Japa Syndrome

By Wisdom Augustine Peter

It is said, when you see a child who would go to a neighbour’s house and would not decline food given to her, it means the child is not well fed at home. It is a simple principle – though not omitting the fact that greediness is inherent in some individuals – that children whose needs are adequately met at home would reject offers even from the closest of their parent’s friends.

As a child, my mother would give I and my siblings enough food, to make sure we don’t go out and be “long-throats” at our friends’ homes.

This is the case for Nigeria’s current dilemma.
Decades ago, Nigerians who journeyed overseas to study, would always come back home at the end of their studies. Opportunities were abounding. In fact, acquiring education abroad was not a qualification to be employed. It only amplified one’s chances of getting to the top. However, it is a different case today. Only fewer Nigerians would agree to come back home after studies abroad. And the question begs itself, “what is wrong with home?”

These days, almost everyone believes “japa” is the key to succeeding in life. Even churches now host crusades with the theme “Oh Lord release my Visa”. Anyone who is lucky enough to relinquish the country is deemed to have found success at last. Home sweet home now tastes sour.

Well, the simple cause is that, the children have not been well fed at home. In fact, the children have not been fed at all, so they have chosen to go eat wherever they find food. Even if they have to do all the chores in their benefactor’s home in order to get food, they won’t mind.

After all, they have done same in their parent’s house and still had to starve.

Our dear country Nigeria is really broken. There are a lot of problems that has contributed to the “japa syndrome”; A rumpled educational system, where strikes are served cold, and where excellence is not properly rewarded; An untended health sector, which even the leaders cannot entrust their lives and have to fly abroad for medical attention; unemployment, which hovers all over the country’s atmosphere, floating aloft with millions of graduates whose lives are left to sway to the rythm of the wind; Insecurity, where the lives of Nigerians are taken away for cows and livestocks to thrive – no wonder why some people call the country a “zoo”.

The country is in shortage of food, yet, farmers cannot go to farm, because their farmlands have been seized by livestocks. Do you know, with all these, our democratic representatives and leaders do not care?

Our legislators and executives are swimming on large allowances, bonuses, salaries and loots for just sleeping in chambers, raising not issues that would leave pragmatic footprints for the masses, but bills that has nothing to do with creating employment opportunities, providing social amenities, and improving the well-being of the people.

In a country like this, for a sane person, who is not interested in politics (as that is the occupation of the day), who detests corruption, who though, trying to be a patriotic citizen alongside pursuing her dreams, has been ambushed, by this sabre-toothed tiger of a country like Adeoti would say, and devoured into hopelessness, why should I not “japa” to a better country where I do not have to panic for survival, at any slight opportunity?

A Nigerian UK resident argued that it’s not only about finding greener pastures, but to raise your own kids in a saner environment where you don’t have to bribe for anything, where their ambitions can be nurtured and not be put to death by uncommon national circumstances.
The question of what can be done to reduce japa is a very simple one.

Of course, it is an obvious truth that this country can be better, but our politicians are cankerworms. The justice system should be made strict against politicians who have been found cankerworming the country. The issue of minimum wage increase should be resolved.

The average Nigerian is almost a slave in his own country, but some calibre of people are doing away with billions for just sleeping. Jobs should be created. When people have a paying job, they won’t need to japa.

The “Japa syndrome” has already caused leakage in the Nigerian educational sector as professional teachers, scholars and researchers are also exiting the country to where their knowledge and skills are better appreciated, thereby leaving the country in want of professionals.

When professionals are not there to direct, our universities and schools will end up emitting undertaught/unlearned graduates to the Nigerian society.

I believe the child would stop craving food at her friends’ houses if the parents do not only chide her, but try to provide enough food for the child at home.