It is 4am at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. The place is already buzzing. Big Ghana-Must-Go bags, new suitcases with tags, people hugging like they may never see each other again. Mothers are praying. Fathers are looking serious. On WhatsApp, the family group is already typing: “Send us pictures when you land o.” This scene has become normal. We have a name for it now: Japa!
Japa is Yoruba slang that blew up between 2020 and 2022. It simply means “to run away quickly.” Today, it is how we describe Nigerians leaving the country to go and look for a better life abroad. Behind the airport goodbyes is one big question that is keeping millions of young Nigerians awake at night: Should I Japa or should I stay? It’s not really about whether life will be hard. Life is hard everywhere. The real question is: where do you want your own kind of hard to happen? At home where you understand the challenges, or abroad where the system works but you start from zero?
Why People Want to Leave
If you ask 10 people why they want to Japa, 9 of them will give you the same tired look and say, “this country.” So why does Nigeria feel unliveable for so many?
Money. Inflation has made everything expensive. Fuel, food, rent, school fees. But salaries are not moving. Someone earning ₦100,000 a month in Lagos is basically just surviving. At the end of the month, there’s nothing left to save.
Security. From kidnapping to armed robbery to bad roads, many people don’t feel safe. You can pray before leaving the house and still not be sure you’ll come back fine.
Broken systems. Hospitals that don’t have gloves. Power that comes for 2 hours and goes for 20. And then there is the “man-know-man” issue. You can graduate with first class, but if you don’t have connections, getting a good job feels impossible.
Now flip the coin. Abroad looks like a different world. There are lights that doesn’t blink. Hospitals that actually work. Public transport that comes on time. The pay is also attractive. For students, there are scholarships and degrees that the whole world respects. And let’s be honest, social media is not helping. We see our classmates on TikTok in Canada snow, buying cars, traveling. It creates the “If Tolu can do it, why not me?” mentality.
Reasons to Build at Home
But Japa is not for everybody. Many people have looked at both sides and said, “I’m staying.”
Home matters. Family. Community. Parties. Jollof rice. Your language. Abroad can be very lonely. No one to check on you when you’re sick. No big family to celebrate with. Some people prefer to hustle in a place where they belong.
Starting abroad is not soft. Rent will humble you. Bills will humble you. And racism is real. Many Nigerians with master’s degrees end up doing caregiver jobs, Uber, or warehouse work for the first few years. The “soft life” on Instagram doesn’t show that part.
Nigeria is still a goldmine. 200+ million people. Fintech, content creation, fashion, real estate, agriculture. The problems are plenty, and problems equal business opportunities. People are building million-naira brands from their bedroom in Nigeria.
Someone has to fix it. The “if all the good ones leave, who will remain?” argument. Doctors, teachers, engineers who stay are choosing to fight for change from inside. And we have proof. Returnees who came back and built hospitals. Founders who stayed and raised funding. People who chose to stay and are winning. For them, staying is not a failure. It is a long game.
Japa: Expectations vs Reality
The First 6 Months. Month 1-2 feels like heaven. Clean roads. No generator noise. First salary in dollars or pounds. You send pictures home. By month 3, reality sets in. Cold. Rent is half your salary. Tax is taking another chunk. To survive, you are working 2 jobs. And yes, many degree holders end up as caregivers, delivery riders, or cleaners at first. It is not shameful, it is survival. Then there is paperwork. Visa extensions. Re-writing professional exams. A Nigerian doctor may have to start almost over to practice in Canada or the UK.
Long-term Trade-offs. Financially, you start sending money home to parents, siblings, and cousins. You’re saving, but so many people are heavily dependent on you because you stay abroad. Emotionally, homesickness hits. Missing weddings, funerals, holidays. Raising kids without grandparents. Career-wise, some people get de-skilled. An engineer driving Uber. A lawyer working in a store. It takes years to get back to your level. And identity. You are not fully Nigerian anymore. But you are also not fully accepted there. You live in between.
For Those Who Stay. It is not easy either. Hustle fatigue is real. Side hustle on top of side hustle just to pay bills. There’s guilt when friends leave and are doing well. But also pride when you build something here. The wins? It is cheaper to start a business. You can have a direct impact in your community. And social mobility can be faster if you catch the right wave.
The Numbers Behind Japa
This is not just vibes. The numbers are loud.
Emigration: The international Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that over 260,000 Nigerians approached it for assistance to migrate abroad in 2023 alone – the highest number ever recorded. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) found that 1 out of 4 Nigerians aged 15+ would like to leave their communities permanently or temporarily, with 34.5% of those aged 20-30 wanting to migrate.
Brain drain: The Nigerian Medical Association and Coordinating Minister of Health say over 16,000 Nigerian doctors have left the country in the last 5-7 years. About 15,000 left in the past five years. This has left Nigeria with roughly 30,000 – 55,000 practising doctors, pushing the doctor-to-patient ratio to about 1:8,000, far above WHO’s recommended 1:600. In the UK, Nigerian-trained doctors rose to 12,198 in 2023, and over 4,691 relocated to the UK in May 2023.
Remittances: The World Bank estimated diaspora remittances to Nigeria at about $20 billion in 2023, and $20.5 billion by the end of 2023, making Nigeria the largest recipient in Sub-Saharan Africa. That is the second biggest source of foreign exchange after oil.
The African Context
Nigeria is not alone. In Ghana they call it “bor.” In Kenya, “kufungua passport.” South Africans are also leaving for the UK and Australia. Across Africa, young people are asking the same question. The African Union’s Agenda 2063 even talks about “keeping African talent on the continent.” Interestingly, many Nigerians don’t Japa straight to Europe. They first move to Libya or South Africa. It is a stepping stone.
Conclusion
Let’s kill the guilt. Leaving is not betrayal. Staying is not stupidity. The truth is, Nigeria needs both.
We need people who left and didn’t forget. People sending money, skills, and connections back home. We need people who stayed and didn’t give up. People build schools, companies, and communities here. There is even a third path called “circular migration.” Study abroad, work for 5 years, come back with money and experience to build. Or stay, build, and travel often.
At the end of the day, Japa or Stay is not a moral test. It is a strategy question. So before you book that flight, or before you decide to stay and grind, sit down. Count the cost. Count the hope. Count yourself. And whatever you choose, do it well.
By Ijeoma Adeniyi