Faces of Nigeria

One of the most beautiful things in Nigeria is its people.  They are polite, kind, genuine, proud and hardworking.  Each morning they acknowledge you, thoroughly interested in asking about your night.  Whenever you arrive at a store, the hotel desk, or even a taxi, they greet you with a sense of formality and are eager to converse.  They openly answer questions about mundane life in Nigeria such as food, landmarks, local traditions and customs.

This a land of opportunity for any entrepreneur.  New business are sprouting up like weeds.  For example, dry cleaners are popping up in the city to meet the growing demand of business people, food vendors cater the growing population, and stores such Sahad Market draw enormous crowds due to its variety of products.

As a foreigner in a big city, you do not feel threatened or uncomfortable.  You do not see beggars in the street and are not hounded for donations or to make purchases.  There are no cat calls when passing construction sites or unwanted eyes following you as you walk down the street.

Children are well behaved.  Even the littlest ones make it though church with not so much as a peep.  They are cheerful and always smiling. Their eyes are bright with wonder

While Nigeria still has a way to go in terms of development, one thing is sure, its people are determined.

 #IBMCSC Nigeria

Where Does Your Chicken Come From?

Glyn told the team about a conversation he had with a local Nigerian woman while at the office last week.  The conversation sparked from Glyn’s observation of free roaming chickens throughout the city.  He asked if these hens and rooster were the source of the roasted foul sold by the street food vendors. The woman replied yes and then asked Glyn where he obtained his chicken, to which he made a joke by stating “from the grocery store."  The woman replied “I feel sorry for you!”

This weekend the team saw first hand where chickens come from in Nigeria.  On the way back from our trip to Niger state, our driver stopped at a local market to purchase chicken and yams.  From the bus, I watched him negotiate with various chicken vendors to pick the best rooster and negotiate a price.  One should note, our driver was shopping for live chicken, not the prepackaged Perdue chicken we buy from Safeway.   For about $10 he purchased a fine looking rooster.

So one may ask, how did our driver get a live rooster back to Abjua?  Easy, he put it in the back of the van.  Lucky for us, it was a separate compartment from our seats, but we still heard it rustling around, as we drove back to the city….  Glyn, as well as the rest of the team, now know exactly where chickens come from.

#IBMCSC Nigeria

It Is Not The Destination, But The Journey

Monolith On The Way To Niger State

This weekend the team was able to get out f the city on a couple of day trips. While both days started early, waking up to see the sunrise was well worth it.

On Saturday, we took a trip west to Niger State.  As we left the Abuja the contrast between the city and the county became clear. As we passed by many small villages and markets, we were afforded a glimpse into the every day life.  The further west we went, the more the buildings and construction gave way to green vegetation including mango, palm, and banana trees. 

Rural Life On The Way To Niger State

We saw women carrying goods on their heads and babies on their backs, men working the fields, and shepherds herding goats and cows.  We passed by markets with fresh fruit, yams, and live chickens.  We spotted traditional Igbo mud huts, primary schools, churches and mosques.  We passed by a huge monolith and contemplated how something to large seems to appear out of no where.  As we drove, I was amazed at how green everything was.  As Nigeria is in a tropical client, located near the equator, it is almost like a jungle.  Our destination was a school for the deaf and the blind.  On our way back to the city, we stopped at Gurara State Park to visit the waterfall.

Oral Polio Vaccination Program

On Sunday we headed to Nasarawa state to participate and observe in an oral polio vaccination program.  Upon exiting the city limit, we began to see the signs of rural life.  The main streets and junctions were bustling with people heading to and from both church and markets.  Upon our arrival, we visited local Secretariat and met the director of the local public health division.  We learned about the program, its successes, and some of the challenges.  We then visited a local palace of tribal elders and were received in their great room.  Once introductions and a warm welcome from our hosts were complete, we broke into smaller teams to go to various churches participate in the vaccination efforts.

While our destinations were ultimately the school and polio vaccination program, the journey was equally enlightening.  It provided unique insight into life outside of the city that i tried to grasp not only in my mind, but with my camera.

#IBMCSC Nigeria

An Evening with Ola at JB’s Bar and Grill

Sunset at JB's

Happy Hour at JB’s.  What a better way to end the day then with good friends, red wine, and a beautiful sunset?  Anick, Iti, Brajesh, Kim and I met our IBM security contact, Ola,  for drinks after work.  He is based in Lagos, but had been working in Abuja for a couple of days.  He arranged for the team to meet this evening at a local watering hole.

We met up thinking we would get a couple of drinks and then head home, but we got way more than expected.  The owner accompanied us at our table and was an excellent host.  He brought a tray full of appetizers to share.  He even went out of his way to accommodate the vegetarian of the group.  As the sun set, the bug lamp was illuminated, and the lizards came out to feast.

We discussed the differences between Lagos and Abuja, the craziness of driving in the city, and other options for Abuja entertainment. It was a great evening.

#IBMCSC Nigeria

Electricity, Internet, and Telecommunications (or lack there of)

In developed countries, electricity and internet are considered basic necessities.  Sure, one can go camping for the weekend and “rough it,” but in general, there is relatively easy access to internet and reliable, uninterrupted power.  While the at times the connection may be slow, there is internet at home, at the office, and on the go via smart phones or mobile hot spots.  When we do find ourselves unexpectedly ‘disconnected,’ frustrations tend to escalate quickly.

In Abjua, the capital of Nigeria, growth is everywhere.  The skyline is dotted with cranes and there are on-going construction projects every which way you look.  If you look closely at some ‘palm trees’ you will notice they are not trees at all, but cleverly crafted cell phone towers. With this growth, one would expect to find sound infrastructure, which is surprisingly absent.

Take telephones for example.  There is little to no landline service.  Most homes and business do not use landlines.  For instance, my client and hotel both have telephones in each room / office.  However, these phones are not connected to an outside line, rather they function as an intercom system within the building.  This however, is not too surprising, as landlines are becoming a technology of the past.  Even in the states, land lines are declining while mobile phones are on the rise.  With the abundance of cell phone towers and the relatively cheap operating costs, one would think that service (at least in the city) would be quite good.  This is definitely a wrong assumption.  Verizon’s “can you hear me now” campaign would not be very successful here.  In fact, my client has three cell phones (on for each network) so that she can be reached by phone.

Internet is another slow comer to Abuja.  While the city is leaps and bounds ahead of the rural areas, there is a lot of room for improvement.  Websites are not yet common place and are often very basic in design and content.  Most Wi-Fi is provided via satellite and is plagued by slow connection speeds.  Additionally, it is often intermittent due to inclement weather and power outages….yet people still find a way to update their Facebook status.

Power is at the heart of the issue.  If you do not have consistent, uninterrupted power, how do you expect businesses to run, traffic signals to function, machinery to operate?  They don’t.  In Abuja large intersections may be manned by a traffic warden, but not all of the time.  At work, unless there is a back up generator, you operate in the dark, which leads to most processed being done manually—e.g.,  pushing paper.  No electricity also means no air-conditioning in the summer, no power to run office equipment, no IT in the classrooms.  To help ease the power problem, electricity is shifted to the business district during the day and to residences at night.  As such, we know we will not be working any late nights, as the business day must end by 5:30, as the light are soon to go off…

In Abuja the lack of stable electricity and telecommunications couldn’t be more clear.  Most cell phones double as a flashlight.

#IBMCSC Nigeria

Fingers, Fork, or Chopsticks?

When it comes to food in Abuja, there are four main options:  Continental, African, Chinese, and Indian.

Continental, aka food for foreigners, is surprisingly easy to find outside of the Hilton.  Most grocery stores sell numerous western brands.  So far, I have seen Uncle Ben’s Rice, Corn Flakes, Oreos, and Twix to name a few.  Additionally, restaurants feature many options from hamburgers and fries to pizza and pasta.  While continental foods are easy to come by, you will not find any western fast food.  That is, fine establishments such as McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut have yet to début in Abjua.  Never fear though, one can still get fast food at the Chicken Republic, the largest growing chicken franchise in West Africa.

African is served in a variety of venues.  If you are brave (or just polite to your client) there is street food.  General consensus of the team is that the random chickens and hens that roam the streets will end up on someone’s plate…just a matter of time.  However, there are also a variety of pepper soups, yam concoctions, and rice dishes served.  If not eating street fare, there are numerous ‘African Kitchens’ which sell a assortment of African specialties, including an array of grilled and fried meats (lamb, goat, beef, chicken, bush and organ meat) served with a variety of sauces, rice dishes, soups and vegetables.  Most dishes are very spicy, even by Indian, Thai, and Mexican spice indexes.

Chinese is a very popular cuisine in the city.  However, the team has determined that Chinese food in Abuja is not the same as Chinese food served in the States, India, or China.  While the menu items are both tasty and familiar to all, the preparation is vastly different.  I questioned my client on whether the cooks were Chinese or Nigerian.  She said she couldn’t say with certainty, but most Chinese in Nigeria work in the construction industry vice the food industry.  One thing is for sure, Chinese portions are large no matter the county.

Indian food in prevalent and mighty tasty in Abuja.  It has proven to be a staple for the team, being that Spicy Food Restaurant is by far the best resultant in walking distance.  Unfortunately for us, Spicy Food is closed on Mondays.  Indian food is one of the few cuisines that have truly vegetarian options and numerous choices to boot.  Even the team members from India give the food two thumbs up.

Our team travels in groups, often as a whole (yes all 13 of us).  As such, meals have been great opportunities to explore the local flavors, share our native cuisines, and learn about traditions from our various motherlands.  Therefore, when eating Nigeria, keep your fork handy for Continental and African cuisines, put your chopsticks together for Chinese, and feel free to use your fingers when eating with naan with curry.

#IBMCSC Nigeria

Sunday is Church Day

Stained Glass in the National Church

Daisy, our client, and her husband Jackson invited Iti, Anick, and I to join them in Sunday services in their church.  They picked us up at the hotel and we drove about twenty minutes outside of the city.  On the way there, we learned that Jackson was actually the Pastor.  He explained that each time the church population nears 100 parishioners, some members break off, a new Pastor is assigned, and the new congregation begins meeting in another location.  This way there is no overcrowding of the church.  Also, this makes for a church on every other block….no excuses for not attending!

The church service lasted for about three hours.  There was a band - complete with drums, electric guitars, and a keyboard – three microphones for the back-up singers, and a lead singer with a cordless microphone.  The service started with many songs and dancing and was followed by various verse readings and the sermon. In honor of Father’s Day, today’s lesson was about what it meant to be a Father.  Jackson elaborated on the role and responsibilities being a good father and what his male congregation members must do.  After the sermon, there was a dedication of the new baby, which is equivalent to a baptism.  Instead of sprinkling holy water on her head, the baby was carried up the aisle followed by the friends and family of her parents.  Once at the front of the church, she was handed to the minister’s wife for a blessing.  The congregation collected money for the new parents and sang a song in celebration of its newest church member.

Following the service, we drove around Abuja.  From a distance, we are able to take pictures of the National Mosque.  We then went to the National Church.  We ask the guards if we could go inside and they agreed to let us in.  The National Church is non-denominational and is mostly used for large celebrations and major events.  It is not used on a day-to-day basis.  Inside they had some beautiful stained-glass windows, a large pipe organ, and a rotating pulpit.  The guards graciously turned on the rotation pulpit and Jackson demonstrated by reciting the I Have a Dream Speech.

National Mosque

National Church

#IBMCSC Nigeria