So You Still Want to Japa? Let’s Fix Home First: Beyond "Japa": Building a Nigeria Worth Staying For
Dr. Aiyeku Olufemi Samuel
The "Japa" syndrome – the mass exodus of Nigeria's brightest and best in search of better opportunities abroad – has become more than just a trend; it's a national crisis. From doctors to tech professionals, academics to skilled artisans, the drain on our human capital is palpable. For many, leaving is not a choice but a desperate necessity. But must this be our fate? Can we, as a nation, implement "realistic reforms" that could make Nigeria genuinely worth staying for, transforming despair into hope and brain drain into brain gain?
Challenges:
The drivers of the "Japa" phenomenon are deeply rooted in Nigeria's socio-economic and political environment.
• Economic Hardship: High inflation, unemployment, stagnant wages, and diminishing purchasing power make it difficult to maintain a decent standard of living. Youth unemployment, particularly, remains a significant concern, with rates often cited above 30% for those under 35.
• Insecurity: The pervasive threat of kidnapping, banditry, and general insecurity makes life unpredictable and unsafe for many, driving individuals and families to seek stability elsewhere.
• Poor Quality of Life: Access to reliable public services like electricity, clean water, quality healthcare, and education is severely limited, forcing many to spend exorbitant amounts on private alternatives. For instance, UNICEF reports that only 26% of Nigerians have access to safely managed drinking water.
• Lack of Opportunities and Meritocracy: A perceived lack of opportunities based on merit, coupled with nepotism and corruption, discourages talented individuals who feel their hard work is not adequately rewarded.
• Crumbling Infrastructure: Dilapidated roads, unreliable power, and inadequate public transport infrastructure hinder business growth and overall quality of life.
• Brain Drain Impact: The departure of skilled professionals creates a vacuum, further weakening critical sectors like health (doctor-to-patient ratio significantly lower than WHO recommendations), education, and technology. "Every doctor, engineer, or teacher that leaves is a piece of our future departing," says Professor Wole Soyinka.
Rhetorical Questions and Answers:
• "Why would anyone leave their home, family, and culture unless the push factors are truly overwhelming?" The push factors (insecurity, poverty, lack of opportunity) currently outweigh the pull of staying.
• "Can we blame those who seek a better life abroad when the system at home seems broken?" No, the responsibility lies with leadership to create an environment where staying is a viable and attractive option.
• "Is 'Japa' truly a solution, or just a temporary escape from problems we must ultimately fix at home?" It's often a temporary escape. True, sustainable prosperity comes from building a strong home.
Solutions and Recommendations:
Making Nigeria worth staying for requires comprehensive, long-term reforms focused on improving quality of life, creating opportunities, and restoring confidence
● Prioritize Security and Rule of Law:
Recommendation: Implement decisive measures to tackle insecurity across all regions. Strengthen law enforcement, judicial systems, and ensure justice for all to build trust and stability.
●Economic Revitalization and Job Creation:
Recommendation: Implement pro-business policies that attract investment (both local and foreign), stimulate manufacturing, and create sustainable jobs. Focus on sectors with high youth employment potential like technology, agriculture, and creative industries.
●Invest Massively in Human Capital:
Recommendation: Revamp the education system from basic to tertiary, ensuring quality and relevance. Invest heavily in vocational training and skill acquisition programs that meet industry demands. Improve remuneration and working conditions for professionals (doctors, teachers) to retain talent.
●Infrastructure Development:
Recommendation: Aggressively address power supply issues with diverse energy solutions (solar, gas, grid overhaul). Invest in modernizing transportation networks, digital infrastructure, and urban planning.
Strengthen Healthcare System:
●Recommendation: Increase budgetary allocation to healthcare, revitalize primary healthcare centers, improve equipment, and train/retain medical personnel.
●Promote Meritocracy and Good Governance:
●Recommendation: Eradicate corruption and nepotism. Foster transparency, accountability, and merit-based appointments in public service. "Good governance is the bedrock of national development and a key antidote to brain drain," argues governance expert, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili.
●Engage the Diaspora:
Recommendation: Create structured avenues for the diaspora to invest their skills, capital, and networks back home through attractive incentives and trusted platforms. Make it easy for them to contribute without necessarily relocating.
●Rebuild National Pride and Optimism:
Recommendation: Beyond economic fixes, leaders must inspire hope and foster a sense of national unity and purpose, making citizens believe in the Nigerian project.
Therefore, the "Japa" syndrome is a loud symptom of a nation in distress, bleeding its most vital asset: its people. While individual choices to seek better lives abroad are understandable, our collective responsibility is to make Nigeria a place where those choices are not forced by despair but driven by ambition. By focusing on realistic reforms that address security, economic opportunities, quality of life, and good governance, we can transform Nigeria into a beacon of hope and prosperity, a home truly worth staying for. Let's fix home first.
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