The word ‘Japa’ has become a household name, especially among young Nigerians home and abroad. Japa is a slang derived from the Yoruba language (spoken in South-West Nigeria), which simply means to run swiftly out of a difficult situation. Interestingly, this word is now widely adopted when referring to one migrating from Nigeria to another part of the
world.

Migration is not an evil in itself and it is a part of life as people would naturally want to move to a different country despite having the best environment or economic conditions. However, it becomes worrisome when the numbers are increasing daily and depleting the talents within certain sectors of the economy. In recent times, the Nigerian health sector has been greatly impacted by the number of health workers leaving for the western world which makes you wonder at the current strength of the health sector of Nigeria. In January 2022, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of the United Kingdom reported that in 2021, a total of 3,782 Nigeria-trained nurses were granted license’s to operate in England and Scotland. Also, not less than 5,407 Nigerian doctors currently work with the British National Health Service. In addition, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria reported that between 2020 & 2021, Nigeria has lost over 100 consultants. These statistics are greatly alarming and leaves one to wonder what exactly is the state and strength of our health sector.

According to the International Organization for Migration (UN Migration), international migration is shaped by economic, geographic, demographic and other factors. The current volatile, unpredictable Nigerian economy and the stifling environment for young people are the major factors influencing the decisions of many Nigerians to flee the country. It is worthy of note that young Nigerians are creative, dynamic and highly talented, regardless of the once-popular reference to them as “lazy Nigerian youths”, and they are now increasingly attracted by greener pastures that would offer them a better livelihood.

Within the pool of Nigerian professionals, emigration has led to the loss of various worthy talents. In 2019, the data released by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) showed that 12,595 Nigerians relocated to Canada within that year. The IRCC data trend shows that the number of Nigerians relocating to Canada from 2015 to 2019 has consistently been on the increase, from 4,000 to 12,595 Nigerians respectively. Although emigration is not a recent trend of the millennium, it has gained much more momentum among young Nigerians. Between the 1950s and 1970s, we had the affluent citizens travel to the western countries for education, vacation and work opportunities, however, we had more indigenes returning home. The return could be attributed to the favourable economic conditions and availability of jobs and opportunities for young people. The reverse has become the case in the last two decades, where young Nigerians who even leave the country for educational purposes have no intention of returning.

In the light of these numbers, what impact does Japa have on Nigerian talents?

Loss of professionals: The very obvious impact is that Nigeria loses the services of professionals and this could have a rebound effect. For example, the quality of health of the citizens could very well be in jeopardy, where the doctors, nurses and specialists migrate in great numbers leaving only a handful of professionals to attend to a population of over 200 million people.

On the other hand, this emigration of professionals could be of benefit to the nation and serve as an economic development tool. According to World Bank Data remittance, inflow from Nigerians in diaspora grew from about $20,806 million in 2014 to $22,001 million in 2017 contributing appreciably to the economic growth of Nigeria in recent years.

Crippled Industry Growth: Another effect is that emigration has stunted the growth of some industries. Taking a look at the Tech industry in Nigeria, we see an industry with great potential with a lot of young talented people stagnating. This sector has seen a considerable loss of talents within the last 5 years to various western countries with Canada being the top pick. This owes to various factors such as the government not investing in the development of the tech industry, substandard remuneration and working conditions which has these young techies watching out for and grabbing opportunities in greener pastures.

Within the pool of Nigerian professionals, emigration has led to the loss of various worthy talents

Peer Pressure and Adverse Consequences: For many Nigerians, you either have a family member, a friend, a co-worker or an acquaintance relocating out of the country and this has caused many to naturally begin to tilt towards leaving the country. According to the 2021 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey by the African Polling Institute, over 7 out 10 Nigerians would leave the country at the slightest opportunity; that is a whopping 73% of the entire population would want to leave the country. The fervour in the hearts of many young Nigerians to leave the country for better opportunities has led several of them to unanticipated circumstances; stories abound of many who have gone through dire situations just to be in a better place. In 2021, it was reported by the Vice President of the Nigerian Community in Turkey that about 70% of Nigerians (mainly students and youths) in Turkey were undocumented migrants with expired papers or residency permits. The pressure to be seen by mates as one who is abroad has led many to remain in countries they entered illegally and are being treated inhumanely.

In conclusion, we cannot deny the effect that the Japa syndrome is having on Nigeria and its citizens, but the following steps can be taken by the Nigerian government concerning migration:

• The Nigerian government and individuals should create an enabling environment for youths to thrive. With an enabling environment, Nigeria gets to retain a considerable number of its professionals.
• Relevant authorities can leverage the remittances and utilize the diaspora for productive investment. Nigerians in the diaspora remit funds to friends and families at home for upkeep and investment purposes. This pool of foreign exchange can serve to boost the country’s forex earnings.
• The private sector and business leaders can create an environment for transfer of knowledge and tech skills , by Nigerian professionals that have emigrated outside the country, this way, Nigeria can also benefit from the professional and technical expertise of Nigerians in diaspora.

References

1. UN Migration Report. 2020
2. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) 2019 Report.
3. World Bank Migration and Remittances Data.
4. The 2021 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey. African Polling Institute (API)