Hope is all that is left- Nigerians
… and in the absence of hope?
By Zion Rufus
Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness, late South African lama, Desmond Tutu said in his lifetime.
If there is any unifying trait about Nigerians in Nigeria and Nigerians in the diaspora, it is RELENTLESSNESS.
The relentless spirit and the passion for greatness that exist in every Nigerian child, unendingly stokes the fire burning for change; the only reason that Nigerians work hard is because they are passionate about becoming successful and making money.
The increase in the Japa Syndrome is being watered by “lost hope” as averred by students who have been home for months as a result of non-stop ASUU strikes; workers who are underpaid and overused; families who can barely feed; graduates who have been unemployed for years; and talents who are in search of growth opportunities in safer environments.
Unfortunately, the current economic climate in Nigeria isn’t favorable to the development of the educational sector, let alone the skilled workforce. Now, en masse, Nigeria is losing her youths to advanced economies as they leave in search of healthier options, learning opportunities, job opportunities, better pay, safety, and “fairer” politics amongst others. Even Nigerians in C-Suite levels, and professionals with high-paying jobs are leaving the country in large numbers.
Praise Darego, Associate and Lawyer, DealHQ Partners disclosed that the legal sector is also suffering attrition and losing its best talents. In his submission, the legal expert shared: “Everyone has the urge to be great, accomplished and well paid and there is no law against getting it all; and the international world has opened itself up to a lot of international professionals. There is a lot of hope for aspiring lawyers who want to go abroad. There are a lot of opportunities for people in the legal sector right now to go abroad, either for masters or change of location; there are a lot of offers available. The hope now for internationally trained lawyers is very much alive, and very wide.”
“One would say that people that are leaving, are leaving for better opportunities, and there’s hope of these opportunities outside rather than looking for it on the inside. For example we have heard that some law firms are paying up to half a million for young lawyers/entry level; but then that may not be the solution, because you are giving them the ample opportunity to even Japa faster. At the end of the day, employers don’t even know what to do, you can’t hold everybody back from going; you can’t make everybody a partner today.”
Fast rising artist, Finicky Bankole said: “Trust me, apart from lack of funding and support, another reason Nigerians are still in Nigeria is because we are hoping things will get better. Come 2023, if the elections don’t turn out well, a lot of people are going to Japa, and industries will not even be able to hold their talents down.”
Serial entrepreneur and Real Estate mogul, Rotimi Adesoye said: “It’s sad to say there is nothing hopeful about Nigeria at the moment, and that is why people are leaving. When they ask you what do you hope for, the average human will say ‘I hope for the best’; so typically, when you are in Nigeria and you hope for the best, the best is actually attributed to you leaving Nigeria to a foreign country, and in the actual sense, they are currently the best. And naturally, you will move out to find that best, where you are sure you can get it. We can talk about insecurity, bad healthcare system, lack of access to loans; you want to buy a car, you have to buy it in full cash, you can’t pay in bits; you want to build a house, you have to build it all by yourself, no structured plan or support, or should we even talk about the death rate of businesses, and the dwindling morale of students?”
“It’s all hope,” notes Princewill Ejirika, a tech expert. “Hope of better pay; Better career prospects; Better health care & quality of life; Better exposure; and Better opportunities.”
Steve Babaeko, President, Association of Advertising Agencies in Nigeria(AAAN) and CEO X3M Ideas said in an earlier submission: “You can take away anything from people, and they will be fine, as long as you leave them with hope. I think what we are seeing is a situation where people can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, so they have decided to go in search of something to give them hope and purpose.”
Talent meets opportunity
Nigeria is regarded as the African country with the highest unemployment rate; and besides corruption, high cost of living, education, housing, healthcare, and infrastructure, Nigerians regard unemployment and high-cost of living as the two most pressing problems in the country.
Fortunately, gone are the days of Nigerians leaving the country to do menial jobs in the “big economies”. The mass hiring initiated by big companies in foreign countries has contributed greatly to the mass migration.
“The interesting part is that some Nigerians are getting good jobs with higher pay in their line of profession. Meaning, you are going to have IMC practitioners being ranked amongst the best in the world in a few years time. The Japa phenomenon has become a challenge for the industry. But how will the industry back home fill the gap or reduce the impact of ‘Japa’?,” says Yomi Olaniwun, CEO BB Buzz.
Commercial legal professional, Darego explained further: “I can tell you from a legal market kind of perspective, the trends we are seeing now, even some top law firms are going in-house or going outside the country for masters and other opportunities; so big law firms are forced to poach talents from mid-level law firms, and mid-level talents are forced to poach talents from small level law firms.”
“Why am I able to say this? I was poached from a small level law firm to a mid-level law firm, and people that were here have gone either abroad or to top level law firms. Now, one would ask, why is this happening? So the charter to zero is even becoming more and more tangent, the legal market right now because there are easier ways to transfer your knowledge and expertise from Nigeria to foreign countries like the US, UK, and even Canada; it wasn’t that easy before. For example, the UK has opened up to allow you to write an exam, undergo a one year tutelage and then be called to the bar in the United Kingdom to practice law. Sometimes, even from going for masters alone, you can transfer your skill, and get a good contract. Same in the US, and same in Canada. Some law firms in Nigeria are trying as hard as possible to retain talents, but it is not easy to compete with the better life and affordability that international companies and law firms can give.”
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