There is a raving Japa fever going on in Nigeria right now as the people are living the country heavily. Nigeria has not had this bad for a long time. The last time Nigerians migrated to this large extent was during the draconian military rule of Sani Abacha.
A majority of Nigerians no longer find their country hospitable enough for them due to one issue or another. Some are even well-paid and quite comfortable in Nigeria but they will still choose to leave.
In this post, we’ll be writing about the immediate causes of Japa, the consequences for the country, the gain, and whether you should Japa or not.
The Causes of Japa or Migration to Foreign Countries by Nigerians
1. Low Pay and Income
Formost Nigerians, this is the top reason why they choose to migrate to other countries. The income and pay they receive in Nigeria is poor, especially for medical and tech professionals. Just like what happens in other countries, these individuals migrate to wherever there is better pay.
2. Insecurity
This is also another major problem for Nigerians migrating, especially the ones who are already established and receive huge pay. They cite the problem of insecurity as that even with your huge pay, adequate security is not provided.
3. Poor Social Amenities
Thisis also a huge problem for some well-to-do Nigerians. They complain that even though they make money, they can still be affected by poor social amenities one way or another. For instance, everyone in Nigeria suffers from the issue of bad roads and poor power supply.
4. Lack of Good Healthcare and Lower Life Expectancy
Livingin Nigerian means you have to deal with the issue of below standard healthcare and lower life expectancy. This is what some Nigerians want to avoid when they Japa. Abroad, the healthcare system works, and you can live longer.
5. Unemployment and Lack of Jobs
Somelive because they cannot find jobs or have anything tangible to do in Nigeria. They believe migrating to other countries would guide them to get better jobs and good pay.
6.Quality Education
The younger Nigerians mostly migrate because of quality education. They get admitted in tertiary schools in all the developed continents like Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America. Here, they have access to better and quality education.
There are also other reasons which we don’t have the space to mention here. We move on to the consequences this has for the country.
The Consequences of the Japa Fever or Migration for Nigeria
1. Brain Drain
The Brain Drain it causes for the country cannot be overemphasized. In terms of migration from Nigeria, the educated and professional class are more hit. Doctors, lecturers, writers, programmers, nurses, bankers, are the ones who usually leave. This reduces the level of experience and brain manpower for Nigeria.
2. Capital Flight or Money Depletion
As some of these Nigerians are leaving, they are taking their money and capital with them. This is a great negativity for Nigeria as it weakens the GDP of the country, and the purchasing power in some ways.
3. Bad Image
It puts the country in a bad light or gives it bad image or representation among other nations. For instance, Nigerians are the highest number of Africans in the diaspora. Saving for Nigerians’ experience and work rate outside the country, it would have been a nasty image for the country.
The migration and Japa of Nigerians is not all about the negative and bad, there are also positive effects for the country. Some of these positive effects are:
4. Remittance to the Country
The huge number of Nigerians abroad makes Nigeria one of ten top countries with remittances from foreign countries. The money remitted to Nigeria annually is stated to be around $20 billion.
5. Better Standard of Living for the Nigerians
For Nigerians who move abroad, there is higher probability that you would get better standard of living. The healthcare, pay rate, social emanities in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia are better.
6. Better Employment or Higher Pay Rate
Thisis a good benefit you are to expect as you want to move abroad. You will be paid higher and appreciated more than you were in Nigeria. However, you should know that the work rate there is very stressful, and there are more bills to pay, so you should be ready to work harder and extra to make savings.
Now, we move on to whether you should japa or not, whether it is right or not.
Should I Japa or Migrate from Nigeria?
You shouldn’t be so in a hurry to leave the country. There are certain questions you should ask yourself before you make a move.
1. Is the country you are moving to a nice country to move to? How is the living standard of the country?
2. How is the minimum wage of the country? What is the taxing rate? What is the cost of living? How well will you be living there?
3. What kind of jobs can you do there? What kind of businesses can you do there? How much money will you be making, and saving? How easy does it take to get the jobs in your field there?
4. How easy is it to get the visa of this country? How much will it cost to get the visa, travel to the country, and settle down there? You should check how much you are to spend until you find a job or something to be doing?
5. How many Nigerians or friends or relatives are in that country? How does it favor them? This is important, even though not that necessary, because it will help you settle there faster and feel more comfortable.
Conclusion
This Japa fever or migration to foreign countries is a nice decision to take if it will favor you. However, if you are planning on moving, you should know that settling will be somewhat difficult. Then, if you are industrialist, employer, and huge business person, you should stick to Nigeria as Nigeria is one of the best places to do business