Kachi Ogbonna

 Easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria

More than any other time in Nigeria’s history it appears everyone wants to leave the country. Just this afternoon I was having a conversation with a friend in UK and this topic came up and he was sharing a privilege information he got about massive resignation that will happen in some top companies in Nigeria by August/September.

What is even more shocking is the fact that even people with good jobs are living the countries too. You probably have heard the story of the man living in a duplex in Lekki, with a job that pays him 24 million naira per annum, but he resigned to head over to UK.

I personally have two friends who both resigned from high paying jobs in Nigeria and migrated; one to Canada and the other one to Australia. The one that migrated to Canada resigned from his job in Chevron after almost 7 years with the company. The one that left for Australia was after ascending up to a manager’s position in Guinness Nigeria. Incidentally, these are two of the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria. But apart from Canada and Australia which other countries around the world make it in the list of countries to migrate to from Nigeria?

But before I go ahead to give a list of the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria let’s answer a very important question – why do people choose to migrate from Nigeria?

Why Do People Migrate from Nigeria to Other Countries?

Before now when you hear of people traveling abroad we always say they are going in search of ‘greener pastures’. In fact at a point I was thinking if the term greener pasture must have originated from Nigeria. And as the unemployment rate in Nigeria continues to soar we get to see more and more people leaving in search of greener pastures. But today, it appears as if beyond greener pastures there are so many other reasons why people leave Nigeria for other countries. So here are some of the reasons people migrate out of Nigeria to other countries:

1. In search of greener pastures
2. For educational pursuit
3. Business engagements
4. Insecurity in the country
5. Fear of political crisis during or after the general elections
6. To secure citizenship for themselves and their children

But no matter your reason for wanting to migrate, here are the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria

Easiest Countries to Migrate to From Nigeria

To make it easy for you to choose the country you want to migrate to I have decided to group this based on continents. So I will be sharing the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria based on the continents.

Easiest Countries in Africa to Migrate to From Nigeria

1. Ghana

Of course while thinking of the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria your mind is set on Canada and Australia. But I have decided for us to start from those closer home. Because Nigeria and Ghana are both ECOWAS countries , Nigerians can visit Ghana without a visa. As a Nigerian, you can visit Ghana and stay there for 90 days without a visa while you process your permanent residence.

From Lagos, it takes just one hour to fly to Accra, and 10 hours to go by road. Of course you know that there are many road transport companies that now go to Ghana ever since ABC Transport made that first trip in 2004. By all definitions, Ghana is a neighbouring country to Nigeria but they’ve got much better infrastructure and amenities than Nigeria. Ghana is also very culturally similar to Nigeria. The two countries have similar climates and similar dishes. Nigerians looking to move out of Nigeria in the easiest way possible should consider Ghana as their first stop.

Incidentally, Ghana’s economy has seen some tremendous improvement compared to the early 2000s when Ghanaians were living and doing all manner of menial jobs in Nigeria.

2. Benue Republic

Benin is a neighbouring country that doesn’t really have restrictions for Nigerians. It’s definitely easy to move from Nigeria to Benin.In fact, Nigerians visit Benue Republic and come back to the country on the same day. Benue Republic has so many good business opportunities as most of the goods meant for Nigeria end up there. So anyone looking to leave Nigeria for business purposes might as well consider Benue Republic. Just like Ghana, Niigerians don’t need visa to migrate to Benue Republic.

Easiest Countries in North America to Migrate to From Nigeria

3. Canada

 

Canada is the largest country in the world only behind Russia. Due to its large mass of land and shortage of skilled workers, Canada is one of the most developed countries with the most straightforward immigration process. In fact, the rate at which Nigerians have been migrating to Canada in recent times is a testimony that despite its prestige yet it is relatively easy for Nigerians to migrate to Canada.

However, some persons have said that rather than describe Canada migration procedures as easy it is better to describe it as straightforward. The reason for this is that as straightforward as migrating to Canada is yet it comes at a cost.  First, you need to present evidence that you have certain amount of money in your bank account and also write some exams like IELTS.

If you’re a skilled person with certifications and looking for opportunity to work in Canada you should check out Canada’s skilled worker’s express entry program. Almost everyone you know who has left for Canada went through this route .

But don’t forget, you can also move to Canada as a student, especially through your masters degree program and get a job when you’re done with school and then apply for permanent residence. In fact, you can even get some part-time jobs while you school.

It sounds too good to be true, but Canada is actually one of the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria because everything is quite straightforward.

4. Costa Rica

Many expats from different countries of the world are found to be relocating to Costa Rica in recent years and the question is why? It is because there are numerous benefits of living in Costa Rica. For starters, its healthcare system is one of the best in the world, surpassing even the nearby US. The cost of living is also low, and foreigners will not face any restrictions when trying to rent or buy a home. Where expats may face hardships, however, is in finding a job with a Costa Rican company.

Incidentally you will need to have a job to achieve permanent residency and if you have skills needed like teaching English or entertaining tourists, permanent residency will be easy to achieve.

5. Mexico

Most people know Mexico for its deadly drug trade. But that is not all there is to Mexico. As a matter of fact it has so many good sides. Mexico has safe places, it has clean beaches, cute historic towns, mountain views, and upscale urban delights.

Fortunately migrating to Mexico from any part of the world including Nigeria is easy with an FMM visa. This visa is available at any airport or border for $21 which allows one to stay in Mexico for 180 days. Although you can’t work with FMM visa, but one can always renew it once it expires, in fact you can renew it as many times as possible. Within the period you can upgrade the visa to a temporary residency visa which will enable you to work.

6. Belize

Belize is another North America country which is among the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria. Geographically, Belize is located between Guatemala and Mexico  It is an English speaking country and the cost of living is low. It’s pretty easy to fully migrate to Belize from Nigeria or any other country. The first step is to acquire a 30-day visit visa. Once you have that and you’re in the country, all you have to do is renew it every 30 days for the next 50 weeks. Another thing that makes migrating to Belize easy is that you can get a job without a work permit.

Easiest Countries in South America to Migrate to From Nigeria

7. Paraguay

Paraguay is situated in South America. It shares borders with Argentina and Brazil. Paraguay is a pretty friendly Country with a low cost of living and it is also relatively safe. Securing a resident permit or visa is also easy and affordable.

You might be asking, “Well, how can I move to Paraguay to settle there?” It’s simple. Apart from the regular documentation and background checks, all you have to do is deposit a sum of about $4,500 to $5,000 to a Paraguayan bank. Once you have been granted residency, you may withdraw the deposit in full. You can also obtain residency by setting up a company with a minimum capital of the above-mentioned amount. Lastly you can get residency by buying land for agricultural production with a minimum of 10 hectares.

So Paraguay is one of the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria.

8. Ecuador

 

Perhaps a good reason to consider moving to Ecuador as a Nigerian is that it is an untapped territory in terms of saturation by Nigerians. As at 2018, Sahara Reporters reported that there were only a thousand Nigerians in Ecuador. Ecuador is also on the list of countries that Nigerians can visit without a visa. And it has been constantly voted as the best country for expatriates to live in because of the quality of life and cost of living.

The easiest way to migrate to Ecuador is through the Ecuador Retirement Visa which allows you to stay in Ecuador for your entire life. This is though as long as you can prove that you are guaranteed of receiving $800 every month. This visa has nothing to do with your age.

Easiest Countries in Europe to Migrate to From Nigeria

9. Belgium

The easiest way to get a permanent residency, and eventually citizenship, in Belgium is by getting a job there. If you get a job in Belgium, you automatically qualify to be considered for application for permanent residence. It might take five years, but at least you’ll already be living and working in the country. This makes Belgium one of the easiest countries to migrate to from Nigeria.

10. Austria

This country is gorgeous, with plenty of mountain fun in form of the snow-capped Alps which covers 62% of the country. They sometimes refer the lifestyle in Austria to as a “perpetual resort”.

Easiest Countries in Oceania to Migrate to From Nigeria

11. Australia

A friend just relocated to Australia and we often joke with him whether he has some snakes, spiders and kangaroos as pets in his room. Well, that is probably where the gloom ends. So if you are not scared of wild animals Australia is definitely a place to consider migrating to. It’s a beautiful and advanced English speaking country with amazing study and employment opportunities. Like Canada, Australia has a standard skilled workers program for people that want to migrate into the country. So explore that opportunity and you could join my guys in one of the best cities in the world Melbourne.

Easiest Countries in Asia to Migrate to From Nigeria

12. Singapore

Singapore speaks the following languages- English, Mandarin Chinese, Standard Mandarin, Tamil, and Malay. The country makes it to our list of the top best countries for Nigerians to migrate to.

The country is an Island and regarded as one of the global financial centres of the Asian continent, even though it has only a small population of not more than 6 million.

The quality of living in Singapore is high, as it is ranked 5th in the human development index. It is a good choice of country, as they welcome immigrants.

Conclusion

Even though it is widely believed that Nigeria has become notorious in the international community thereby making it difficult for its citizens to move freely, but the truth remains that there are many countries where it is still pretty easy to migrate to from Nigeria. Surprisingly too, the distribution of such countries cuts across different continents of the world. So in the list of the easiest countries you can migrate to from Nigeria include some African countries like Ghana and Benue Republic. It also includes some European countries like Belgium. If you go to North America you also have countries like Canada, Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica. And even in South America you have Paraguay and Ecuador. And even in far away Australia Nigerians still have an easy route to migrate.  But the country you choose to migrate to will always depend on your reason for migrating.

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