Chika Jonah Writes

Tag: Nigeria

  • 10 Interesting Facts About Abuja

    There are interesting facts about Abuja that may or may not be interesting to you but are important we discuss about.

    Eagle square

    Having visited 21 states in the country and 15 more states left to achieve my travel goals of visiting the complete 36 states of the federation, I was excited about coming to Abuja, the federal capital territory of Nigeria for the first time.

    It has been one of my travel goals for 2021 and it’s beautiful how surprisingly, everything went smoothly. I packed my bags with my travel necessities ( if you know me, I don’t miss packing my travel must have’s for any trip) and began this journey.

    My exact thought was “its time to find out what is so special about this city that everyone has been making noise about.” And well, I didnt know I was in for a big surprise. laughs

    The interesting facts about Abuja I thought I knew from hearsays was not a fact at all. (E shock me)

    I was welcomed with clean air. Ah! Coming from portharcourt, clean air is a blessing since all we breathe in is polluted air. God help us! I mean my nostrils obeyed the calling of nature and opened its wide door to receive this breath of fresh air. It was absolutely soothing.

    I still dream about the Kunu aya (permit the spelling) I drank on my first day there. Fresh, rich, well packaged, completely natural and very affordable. A treat indeed! Also their street food which is; jellof beans and roasted yam with bole stew is a delight to enjoy. If you’re a lover of street food like me, just eat this food and you’d feel like staying in Abuja.

    I visited a lot of places like Wuse, Apo, Nyanya, Gwarimpa, Utako, Jahi, Katampe, Jabi, Jabi lake, and so on. I understand that my one week stay is not enough to judge a city that has existed for decades and their lifestyle. Yet, these interesting facts about Abuja, however good or bad is from a tourist point of view with a passion for traveling and a keen eye for details, so I do believe that you’d trust my judgment.

    These interesting facts about Abuja to be shared would stand as a guide, a watch word, if Abuja is a place you’d want to visit or live in the near future.

    Let’s get on to it.

    The Atrium Restaurant Utako

    10 Interesting Facts About Abuja

    1. Abuja is a well planned City. Abuja is not like Okirika where they just started any building that came to mind and called it a house. haha The city of Abuja began with a plan. An infastructural blueprint. No house was there by mistake. Not sure about the suburbs but Abuja Central was built with a plan hence the beauty, the gardens, the roadmap, the art.
    2. I love how the transporters, even the uneducated ones would speak English or pidgin first before they transition to Hausa in order to make communication easy for anyone. Throughout my stay I did nor have to shout at any driver or bike man that I wasn’t fluent with Hausa. This is a very good point for tourists. Not like Akwaibom that even when you tell them you don’t hear the language they would still rub it on your face.
    3. Transporters are probably the richest in Abuja. Ha! These guys are making money. One small place 200 naira. They would use their tongue to say “Its very far.” to lure you. But once you hop in, you’d realize it wasn’t far at all. Just get ready to spend all your money on transportation in this city.
    4. One of the many interesting facts about Abuja is that, this place is not for mad people. Even the drivers and keke pilots are civilized. Keep your craziness in Lagos, Warri and Portharcourt. Don’t bring it here or you’d be put to shame. Don’t shout. Don’t make noise. Don’t argue or fight oh. Don’t say I did not warn you.
    5. This city is boring. Everyone is minding their business. Sometimes a simple act at socializing can be misunderstood for something else. Although the city has a bubbling night life especially around Wuse area but If you don’t have cool friends and do not know your way around, then its going to be a dull & boring ride for you.
    6. Abuja is surprisingly Safe. hahahaha let me give you gist. When I was at “The Atrium Restaurant” at Utako for lunch and I needed to go get my friend, the waiter said “oh leave your bag.” I was like What? “Nooo.” He laughed out loud. “I understand but you can really leave your bag. Nothing would happen to it.” I was just shaking my head, it’s like this guy is high? (Make them move my phone and money.) How would I come back home if they stole my things? laughs Anyways, I did as he said and damn, my things were intact. I ended up leaving my stuffs behind every time I wanted to step out. Such freedom and security was beautiful to experience. Even when I was out late at night in Jabi, there was no street criminal out to threaten or rob you. Nobody got time for such rubbish in Abuja.
    1. Northerners have no knowledge about business at all. pouts An Igbo man with a small shop in Abuja would make more money from 7am to 10am in the morning while the average Northern man is still snoring. Kai! See me strolling to the market by few minutes to eight o’clock, only to find out that most shops were locked. (My friend warned me but I didn’t listen) But the Igbo man in the street I stay in, was open since 7am and had made over five thousand naira sales on provision that early morning. No wonder they strive everywhere. Well, I wish the northerners were a little business smart.
    2. Abuja is beautiful and homely. Abuja fine. Ah! Forget it. If you are a lover of nature then Abuja is blessed with it. If you’re a creative person then just carry your foam and live there. A lot of inspiration. A wide vast of creativity. A cool source of spirituality. And a flare of peace and tranquility. As long as you don’t get pressured by the wealthy.
    3. Abuja has a lot of enchanting places to visit. This is one of the many interesting facts about Abuja that is for tourists. From the many eye watering restaurants to the bristos, gallery, museums, garden, hotels, lounge, lake and more. TripAdvisor curated best places to visit in Abuja that may interest you. I also believe that, there are more places that you’d have to discover on your own as it is a large State.
    4. Abuja is an expensive place to live. This city’s lifestyle is not for a manager. laughs Till now I’m still calculating how my money finished. shocked To enjoy the goodness and graciousness of this city, you’d have to live comfortably and you can’t achieve that without a sustainable cash flow. In fact, no young person should think of living alone without a steady reasonable source of income monthly. Particularly I enjoyed staying in Jahi as it is easily accessible to anywhere in Abuja. The reason I could visit so many places in a short time was because I was staying at Jahi. And fortunately, Jahi is one of the less expensive part of Abuja Central for housing and accommodation. A self contain apartment goes for three hundred to five hundred thousand a year. An average price for accommodation at Maitama, Wuse, Garki, etc. (Check this article to read more on places to live in Abuja) If you’re visiting, cool. If you’re thinking of relocating like me, please fill your pockets. (Please ask for my account details) haha
    Jabi Lake

    Debunking some Myths About Abuja

    Having seen the interesting facts about Abuja, you’ve probably also heard of some things about Abuja that you believed were true but really isn’t in reality. Now is the time to debunk those myths.

    1. There are bikes in Abuja. In fact, a lot of bikes.
    2. Keke is a boss in Abuja. Don’t be deceived. Keke runs in the main towns in Abuja as well. Except for a few specific highways.
    3. There is also traffic in Abuja. Not as intense as other states like Lagos. But if you think there is no traffic in Abuja then you better repeat the first sentence till it sinks in.
    4. The road is smooth.
    5. Even the suburbs is clean
    6. Only perishable foodstuffs are cheap. Other food items and basic items are very expensive.
    7. There are poor people in Abuja as well. Poor people are everywhere sadly.
    8. Everyone is not fake in Abuja. There are no fake people. When did people who live comfortable and luxurious life become fake people?

    My question is why aren’t you traveling? Money? I have a guide on “traveling on a budget in Nigeria” you should see. Time? – you can always create time with proper planning. Stress? Traveling has been made easy with some mode of transport.

    Traveling is therapeutic. It refreshes your mind and eases your soul. It reminds you of the beauty of life and makes you see the life of others through gratitude. It exposes you to different culture and lifestyle. Brings you closer to nature and people.

    If Abuja is one of those places you plan on visiting or residing in, I hope this article has helped you establish some ground truths beneficial for your travel.

    All the best.

    Please leave me a comment.
    Also use the share button to share this post with your friends as well. Thank you.

  • Traveling on a budget in Nigeria

    Yay!! The interstate travel ban has been lifted.

    You can now travel.

    Which is why I’m here to solve the problem faced by everyone who loves to travel in Nigeria.

    The problem of; how in Gods name can I travel in Nigeria without emptying my account?

    I know I should have answered this question a long time ago, forgive me. I’m here. Aren’t I?

    Traveling on a budget in Nigeria or any other country can be very tricky.

    Here are the key things to note;

    Don’t be greedy

            Just because you want to travel doesn’t mean you have to go to the entire thirty six states and capital in one week. Do not exceed three to five states. And only focus on one Geo-political zone. Stick to either the Northeast, Northwest, Northcentral, Southeast and Southwest. Don’t say you want to visit Lagos and in two days time you decide your next stop is at Kaduna. You can’t achieve that if you’re on a budget.

    Don’t travel with nothing in your account

          Don’t go on an all cash trip and don’t go on a cashless trip. Divide you travel budget into two; 50% cash and 50% in the bank. Make sure you separate your cash to different places. Stash some in your pocket for immediate use, some in your tothe bag and the rest in your travel bag. Also, you should be able to make a mobile transfer with the bank that has your money. Very important in case you misplace your credit card while on transit.

    Don’t lodge at the hotel for the entire trip

       If you plan to visit five states and you want to lodge at the hotel for the entire trip then I’m sorry, you can’t achieve that on a budget.
    The trick is to visit states that you have friends and family residing at. So as to make it budget friendly. So out of the five states you want to travel to, make sure you stay with a friend in three states and then lodge in a hotel at two states if you have no one residing there.

    Click here for some travel necessities you shouldn’t miss.

    Now to the budget

    Anita desperately wants to visit Abuja  and three other northern states she hasn’t been to.

    Anita writes a list of her friends staying in Abuja and finally calls one to inform her.
    Viola! Her friend was happy to have her.
    Accommodation in Abuja was settled.

    The remaining three cities were Minna, Nassarawa and Kaduna.

    Her transport to Abuja to and fro is estimated at approximately N20,000

    Anita loves food  so she estimated N10,000 for that.

    Her lodge for one night each at minna and kaduna was estimated at 15,000 (according to my research you can get an affordable hotel at 7000 per night in this two cities)

    Anita estimates other running around at N5,000

    Making it a total of N50,000.

    So with N50,000 Anita can comfortably visit four northern states she has never been to, explore places, eat their cultural food and have fun on her well planned budget. If she’s hard, she may even come back home with some extra change.

    This budget can also be used for those traveling to the southwest region; Lagos, Ibadan, Ogun etc.

    But Its lower for anyone traveling to the southeast and southsouth region. In fact you can comfortably travel to four cities in these region with N30,000.

    You can also use Anita’s plan to plan a budget for yourself regardless of the city.

    Please thank Anita for me.

    So guys now is the time to start planning for that long awaited trip. I’ve given you a road map that can guide you to fixing your budget. Its time to get to work.

    Drop your thought in the comment below. Thank you for stopping by

  • How I left NYSC with a whooping sum of money

    This post is the answer to majority of the questions I got from the last post “How in Gods name did I make such an amount during NYSC?

    So sit tight and ride along with me.

    After my hunger experience which I shared with y’all in my last post I made a decision never to go hungry.

    And for that to happen I needed money.

    I went from company to company, I had nothing but zeal and desire. No experience no relations no connections. Just me in an unknown state.

    After days of searching I walked into a construction company far from my house and told them I was a copper and I needed a job.

    I was fortunate enough to meet the Owner of the business. He asked me a lot of questions about myself. Which I answered with a smile on my face.

    Y’all know my smile is contagious laughs

    He then went further to ask me, since I was a copper how was I going to properly deliver here. I replied that I only go to my PPA three times a week during the morning hours so by 12 noon I should be at work and the remaining days I’d also resume at the usual time.

    I left with the “we’ll get back to you” statement which made me feel less hopeful.

    I still went to a mall that day but they said they were full.

    The next morning I woke up with a phone call “Come to work now!”. And the call ended.

    “Are you kidding me, what kind of person gives someone a job on the phone and asks the person to resume immediately the call ends”. I complained. Obviously irritated.

    I rushed out. I can’t remember if I even had my bath that morning haha. I just wanted to find out if it was real or just a prank.

    I went and lo and behold it was real.

    I had a job.

    But…

    I never knew it was going to be a very stressful one with…of course, a lot of benefits.

    Salary was Ten thousand naira monthly as a copper. Then I was to be given 500 everyday for lunch. And some days I and my colleaque were provided with lunch and much more to eat. My boss was Igbo but the northerners were very hospitable.

    I know you’re wondering how it came to a whooping sum of three hundred thousand naira with bills to pay, transport and feeding.

    Let me indulge you

    I was receiving NYSC allowance of Nineteen thousand, eight hundred niara. Also my salary was Ten thousand niara. For the remaining ten months I never touched my salary and my allowance. So how did I survive?

    On my 500 daily lunch money and tips.

    I worked under the scorching sun supervising general merchandise. I spent time climbing trucks counting goods. I was always inside the warehouse during offloading and onloading of goods. And if the laborers weren’t around. I did their job and mine. It was gruesome, hard and unimaginable.

    No one believed I’ll do the work of a man. But I did it perfectly well. Clients saw this and constantly blessed me. My boss saw this and blessed me once in a while, even though he could be very annoying hahaha Aren’t all bosses that way?

    At the end of each day I left work with nothing less than One thousand five hundred, that is if few clients come in. Most days it was between three to five thousand. And it was that money I lived on. It was more than enough and I even had extra change. Do the maths.

    I enjoyed myself. There’s nothing sweeter than spending money you worked hard for. So I spent it well. Food was excess. I fed my student once a week. I never lacked my basic amenities. Helped in church. Had fun once in a while since I was a private person. Cooked to my hearts content. I was constantly sending bags of yam and fish to Portharcourt. Life was okay. I saved almost everything I could.

    If there’s anything to take home from this story its;

    Have multiple streams of income

    If I had only depended on allowance I would have left NYSC with nothing. And how would I have survived at home while job hunting?

    Word of mouth

    Word of mouth is still the most effective form of marketing. Understand your potential and spread the word.

    Save to start up, don’t borrow

    Save. If you don’t know how to. Learn. Its not as difficult as it seems. Work with a savings calendar. Have an achievable goal. Fix the duration. Fix the amount. No amount is too small. Hundred naira every day for one year can get you two bags of rice for Christmas. One thousand naira every day for a year can get you half plot of land in some cities. Don’t underestimate the power of 1.

    Writing this story and reliving its memiries now, has inspired me to rekindle that work fire I once had. Because its clear I’ve lost it. I seriously want to ignite that hustling spirit in me once again and build the kind of life I truly desire.

    How was NYSC for you? Are you still serving? what are your thoughts on this post? What have you decided to do positively from now on? What lessons did you learn? Share them in the comments below