will still keep on going up. If I have that kind of money, I can buy certain shares in certain places, buy certain real estate, and whatnot. I believe that even though the country is bad, there have to be certain places that you can put your money and in the future, they’ll definitely yield results. Maybe later I can consider the idea of traveling out. As it stands though, I would take the $5k, stay in Nigeria, and use the cash well.