“Japa syndrome.” Japa is a Nigerian word that means to elope or escape from a particular place. Over the years, this term has become popular in most African countries. Every day, we see Africans migrating from their countries to other places to seek greener pastures. Self-rule has been a contemporary issue in Nigeria and all other African countries. On one hand, some people believe that self-rule is the best method to ensure that Africans are not sidelined. On the other hand, some argue that self-rule is the worst move to be taken by African forefronters. It has led to corruption, political and economic instability, and other issues. Leopold Sedar Senghor was one of the foremost fighters of the negritude movement. He and other Africans battled to self-rule- the government of Africa by Africans. The irony in this Is that this same man who agitated for self-rule became a nightmare for Senegalese when he came into power. Don't quote me wrong, I'm not opining that Africans ruling themselves is not right, my point is; that the leaders are not going about things the right way.
As I mentioned above, lots of Africans are migrating to other countries on a daily basis. They are obviously not doing this because they crave a new atmosphere. And it is definitely not because they are tired of their local dishes. So, why? Why are Africans “Japaing on a daily basis?”
To start with, one of the top reasons is bad governance. African countries are blessed. Sadly, the leaders are the ones bottling up the blessings. According to Gbemisola Adeoti in his poem “Ambush,” the land (government) is a giant whale that swallows the sinker (the people) with hook, line, and baits, aborting the dreams of a good catch. Africans are dreaming of a better future, but the government keeps aborting and swallowing up their dreams for selfish reasons. Why won't they elope? If the leaders are favorable, the people will definitely stay and make the country better.
Moving on, unemployment and unfavorable working conditions are the top reasons why Africans migrate to other countries. Here in my country, lots of graduates are on the streets walking from one place to another in search of jobs. There are lots of jobless first-class students on the streets, walking aimlessly, and uncertain of their future. Let's use Mr A as a case study. Mr A was born and brought up on the shores of Africa. His parents spent lots of money on his education, sending him to the best secondary and tertiary institutions. He comes out with a first-class degree. You'd expect something like this to get a good job. A standard one. Sadly, the reverse is the case over here. There are lots of people like Mr A on the streets. Now, would you blame Mr A if he migrated to another country for greener pastures? I very much doubt it.
The labor force keeps depreciating every day. Lots of talented engineers, doctors, nurses, and people in other professions keep migrating to other countries for better working conditions. In economics, we call this brain drain.
If you ask any youth what they wished for. I’m pretty sure four out of 5 Africans(, let's use Nigerians as a case study), would wish to find themselves in developed countries. People don’t care about what the world outside Africa looks like. All they care about is Japa. To worsen the case, they don't have plans for when they get there. There are lots of Africans suffering in developed countries because they JAPA’d without a plan.
I had a conversation with one of my friends who migrated to the United States for better working conditions. According to him, life outside Africa is a rat race. Over there, Africans are running around, trying to stay ahead and succeed. There is no rest for them because they keep jumping from one shift to another. So, here’s the big question; is Japa really the solution? Do you prefer the rat race?
Thanks for reading.