Situation in Nigeria #2: Japa syndrome
Have you ever heard of "Jappa syndrome" before?
You might be well familiar with it or might not be as well. But its note worthy that the Jappa syndrome has been a primary cause of migration from Nigeria to other foreign countries. Let's break this down in simple terms. You obviously know what a syndrome is. In fact that term should tell you it's a set of symptoms or signs that identify an abnormality.
Then here's our big word-"Japa". Japa is actually a slang introduced by Nigerians to denote an escape or moving away from a particular place.
Being honest, there's so much japa going on in Nigeria in recent times.
What's the cause?
Sometimes the reasons for japaing are justifiable like finding a better employment, a conference or international assignment.
Sometimes, the reasons for the japa are not justifiable especially when the person is involved in illegal businesses or importation of harmful or banned drugs.
Here are a few reasons Nigerians japa:
- For employment: The Nigerian economy is really degrading. Professionals are finding better job opportunities with better pay outside Nigeria.
The amount paid here is low and not even enough to take care of one's need or family. Most medical students you see today in Nigeria didn't go to school because they want to work here..., but they did because they want to work abroad because the pay is good and better there.
- Education: Some who think foreign educational system is way better than the Nigerian educational system also fall among the japa category. But to be frank, the educational systerm in Nigeria is going down.
Whilst few are striving hard to improve the educational systerm of the country like the solar project I am running in schools, and some offer free vocational training in various schools just to improve the lives of the young generation for a better future, many are not even helping most especially the POLITICIANS.
And this is why none of their kids school here in Nigeria. They don't even live here. All of them are living abraod in the UK, US, Australia, Canada etc lavishing our resources that could have been useful for the development of everyone here.
- Business trips: Some people japa to settle and bring down foreign goods because they are still many with the mindset that only the foreign product is worth their money or maybe only foreign products last longer or works better.
- Vacations: There are people who prefer to take vacations and tours outside their home town.some Japa for months in the name of vacation. Some others never return. This is why it is always very difficult to get a visa as a Nigerian. They don't just trust that we would ever come back to our country...😀🤣
- For a better living: Like I said earlier, the Nigerian economy is really degrading, many do not want to settle with just the average lifestyle. They relocate abroad so they can live healthier, richer and happy lives. Foreigners reading this post might not really understand this part except people who are close to Nigerians.
You think there are jobs in Nigeria? No, there are no jobs. And if you manage to see a good one, you must have a connection, you must have a god-father in government, otherwise you are doomed.
- Threats to life: Threats can make some try to find a way to relocate.
Do you know that 66.4% of Nigerians have been looking for opportunities to travel out of Nigeria and never to come back?
The remaining percentage who aren't interested in relocating includes the politicians who are living very well lavishing our resources and can only run away to those foreign countries when they have been caught with fraud, and the top business tycoons.
This is how dire the situation has become in Nigeria...., the so - called gigant of Africa.
Japaing isn't always a guarantee for success but many have fallen prey to this lie regardless.
On the other hand, the country's economic state is not any encouraging at all. Many youths now engage in electronic scams called "Yahoo yahoo" another slang that denotes online theft. I will talk about this in a different article of this series.
The economy has put many into poverty, and a lot of others into penury with no hope of survival and this leaves Nigerians no many options but to japa at the slightest opportunity they have...🤷♂️
Has this really helped Nigerians?
No. We now face even worse a critical condition called- brain drain.
A situation where professionals now offer their skills to foreigners and leaving their mother country bereft of their skills and knowledge.
This in effect continues to dampens the country's GDP because it has inadvertently caused a spike in international flights where we need to hire professionals from other countries while we are facing brain drain.
Many Nigerians have used the opportunity of business trips to import banned items, second hand and low grade articles giving foreign countries the opportunity to dump their low quality or error goods into Nigeria.
Some still find their better living hard or almost impossible for them.
To build a better country or to lead better lives, the key is not to japa. The key is coming together with everyone playing their part and in that way, our Nigeria would be better.
Who would have thought that cars could be produced here in Nigeria...?🤷♂️
And not just cars, but electric cars amidst this petrol hike.
A very important friend who is not even a Nigerian alerted me about the recent launched of electric cars by INNOSON. I was so impressed!
In the other way round, I am struggling to build a sustainable renewable energy empire with STEEM where electricity can be produced organically.
You'd be surprised to find a solution right here and how much good lives we could build for ourselves, though this is not easy at all.
Japa is not in itself discouraged, NO, I am not discouraging it, but we can build better lives depending on what makes us happy and in our capabilty.
But untill then, let's see what the future holds.
Did you missed my previous article on this series...?
You can read it below:
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That sounds so familiar to me lol. From my personal point of view. Many of my compatriots do not see things as tragic as I do, simply because we are all, or almost all, used to the hard life, we were born under communism. Most people I know just pretend they don't see what's going on, or they really don't, or they don't care. At the same time, the population of the country is decreasing. Almost 1/3 live abroad. And while in the past people ran under the fire of bullets, were imprisoned in emigrant camps, swam the ocean, or tried to save themselves in the USA on the Titanic, today the borders, at least for Western Europe, are open and we are all infinitely happy - the braver of us, at least.
There's a scene from the 1942 film Casablanca with a young Bulgarian couple trying to escape to the United States who say: "Things in Bulgaria are very bad. The devil has got people by the throat. We don't want our children to grow up in such a country. "
That says it all accurately and is still adequate to this day.
Yes, emigration is not a solution to the original problem. But... I can't even say that if people unite... Can people unite? At least with us, they can't.
In any case, I admire what you do and the motivation and faith you have. Every nation needs people like you who see some meaning and if there is none - they strive to create it.
Thank you for reading and sharing your point. I know we are almost in the same situation when it comes to economy. And I always like it when I share this and we interact this way. I am going to write on so many situations in Nigeria and I'll like to hear from others how theirs are.
Back to your point...
It's unfortunate how these top people don't see how tragic the situations are.
The thing is that, many have already lost hope and I don't blame them. Maybe, they are not seeing anything working out in the country.
😀 they don't have any percentage of hope in that country.
Thank you. Even though this is one of the most difficult things, I still believe that a little portion of positive countribution in the society can create a productive impact.
Thank you for your great contribution here. I hope to write on other situations in Nigeria soon.