INTERVIEW: Jochen Theis

Arriving in Nigeria middle of last year, 24-year old Jochen Theis, a student from the University of Mannheim in Germany, agreed to an interview on his 6-month stint in Abuja. He talked about his Nigerian experience - including having developed a liking for pepper soup. This interview was first published in the November Edition of Inside Track. Photo shows Jochen at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel with Rose Akah and Salve Santos during the 3rd Spanish Cultural Week. Jochen has gone back to Germany...

Why are you in Abuja and how long have you been here?
I am in my last year of Business Administration studies at the University of Mannheim and I came to Nigeria to work as a trainee for a construction company with the intention to gain more working experience. For this time, I will only stay for six months and I’ve been here since the beginning of July.

What negative aspect of Nigeria did you hear before you came?
Plenty. After I got the job offer, I started making research about Nigeria, mainly through the internet. The information you get in the beginning does not really invite you to think about taking the job in Nigeria. But even if you intensify your search for information, you come across negative articles.

What positive aspects?
The most helpful for my decision to come here was a conversation with a former trainee of the same company who was here in the beginning of the year. He really gave me a positive impression not only about Nigeria and Nigerians but also about the job situation. The most important for me was just to get a good scale for risks and opportunities in Nigeria.

What Nigerian food has appealed to your taste?
I regularly enjoy the rich choice of Nigerian vegetables and I also usually spice up my dish with the famous Nigerian pepper. Speaking about meals, I found shawarma and pounded yam to my liking. Besides that, I also like the pepper soup, but only if the cook respects my limits for “spicyness.”

What places in Nigeria have you visited?
In general I am in Nigeria for work, so the possibilities to travel are limited. Nevertheless I try to use every opportunity to experience the country in which I decided to live for six month. So far I was in Jos and at the Gurara Falls. For the future I hope to be able to see Lagos and the Yankari Park, too.

What do you like most?
It is hard to say what I like most, because I like quite much. To provide just a selection, first of all, as the dominant part of my life here, I am satisfied with the job. As I am very much into nature, I also appreciate Nigeria´s rich landscape. Last but not the least, I like Abuja´s nightlife and the possibilities to enjoy the rare free time here.

When you go back to your country, what will you tell your friends about Nigeria?
I will probably describe Nigeria as a country of contrasts and struggle. While it is a country with unique richness of natural resources, the differences in living circumstances for Nigerians are probably bigger than in many other countries. As all verbal descriptions could not picture Nigeria, my recommendation to everybody would just be to get a personal impression by visiting the country.


Abuja in Pictures: NW CHRISTMAS PARTY, DIWALI FESTIVAL, AIWC SUNSHINE WALK, JBN BAZAAR, ICS BAZAAR, VETERAN GOLF TOURNAMENT, ASOHOM INTERNATIONAL FOOD FESTIVAL, 3RD SPANISH CULTURAL WEEK.