SIM, NIN, banking, housing viewings and school questions — the exact order of operations our relocation concierge walks families through, week by week.
The first month back is a logistics problem disguised as a homecoming. Get the order of operations right and the month is energising; get it wrong and you spend it in queues.
Week one is about being reachable and legal: a Nigerian SIM registered to you, your NIN confirmed or enrolled, and a working way to pay for things while your banking is sorted. None of this is glamorous — all of it unlocks everything else.
Week two is banking and money: opening or reactivating accounts, setting up the apps Lagos actually runs on, and understanding how transfers, POS agents and cash fit together day to day.
Weeks three and four are where families feel the difference: housing viewings with honest area advice, school questions answered before term deadlines, and the household setup — power backup, water, domestic help — that turns a rented address into a functioning home.
The pattern we see across returning families is simple: the paperwork is survivable, but surprises are expensive. A checklist beats improvisation every single time.
Our Returnee A–Z collection and relocation concierge exist for exactly this month — the order of operations, the honest answers, and the people to call when a queue says no.