Experience, it is commonly said, is the best teacher. But painful events are better not experienced; learning from other people is safer and wiser. Postgraduate Nigeria brings your the very unpleasant experience of a Nigerian who bagged a UK Masters degree, spent over six million naira. His return to Nigeria’s labour market has left him frustrated and almost regretting. This post was published by
After Spending N6.7m For My Masters In the U.K, Nigerian Employers Are Using me to Play
I graduated from the university in 2011 and finished my NYSC in 2012. I had already planned my life I didn’t want to waste much time before going for my master’s degree if I didn’t get a good job.
A month before my POP in 2012, I got a job offer in an oil firm in Port Harcourt that I served. With a salary of N50,000 they offered, I wasn’t satisfied with it. I wanted better even when part of me insisted on taking the offer. I had to tell my mom that I wanted to sell some of my late dad’s property to raise money to go to U.K for my masters. My mom totally refused. She objected on me selling any of my dad’s property to go abroad for my master. And she has also refused to give me money for school fees. She no want make I travel. She said she would only support me if I wanted to start a business.
Not that we are so rich, we are just okay. My mom runs her own boutique in Abuja. my dad only left us with 4 landed properties and I intended selling off 3 to raise money to go for my master’s in U.K, and I didn’t know where to raise any money. I thought about everything, it was really killing me. My late dad left four landed properties in Abuja, and my mom didn’t want me to sell any of them. She wanted me to keep them.
A week after my service, I had to trick my mom after much pressure I placed her in. She allowed me to only sell 2. I told her I wanted to use the money to start an agriculture business. Na so she give me permission to sell. And I didn’t even sell it for as much reasonable price just because I was so desperate. I was not patience enough and my mom was terribly angry with me. I supposed to realize about N11m on the two land sales because it was located in a good area. But I wasn’t patient enough. I hurriedly realized N7. 8m from the sales. I paid my tuition fee and every other ones in the U.K. After everything. While I was still waiting for my Visa confirmation, I mom will keep asking when and the plans about my business. I will tell her I was still working on it. I got my Visa before telling my mom. My mom nearly went ballistics when I told her I was using the money for my masters in U.K. I had to beg and kept begging. Even when I was leaving for U.K, she didn’t even talk to me. She felt betrayed about what I did.
After my masters, I came back late 2014. I and my mom had finally reconciled, I felt fulfilled that my value has risen in the labour market. Not until after job hunting for 2 months, it looked as if my education was nonsense. It looked as if I wasted my time and money in U.K for masters and was not able to get any reasonable job. Employers no even send my U.K certificate sef. After spending about N6.7m for my school, stay and all expenses in U.K, I am yet to get reasonable offer. I am beginning to regret, I would have heeded to my mom’s advice to use the money for business.
This is 2016 and yet no job. And I didn’t want my mom to know about my so many weird job hunting ordeals, because it would look as if it was out of my disobedience I refused to listen to her. The one that angered me most was the job interview I went for last week. It was boldly stated that they wanted people with masters. It was after the interview only for me to hear that the company only recruited Bsc holders. Infact I was told that the interview we did was just a formality, the company had taken people they wanted. I was so pained when I heard that. That was not the first time such a thing is happening. There is no longer equality in Nigerian job hunting labour system. To get a job now is about “WHO IS YOUR FATHER” or “WHO DO YOU KNOW.”
Well, but I know God, am being hopeful that soon I will get a good job. I just decided to take the little money I have to do start up a small business.
This story was narrated to the Author,
http://www.hovabuzz.com/frontline/1194-after-spending-n6-7m-for-my-masters-in-the-u-k-nigerian-employers-are-using-me-to-play-chess