So, Nigeria just got a new President and with that comes changes that could affect our plan. The most recent change that we're expecting is the multiple exchange rate that has plagued our country for a long time.
This exchange rate issue will ultimately have a long-term effect on our plans but all things considered, we will be fine. So, we have been moving forward, in the midst of the changes, slowly trying to make our way out of the country.
Yesterday, we finally got done with our application and booked a day for our biometric next week. We'll be going to submit documents and whatnot in Abuja, so hopefully, this will be our penultimate travel before all is settled.
Success at this stage will then get us to the flight booking stage and that point, it is safe to say that we're as good as gone. I'm not going to lie, I am as excited as I am nervous about this part and I really just hope everything goes as planned.
In the near future, we also have to start planning towards adjusting to the weather and stuff like that but that's really something that you learn by doing. For now, all we can do is pace ourselves for a few weeks of anxious waiting.
It gets harder
Since the President was sworn in on the 29th, living in Nigeria has been pretty horrible. The price of petrol skyrocketed due to the end of subsidy and just recently, we learnt that there will no longer be multiple exchange rate.
For what it's worth, the two changes are good but there is much to be improved about the execution. In any case, Nigerians are very exceptional in absorbing hardship, so we will rise above it in the end.
Anyway, this change also means that the requirements for moving out of the country have also gone up. Other than the obvious issues with paying international fees, there will also be a distinct rise in the price of flights.
I am mentally gearing up for the incoming challenges that the presidential changes will bring. The funny thing about it is that we are feeling the effects of the changes before the decision has even been made.
There hasn't been any bill passed or anything like that, it has just been mostly news, social media and stuff he said during his inauguration. What I know for sure is that the next four years are going to be very difficult for the average Nigerian.