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The following is a series of letters from a Boston University School of Management student working for a Nigerian nonprofit organization for the summer. The latest updates are at the bottom. Check back every two weeks for more letters.

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July 4, 2005

Through luck and the help of many at the Boston University School of Management I've been hired as an internal consultant for an emerging Nigerian nonprofit, The Fate Foundation. Fate focuses on giving aspiring entrepreneurs the tools to start their own business in a developing economy. I am charged with assessing the possibility of replicating the Fate curriculum to the rest of the country.

Preparing for this trip I came across almost unanimous negativity from travel websites and guides: "More than one expatriate living in Lagos has said that it's not uncommon to see bodies on the sides of the road on their morning commute to work." The reality I assure you is quite different.

Lagos is a city buzzing with activity. Poverty is evident but everyone seems determined to make a living in one way or another. While in traffic jams for example, children will knock on your car windows to try and sell you anything from candy to padded toilet seats! The abundance of markets and the constant debate over prices confirms Nigerians' world class trader reputation. Everything can be bargained and if you're white, everything should be bargained!

Despite this natural inclination towards trade one obstacle stands in any local businessman's way: the lack of infrastructures. You are first surprised when electricity goes out but fast accept the rolling black outs which happen three times a day. The roads are poorly organized and most people commute for two hours to get to work. Public transportation is quite popular but risky: The myth has it that bus drivers remove their side door in order to jump out in case of a loss of control of the vehicle... Add to this, a very limited access to water (firefighters sometimes show up on the scene of a fire only to realize that there's no available water...) and you will learn to develop "patience."

This patience is one of the many character traits of the people of Lagos who are also very warm and curious. This leads to spontaneous discussions on every street corner and daily invitations to dinners at people's homes. Still, life in this huge metropolis does take a certain level of "street smarts."

I'm living here with four other interns from renowned MBA programs and we have developed a little bag of tricks for specific situations. For example, after 7pm the police set up check points every mile within the city. They stop cars randomly to receive some kind of monetary "donation." Our skin color leads to a guaranteed stop. We've realized that besides money these men are quite keen on having a white woman give them a big smile and tell them she'll see 'hem again soon. This has saved us a bunch of money while the girls practice their best smiles five times a night!

You might not believe me but I do actual work here. Besides working on a feasibility study I am to teach a couple of classes and to help specific entrepreneurs with one on one consulting. This week for example, the head of marketing for the major phone provider in Nigeria was to teach a marketing workshop at my organization. The man didn't show up and a room full of 90 people who'd paid good money was growing impatient. Luckily I stumbled onto some of my old marketing slides and was able to come in and present some basic concepts. This is truly representative of the economic life here: boot-strapping all the way!

Thanks for reading me, I hope I was able to give you a little of the local flavor. I can't wait to tell you about our Fourth of July ambassador party and our visits to the eastern provinces. Enjoy your summer! ___________________________________________________

July 25, 2005

The last couple of weeks have only furthered my appreciation for this unpredictable country. Our adventures through the various use of transports give a good representation of our journey.

Car

A couple of weeks ago we were invited to a Nigerian wedding in a rural area north of Lagos. On the way there, our two cars were suddenly stopped in the middle of a village by a mob of frantic men. As our cars disappeared under a hay of arms and sticks I grew a little confused as to why we were the target of so much anger...Apparently it was the funeral of a traditional chief and a masquarade--a spiritual procession restricted to men--was taking place. Having women in the cars was apparently punishable by death and thus we followed the mob's advice, hid the women under long pieces of cloth and drove off a little shaken!

The wedding was beautiful. Over 800 people dressed in uniform colors based on which side invited them, all enjoying typical Nigerian dishes. The couple sits on a throne surrounded by local chiefs and is greeted to traditional dances and songs. Sadly, everyone left by mid-afternoon as they dreaded driving through the angry mob at night...

Plane

Having recovered from all the drama, I traveled west to the oil states for work. I was supposed to leave at midweek for the Shell-polluted city of Port Harcourt when all planes came to a grinding halt. Had there been a bomb threat? Was a hurricane on its way? Not exactly, the Air France flight from Paris was safely landing when a horde of frightened cows came crashing through the runway--seven dead...cows that is, the right wing of the plane was also destroyed. Apparently local villagers had a feast that night and I was able to safely travel the next day.

I followed a couple of meetings with a weekend in the old slave city of Calabar. It's a strange feeling to have a local present you the horrors committed by your ancestors, especially when our history books vaguely discuss slavery.

History is not the only school subject I've been able to steadily improve on. Out of all the things I learnt this year I thought "networking" was just extreme fluff with no practical value. My opinion has changed; in just a few weeks we managed to get invited to the Embassy's 4th of July party with Lagos's "elite," send my roommate to meet with the Nigerian president, and overpower the entire immigration minister's office through calculated name dropping!

Work has also proven interesting as the entire organization is being revamped and there's always something different to work on. Last week I was even invited to a national radio show to discuss entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Yet, as we alternate between five days in the office and two days on the road discovering this fascinating continent, it's easy to remain oblivious to the overwhelming poverty.

Car Again...

Driving to work in a chauffeur driven Peugeot with AC and a radio makes you feel detached from the realities of Africa's largest city. We witness the fights, the car crashes, and the child beggars but the glass window creates a false sense of separation between our lives. As hard as it might be, reality sometimes catches up, whether it's through the dealing with the unexplained death of a colleague's child or by having our driver crash the car into another car and then a wall at 60 MPH! Luckily we managed just a few bruises and walked away thanking god Peugeots were more resistant than the Maginot line. After moments like this, you can't help but reflect on how much of an impact we are truly making here.

Through our trips through Benin, Togo, and rural Nigeria interactions with the locals have constantly led to the same conclusions: the corruption of the political classes stall all attempts at change. While we're helping the private and nonprofit sector there seems to be a greater need in terms of government accountability and public management...perhaps our next trip? ___________________________________________________

August 21, 2005

After a couple of months here I thought I would have seen it all but adventures just keep on coming. While never knowing what to expect brings excitement to my daily routine, I can understand why Nigerians wish for a little more order.

After a calm day at work some of my friends and I decided to leave the mainland to go back to the island where we live. We took two different cars and two separate paths...big mistake! On the bridge leading back to the island our friend's car found itself stuck in traffic, not just your normal commute though. People were abandoning their cars and running for their lives as armed robbers had taken over the bridge, stopping all cars and stealing any possessions left behind. While our friends got away (without their car), this lasted for a good hour as the police was nowhere in sight.

Apparently this situation is fairly common as armed robbers are better equipped and are thus feared by the police force. Who could blame the police? They haven't been paid in six months and actually spend most of their time begging for money from passing cars.

Not wanting to focus on just the negative aspects of my stay, I'll have to admit that I've gotten quite some exposure here. Last week I was traveling to the north to discuss partnerships with other entrepreneurial education institutions. Having rushed while packing I had forgotten all the literature describing the foundation I work for. Sometimes luck comes in handy...at the airport I decided to buy one of the national daily papers when I soon realized that I was on the cover page! It described a marketing workshop I had taught earlier that month. I bought three copies which I presented to my business partners later that day. I have to say that it helped with credibility and in getting them motivated to work with us!

Because I only work with Nigerians it's been easy to enter the local social circles. I even have a Nigerian name now: Ollatunde Lepa, which translates to "thin wealth coming from afar"...go figure!In just a couple months here I feel almost completely part of the Lagos community.

Just last week we threw a party for the other interns who were leaving...over fifty people showed up. It was quite a mix as the US marines who had never mingled with Nigerians concluded the evening by telling us: "In the six months I've been here I'd never really met a Nigerian, but they're actually cool! I'm inviting them all for a party at our place next week." We felt that in our own little way we helped bridge American-Nigerian relations!

We'd always mocked the marines and various consulate members because of the strict rules by which they live. For one they're not allowed to leave the island on which they live and work unless followed by a fully-armored escort...we soon realized why. One of our local friends invited us to have dinner at her place on a weeknight. Traffic on the mainland was extremely slow and things seemed rather agitated. Not long after, we drove past burning tires and debris in the middle of the street, broken street signs and lamps...a riot was taking place! A navy officer had been gunned down in the middle of the street by a local taxi driver for having brushed his car. Fellow taxi drivers reacted by burning down his car, trying to set him on fire and by destroying everything around the neighborhood! But we managed to arrive safely at our friend's place. With the commotion still going on we spent the night crouched on the floor and drove back the following morning when the smoke had cleared.

© OneWorld US / Vince Barailler After having dealt with the agitation of Africa's largest city (no one really knows the exact size as there hasn't been a census in decades), it's time to move on to calmer pastures in the Nigerian country side. I've enjoyed working for an organization currently without an Executive Director or a board of directors for the past eight weeks and I've finally completed my internship. I was able to observe change management, work with staff on improvements, teach and make some clear recommendations for the future. Happy to have learnt lots I will spend my next three weeks in the country traveling. I don't doubt that new adventures will come about and I will recount them in a final newsletter.