Foreign companies in Nigeria are only here to take, kill & destroy

Some foreign establishments in Nigeria are as old as the country itself, and some, older. Year in year out these companies repatriates large chunk of money to there home countries, boosting there country’s economy, gaining more grounds and popularity in the country where they make their money(Nigeria). They receive an immeasurable privileges and contracts from the Nigerian government, of which same can’t be said for any Nigerian establishments in foreign countries. Over 80% of there country men are employed while a very little number of local contents fill up minor positions irrespective of their qualification and prowess.

My intent in this piece is not to black-list any foreign establishments here in Nigeria, it is never wrong for foreign companies to be established in Nigeria or any other country at that, in fact, its an establishment that every country wants or perhaps needs. But when you establish in a country, benefits is expected to be mutual…however, in the case of these foreign companies, benefits has always been a one way process.

Lets take the foreign airlines for example, in 2011 alone, some of these airlines repatriated over N222 billion to there home countries. They have more slots in Nigeria than Nigerian airlines have in theres. The troubling thing is that despite the huge revenues they generate from ticket sales, none of them care to invest a dime in the country. The same thing is applicable to construction companies, they call Nigerians all sorts of bad names outside this country yet this is the soil in which they stand to enrich the economy of there country. Check out companies like MTN, British Airways, Virgin Airline, Julius Berger and some other companies, and review there activities since there establishment.

A list of these companies have there short comings, greed and corruption levels, but the ones that flips me to the goal post is the Chinese and Lebanese companies here in Nigeria. They export their semi-skilled prisoners to Nigeria, put them in charge of running operations, perhaps instruct them on what sort of treatment to mete out to the Nigerian workers. There has been cases of sexual harassment, maltreatment, illegalities and even murder perpetrated by these people.

The report of their illegal activities keeps coming in, and lots of bodies including private establishments are looking into these company’s activities, one thing is certain, if they don’t desist from their current behaviour and perception of the Nigerians that work for them, they might have lot more to worry than the Nigeria government.