Japa, a colloquial expression that has found it’s way into the Nigerian slang, it is a Yoruba word loosely used for “run away” or to “escape.”
Popularized by Nigerian singer, Naira Marley in his hit single, the word has stood as as alternative meaning for relocation(especially) abroad for greener pastures.
No doubt, Japa is a syndrome that has affected lots of Nigerians, as many have continued to seek better opportunities abroad due to bad governance, unemployment, insecurity (such as terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping), prolonged strikes in tertiary institutions, and poor working conditions.
These factors have contributed to a worsening national situation, resulting in a massive “brain drain,” where skilled professionals in fields like health, education, technology, and various crafts leave the country in search of better prospects. The effects of this mass migration include a depletion of expertise, which hampers the development of critical sectors and stifles economic growth.
Like coin with two sides, many have relocated for better life and they have nice stories to tell, while others are living a life of regret.
Of course, there are good sides, the bad sides and even ugly parts of “Japa”.
For instance, in August 2024, a couple shared an ugly experience of how they were to be deported for their inability to pay for visa renewal.
As the story goes, Cynthia and Bright Chinule; a Nigerian couple with three children, all based in Leigh, the United Kingdom, UK, were to face deportation if they don’t raise enough money to pay for new visas.
The couple, who run Taste Africana, a popular restaurant in the town, say they have just over two weeks to raise just under £26,000 or they could be forced to return to Nigeria after six years of building a life in England.
Bright, as head of the family had to solicit funds as his last option to save his family creating a GoFundMe to raise the £25,620 with hopes that his past generosity will pay forward.
He wrote:
“I never thought I’d do this.
“As someone who has always tried to stand on my own, it’s not easy for me to ask for help. But with only 14 days left to secure the necessary funds, I’ve come to realize that I can’t do this alone.
“Over the years, I’ve tried to give back to the community in every way possible—offering hot meals to rough sleepers during the cold winter months, supporting struggling families with food donations, and more. And I promise to continue paying this kindness forward,” part of the GoFundMe read.
Life, however treats people differently. While some tell stories of how life has placed challenges on their laps, others have good news to share, like the story of Chuks.
He(Chuks) said he earns below N100,000 while working in Nigeria before his decision to search for greener pastures in Canada, which eventually paid off.
While counting his blessings, he displayed his documentary photos on TikTok, saying “I sold almost everything I had in Nigeria”
According to him, he sold his lands and car to fund his relocation to Canada. Several months down the line, he shared how he has made more than he spent to fund his relocation.
“After selling almost all I had, I decided to do a personal research and I relocated with the determination to succeed.
He said he was not discouraged by negative reviews from migrants who moved to the North American country.
He said that in seven months, he has a better car, lands and also renders financial help to his people in Nigeria. He is using his personal story to inspire people according to him.
The situation is not so for Daniel who was full of expectations when he left Nigeria as a graduate of accounting. He headed for the United States of America after months of poor employment opportunities and general hardship.
His parents sold some property to raise money for his travel with the hope that, soon, Daniel would begin to send home dollars to take care of the family’s many needs.
In the US, he could not find a white collar job and could not secure a good accommodation.
To survive, he had to do three menial jobs daily in a bid to meet up with his personal needs and his family needs in Nigeria; yet, he could not meet up with expectations.
Daniel’s story is one among many Nigerians who emigrated with high hopes to have a better life but had their expectations dashed.
Series of stories have been shared of what Nigerians face abroad; from the good ones to the ugly sides, yet that has not deterred most people from exploring the opportunity for the proverbial golden fleece due to the harsh realities of Nigeria.
Statistics have revealed that seven out of ten families would prefer to relocate abroad than stay back in Nigeria.
For example, United Kingdom’s official data says the British government generated over N40 billion from processing visa applications submitted by Nigerians between June 2023 and June 2024, according to official data.
Marc Owen, Director of Visa, Status, and Information Services at UK Visas and Immigration, disclosed during the inauguration of Africa’s largest UK visa application centre (VAC) in Lagos that,
“In the year 2023 to June 2024, we processed more than 225,000 UK visas for Nigerian nationals across all categories,” Owen said, as quoted by the British High Commission in Lagos.
Also, in the United States’ 2023/2024 academic year, Nigeria became the seventh-largest source of international students globally and the highest in Africa, with 20,029 Nigerian students enrolled in US institutions.
Aside these two countries, other parts of the continents have continued to experience surge in applications and influx of Nigerians, despite stricter visa policies and rise in cost of visa applications and travelling costs.
The consequences of “Japa” or relocation to other countries have contributed to the brain drain in the economy, affecting all the sectors from banking to agriculture. The IT industry, oil and gas and health sectors are not spared as many workers have decided to move out for better life.
Particularly affected is the health sector which is arguably the most critical of all.
Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Muhammad Ali Pate recently revealed that about 67 per cent of Nigerian doctors migrating abroad practice in the United Kingdom while the country now has only 55,000 licenced doctors to serve its growing population of over 200 million.
With 0.363 medical doctors per 1,000 people, far below the WHO recommendation of 4.45 per 1,000 population, Nigeria has continued to lose even more and the uneven distribution in the ratio of doctors to population is worsening.
The doctor-to-population ratio in Abuja is 4.7 per 10,000 population and in Lagos, 4.6 per 10,000 population.
Also, the Nigerian Medical Association reports that in 2022, at least 50 doctors were leaving the country every single week.
This has left an already overloaded healthcare system struggling.
The government has said it will train more people to fill these gaps and backed a new bill that would require medical graduates to work in Nigeria for a minimum of five years after completing their training. It was fiercely opposed by doctors’ unions.
A similar directive has also been issued for nurses, to get them to work in the country for at least two years before trying to leave.
Highlighting the trend of migration among Nigerian health workers in the policy, data presented shows that 2022 represents the peak of migration of medical doctors as over 3,000 doctors requested letters of good standing from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
The United Kingdom is the destination for 68 per cent of Nigeria’s medical and dental professionals who migrated out of Nigeria through MDCN.
Other destinations are Canada (10 per cent), USA (seven per cent), UAE (five per cent), Australia (three per cent), Ireland (three per cent), Saudi Arabia (one per cent) and Maldives (one per cent).
However, to mitigate the impacts of the “Japa” syndrome, the government must focus on improving the economic situation by creating more employment opportunities, especially by supporting entrepreneurship through accessible loans with low interest rates.
Additionally, enhancing the security situation is crucial to restoring investor confidence and encouraging talented individuals to remain in or return to the country.
Furthermore, improving the country’s infrastructure and making the work environment more conducive to productivity can help retain skilled professionals, thereby reducing the flow of human capital abroad.
Addressing these issues can help ensure a more sustainable national development trajectory, curbing the effects of the “Japa” syndrome while fostering a thriving economy.
