Utilising ‘Japa’ syndrome in Nigeria’s tech market
By Abimbola Mohammed
The word, ‘Japa’ is a Yoruba word that means escape, run, or depart from a place of danger or impossible outcome or unfulfilled aspiration.
Historically, ‘Japa’ has always happened in many forms as people ‘Japa’ all the time; it is also called migration. ‘Japa’ does not necessarily have to be crossing borders as in most cases. If one’s ambition or aspiration cannot be met in one’s location, one could move to another location or locality. For example, people migrate for education, economic fulfillment, family reunion, medical reasons, security, unfulfilled career aspirations or other personal reasons.
In pre-independence Nigeria, notable personalities such as Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Peter Enahoro, and many others migrated to get education, but returned to become nation builders who wrote their names in the sands of time. That they were, and are still admired and respected goes to prove that ‘Japa’ could be beneficial to the country depending on how and why people migrated.
What’s more, from 1984 up until the 1990s, a popular TV infomercial tagged “Andrew Checking Out” circulated across all the existing TV stations in Nigeria. It was launched by the Nigerian National Orientation Agency and featured the late veteran actor Enebeli Elebuwa, who played the lead character Andrew. Basically, the TV infomercial was created to influence public perception towards emigration. Therefore, ‘Japa’ is not new and will always happen.
However, ‘Japa’ could also mean brain drain in a situation where young professionals from key sectors of the economy migrate never to return to their country of origin for a long time. This has been the trend for a long time among many Nigerians. From academia to the medical field and the information technology sectors, trained professionals have been migrating in droves to countries in Europe, the UK, the U.S., the Middle East and Asia.
MARKETING EDGE findings reveal that, despite being a trend affecting all fields, the Information Technology (IT) sector is presently the biggest loser in the ‘Japa’ syndrome as most of those leaving are very young and at the best economic productive stage of their life.
Temi Badru, a lawyer and LinkedIn influencer posted on her page that 7 of her 10 friends have ‘Japaed’ within a few months’ interval.
“The other day, I was telling a friend that 7 out of about 10 of my friends have ‘Japa’. They are all doing well on different continents and I’m proud of them. Come to think of it. I’m sure you know a number of brilliant Nigerian techies who have Japa. After reading posts online today, I started to think about the booming tech industry in Nigeria and how the exodus of tech talents could affect the businesses, the tech ecosystem and the common man/woman living in Nigeria.
“For example, the emigration of techies in the banking space affects not only the banks but also customers like you and I who depend on bank apps and online transactions to carry on our daily businesses optimally. Tech is the new oil, so this affects the country’s economy,” she said.
She advised that instead of crying over spilled milk, it would be better if those who are left in the country be trained and become professionals in the field.
“Rather than chase the shadows of those who have left or are leaving, let’s keep the focus on the substance of the pipeline. And on nurturing and developing them, three questions come to my mind: What do employers need to do to make tech talents happy and satisfied in Nigeria? How can founders manage the impact caused by mass emigration of talents on their businesses? Generally, do you think there’s a way out of Nigeria’s worsening brain drain issue?” she asked.
Also on his LinkedIn page, Anuoluwapo Popoola, SEO &Advent Stock Investor/ Project Manager, advised employers on how to ensure employees are happy so as to enable them to stay in the country.
“This Japa wave is something we must address as individuals, organizations and governments. It is obvious that the so-called system is not working anymore. The rate at which the economic situation of the country has deteriorated is causing massive concern. The Fintech practitioners are feeling it as they are creating solutions and securing investment with less momentum in the workforce or team.
“To solve the riddle, employers need to provide relevant training for employees to help them scale their team and have a sense of belonging. As an employee, I need to maximize my work output and I need to pass through rigorous training – not seminars, but real training for your workforce. Payment should also be considered because the economy itself is getting tougher. Employers can manage this by recruiting new young people and providing relevant channels for maximizing their potential. There is a way out by filtering each major economic sector in Nigeria,” he said.
Olamilekan Bakre, DPO/Privacy and Audit TechLaw, in his post on LinkedIn said: “Employers can do well by providing a better working environment, good welfare and remuneration packages. This cannot guarantee staff retention though as our currency is going down the drain on a daily basis. I doubt a techie would leave a juicy package with hard currency pay packets and other fringes plus a working system.
“Founders can manage these situations by investing more in cybersecurity infrastructure, and outsource as much as possible to reliable service providers after a careful risk assessment of this process. The way out of this brain drain is as contained in my submission above plus the political willingness of our leaders to get things right. If we continue with this lackadaisical attitude to governance, I doubt there would be any headway in sight.”
Eniola Oladipo, a Product Manager and One Nigeria Champion, sees the Japa situation as a solution to the current challenges Nigerians are facing.
“This brain drain provides us with a rare and unplanned opportunity to fix Nigeria and Africa, only if we take it. The drain leaves a skill and employment gap; we need to aggressively upskill people to take up the vacant roles. Fix the governance while we are exporting talents abroad (brain drain); they’ll come back to add the knowledge they’ve gained to help build the nation into a 21st century technology community. I might be wrong, but I believe there is no place like home.
“When we get to fix governance and the Nigerian economy, our sisters and brothers will return home. This is possible only if we have a plan to fix Nigeria. It can be a win-win for us,” he said.
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