Should He Return To Nigeria?

I got this write up from Nairaland.com and so chose to share it here. The writer seems to be hooked on the dilemma of making a return home in the face of the many discouraging news that makes homecoming a not so pleasant step to take. Enjoy reading! I have lived in South Africa for close to 13 years but have been planning to return to Nigeria with my family for the past two years. Over the past two years i have sent money home to arrange a place for me and my family to reside in and have done a lot of research to determine what I will do when I get to Nigeria. All my plans however have been put in disarray with the worsening Political, Infrastructural and Security problems in Nigeria. I just learnt yesterday that there has been close to 10 kidnappings in the lekki axis where i own a property and this just worries me. Living abroad all these years has definitely "spoilt" me. Now i am used to constant electricity & water, good roads ,clean open market, parks , cheap ADSL internet, advanced security , strong currency , efficient service providers ,quick access to modern technology , world class medical facilities e.t.c All these things makes my life easy and enables me to earn a decent living. My wife is South African just as my kids are and they are also spoiled by the easy life in South Africa. The recent state of kidnappings in Nigeria has scared my wife who was once eager to move to Nigeria to become reluctant to move. As everyday passes I see the hope of moving to Nigeria with my family fading away. My In laws have even made it clear to me that they do not want their daughter moving permanently to Nigeria because of the kidnapping situation. I have tried defending Nigeria in their presence but everyday news of bombing or kidnapping emanates from Nigeria. My questions to all Nairalanders especially the ones in Nigeria are these : (A) If you were in my shoes what will you do? (B) Is it worth it to come back to Nigeria at this time or should I wait a few more years till the security situation get better? (C) Should I leave my family in South Africa, come back to Nigeria and visit SA once every two months? Please only serious minded people need reply and please none of that “I am the first to comment” nonsense. This is a thread directed at mature adults with some level of intelligence. Thank you.

Footnotes:    To start with, home is home. No matter the challenges we face here in Nigeria, one can't running away from the fact that things need fixing, and they need be done real quick. It only Nigerians (you and I) that can make our country better.   More so, this is another problem with the media; exaggeration, and anti-Nigerian propaganda. Look at how this man's mind has been poisoned against Nigeria to the point where he cannot even see his country as it is, as opposed to the way enemies of progress want him to see it. Please poster, if you want to return home, please feel free to do so. Infrastructure is getting better by the day, and is most certainly BETTER than when you left Nigeria 13 years ago. Most of the major federal highways are fixed or undergoing major renovation. 15 airports have been (and are being) completely remodelled. Major cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar etc are witnessing major infrastructural transformation. The railways are seeing unprecedented investment as is the power sector. In fact power generation has doubled in the last two years and many homes and businesses have seen greatly improved supply, with more plants coming on stream. The power sector is being privatized, so is certain to transform the sector as the telecoms privatization did to that sector. Security wise, you are SAFER in Nigeria than in South Africa. I repeat for sake of emphasis: Security wise, you are SAFER in Nigeria than in South Africa. In fact you are at least 3 times safer in Nigeria if you compare the crime rate in the two countries. Armed robberies have virtually ceased to exist in Nigeria compared to the spate of their occurrence 13 years ago when you lived here. Kidnapping occurs, but is EXTREMELY RARE and you are statistically, most unlikely to be a victim. Even if you were, 9.9 times out of ten you will not come to any physical harm. Whoever told you that 10 people were kidnapped in Lekki in the last week or whatever is LYING to you. The usual exaggeration for which many miserable people here are well known for. There are millions and millions of well-to-do Nigerians, including ex-diasporans, who go about their business daily with no problems. There is no reason you and your family would not join them and go about your business daily, with no problems. Economy wise, there could not be a better time to return to Nigeria. With GDP growing at 7% per annum, Nigeria is the place to be in Africa today. The Chinese are rushing in. As are the Indians, Lebanese, Europeans, Americans, and South Africans themselves. Hundreds of South African companies are establishing outlets here and their number keeps growing, as this country posts the highest returns on investment of any country in the developing world. The Nigerian middle class is growing, and poverty is reducing. The World Bank recently reported that poverty in Nigeria is on the decrease, as better governance leads to more opportunities for people to make progress. So welcome home.!