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Writer's pictureRICHMOND OKEZIE

Move now, leave your dry environment and go where job & business opportunities abound in Nigeria.


I want to introduce you to the law of mobility and location, an immutable law of the universe. Since the inception of the universe, creations have been known to be mobile in the pursuit of survival - plants move in the direction of nutrients, while animals migrate seasonally in the direction of food and better ecosystem, this same law applies to humans (think of the migration crisis Europe is facing). The important of this move is that it is in direction of a better survival environment.


Ok, maybe the universe is not your thing but you're a religious person. Let's look at the Bible since I’m a Christian (I believe there are equivalents in the Quran, I stand corrected). Every chronicle of every major person God dealt with involved some major exodus - Look at Joseph, he moved; Abraham, he moved; Jacob or Israel, moved; There are more. But it is not just about the move, it is about the strategy behind the move as it regards their journeys in destiny. So yes, they moved, and the move was strategic and in line with their journey.


Now let's examine your position, you are unfulfilled, underemployed or unemployed, broke because your ideas are dry and cannot be implemented because you lack the network and resources to make anything happen where you are in Umuahia ( I am from Abia and I hate my state because we are cursed with terrible leadership); you wake up and do the same things daily, talk to the same neighbours daily that annoy you with their noise, loud music and gossip. Sometimes you consider packing up and moving to another city, you do not really have any commitments to your present location. This is the sign you have been waiting for, you have waited too long my friend, now is the season to make that strategic move and go closer to opportunities. Yes, things will not change if you continue in your present condition, you must make things happen and stir up a change starting with your physical and mental environment - move! How do you know moving is going to change anything I hear you ask but staying where you are for the past 5 - 10 years has not really changed anything, so yeah - move. Opportunities will not always find you or come to you where you are, you must go to them and find them.


But moving will not be beneficial if it is not planned or strategic. Where are you moving to, how will you survive, what is the long-term plan, how will you build a network in the new place? These are some of the valid questions you must answer before packing your bags. Unfortunately, there is not general template to find answers to these questions as everyone must find the answers to their peculiar situation. However, there are cities in Nigeria that have more opportunities than others, more network, better proximity. Kaduna, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, etc. Also, consider the following pointers;

  • You can move to a new city without having any relation there or the money to pay a year worth of rent. You can go on social media (Instagram for instance), search the location, say Lagos, and see the profiles that come up, go through their pages and see if you can pick or two things regarding who they are, and message them. Be straight to the point, you need a place to crash for a few months while you sort yourself, and you are willing to pay them rent monthly for accommodating you. Out of 30 persons, I am positive 5 will respond positively.

  • There are Churches, Mosques and religious bodies that will help you secure temporary accomodation, you just need to reach out to them. There are also Corpers lodges in major cities operated by these bodies. You can crash a couple of months here while you figure out your next move.

  • You can apply to jobs in a city you wish to move to. Just indicate this to the hiring manager and explain that you are willing to relocate and that relocating will be easy for you and not a hassle, this is particularly important when the job is urgent.

  • You can make friends and network with people outside your location. This helps you keep updated with the way things are in those locations relative to where you are.

  • As an adult, you can move out of your parents’ house in search of opportunities in another city. This is okay, you can make your own decisions, that will benefit you, first.

  • There is a reason why Lagos is one of the smallest cities in Nigeria, yet one of the most densely populated (fink about et).

  • It is not always about how much you will make in these cities, it is about the value of the network you will build, the relationships and people you will meet.

I hope this has stirred something up in you for good.


Selah.

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5 Comments


Peace Eteidung
Peace Eteidung
Jul 02, 2020

Like I'd always say,"You are not a tree, so make that move when it becomes necessary."

Thanks Richmond, for this very beautifully written article.

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Deborah Julius
Deborah Julius
Jul 02, 2020

This is very insightful. Nice one!

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franklinokpara
Jul 02, 2020

True

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Apt. Amazing piece.

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anniepredestinate
Jul 02, 2020

This is so accurate! I've been in a particular city after my youth service (I stayed back) after 4 years, there was no freaking improvement. I was going in same circle. I decided to move to Lagos, it was rough oh. Very rough. But what I achieved in my first year in Lagos was far morethan what I've achieved in this other city over the years I've stayed there. Thanks for this article

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