How a Dutch dream came true in Nigeria

Micky Nijboer strides through the Saddle Club with contagious enthusiasm. ‘Let me show you around this little piece of paradise.’ The 9-hectare oasis lies in the pounding heart of Lagos – one of the world’s most densely crowded megacities. Outside the perimeter wall, car horns, street hawkers and truck motors screech and roar. But tranquillity blankets the horse-riding club this Wednesday morning. A gardener splashes...

Confessions of a GPS addict

I once left my office more than an hour early for a meeting that was technically a 15-minute drive away. I was in a new city; map on the dashboard and nerves carefully strapped under the seatbelt. Exactly one hour later I spotted my office to the left – like a lost dog I’d managed to sniff my way home. Through tear-blurred vision, I stubbornly tried again and found the building, just in time to watch my colleagues head...

Why cultures shock

Claire (not her real name) had been in Lagos for about 5months. She was invited to a dinner outside the apartment complex for the first time with newfound expat friends and got back sometime after 23:00. They rolled up to the gate and waited. Nothing happened: the guards didn’t open. She got out of the car and knocked on the window to the gatehouse. She could see the two guards inside, fast asleep. She was incensed. How...

Arik Air’s WINGS Magazine turns 5

In the Southern Sun Hotel in the residential island of Ikoyi in Lagos, WINGS Magazine held a reception to celebrate the 5th year existence of an excellent product. WINGS Magazine is important for two reasons: 1. It raises the bar for quality in-flight magazines. It is the sort of magazine that everyone reads when on an Arik flight, and then takes home in order to save. Those who haven’t flown on Arik that quarter beg...

Welcome to Nigeria!

If you are coming to explore business opportunities in Nigeria for the first time, there are two things you need to do. First, leave all your preconceptions behind. Second, plan to take lots of time to get to know the place. A more balanced view Nigeria is a country that has an international image problem. In mainstream media, few stories are told other than those about violence, corruption and oil theft. It is easy to...