How Nigerians Can Travel Abroad for Free

Ultimately, the only reason some people may never leave Nigeria is, quite unsurprisingly, money.

Money slow to enter; money quick to go...

"Ol' boy," my Nigerian friends tell me, "I need to make enough money to take a trip to yankee, man! But the money - for the visa, for the passport, for the flight ticket - oh Lord!"

And I understand that. Travelling abroad is expensive. But here's the shocker: you do not even need that much money to travel.

In fact, you don't need to have money at all to travel abroad.

The first step to travelling abroad is to decide to travel abroad.

No, saying "I want to travel" is not equal to wanting to travel. You have to rank travelling high on your priority list and begin to work towards making it a reality.

Here are the top ways to travel overseas:

Get a Job Abroad

As easy as this is, many people miss the trick: apply to and get jobs abroad and your problem is about half-solved. As long as you're willing to work - and aren't too picky about jobs - there will always be jobs available for you to do.

You can be anything you want to be: a doctor, a lawyer, a developer, abroad - only if you put your sights to it.

(This might seem beneath some people, but Australia and New Zealand are hot for farm workers)

Some low-level jobs that are always willing to accept entries include bartender jobs, hostel workers, dive instructors (which might require certification), au pair,
tour guides, casino workers, seasonal ski instructors, etc.

Check out the "Council on International Educational Exchange Work Abroad Program", "Alliances Abroad" and "BUNAC" for information on working abroad.

Foreign non English-speaking countries like Thailand and South Korea are constantly in search of English teachers, and if you like, you can apply to teach English there.

Free Flights Are Possible

The option of frequent flyer miles and traveler credits will come in handy in the future, but right now, you're looking to start flying, right? So here are your options:

• Flight deals. Subscribe to airline newsletters.
• When you shop, use stores that have deals with airlines. Amazon, for example, sometimes gives customers flying credits with their purchases.
• Pay more with your card, when you find shopping sites that reward loyal customers with miles.

Get a Student Scholarship

Done with secondary school? Apply for an undergraduate degree abroad!

Done with university? Get a Masters' Degree abroad! The internet is rife with scholarship opportunities for desiring - and deserving - students. There are free universities in Germany, for example. Do your research and follow through. The UNICAF scholarship is one good resource to consider. Take note of the documents required to process a degree abroad and follow up with it.

Are you ready to start? Read the first steps for people planning to travel internationally for the first time