JAPA SYNDROME: A PROOF OF AN ABANDONMENT AND QUICK-FIX MENTALITY

 Across Nigeria today, the word “Japa,” (to escape), has evolved from slang into a national narrative. From young graduates to seasoned professionals, the desire to relocate abroad has become a dominant aspiration. Migration in itself is not inherently wrong, mobility can be empowering but the Japa Syndrome exposes something more troubling; a cultural pattern of abandonment and a dangerous craving for quick fixes.

Even more unsettling is the realization that this mentality is not confined to ordinary citizens. It is mirrored, perhaps even pioneered by those entrusted with leadership.

THE ABANDONMENT MENTALITY AMONG CITIZENS 

For many Nigerians, the allure of Japa is rooted in frustration with insecurity, economic hardship, and governance failures. The impulse to leave is understandable. Yet, the mindset it fosters is problematic.

Rather than confronting challenges and driving solutions, escape becomes the default. The sense of ownership; of one’s community, one’s nation, and one’s destiny, erodes... Over time, this weakens the collective resilience and innovative spirit necessary for nation-building.

THE LEADERSHIP PARADOX 

What makes the picture more complex is the paradox of leadership. The very custodians of the nation’s institutions; politicians, policymakers, and public servants, often choose escape over engagement.

Leaders entrusted with educational reforms send their children to foreign schools.

Leaders tasked with improving healthcare systems fly abroad for routine medical check-ups.

Leaders responsible for strengthening the economy stash their wealth offshore.

This portrays to the world a sobering image: a people whose leaders do not trust the systems they govern. It says, in essence, “We consume excellence abroad, but we refuse to produce it at home.”

WHAT THIS PORTRAYS ABOUT US AS A PEOPLE 

When both leaders and citizens look outward for solutions, the global image is clear: we are a nation comfortable with dependence, unwilling to invest the discipline and courage required to fix what is broken.

It reinforces a narrative of fragility and resignation. If even our leaders refuse to rely on our systems, why should the ordinary citizen? If escape is the path modeled at the top, it naturally cascades down to the masses.

THE QUICK-FIX ILLUSION 

The Japa dream is often glamorized as an instant ticket to prosperity. Social media feeds this illusion, showcasing success stories abroad while concealing stories of underemployment, cultural shock, racism, and loneliness.

But Japa is simply the quick-fix culture at scale. It mirrors our societal impatience with process and transformation. Leaders who flee for medical care and citizens who flee for opportunities are responding to the same impulse: the desire to shortcut the hard, long-term work of building lasting systems.

THE NATIONAL COST 

This culture of abandonment and quick fixes comes at a heavy price:

Brain Drain: Our brightest talents emigrate, leaving behind critical gaps in healthcare, education, and innovation.

Loss of Trust: Citizens no longer believe local systems can deliver, and leaders reinforce that mistrust by their own actions.

Global Reputation: The world sees us as a people outsourcing responsibility rather than building capacity.

Ultimately, a nation that cannot command the trust of its leaders cannot command the loyalty of its citizens or the respect of the world.

A CALL FOR REORIENTATION 

Breaking free from the Japa mentality requires a dual reorientation of both leadership and citizenry.

Leaders must lead by example: educate their children locally, receive treatment in Nigerian hospitals, and invest in strengthening institutions.

Citizens must embrace resilience: resisting the normalization of shortcuts and contributing to local solutions.

Redefine success narratives: celebrating those who build within as much as those who thrive abroad.

Foster patriotic innovation: empowering young people to see Nigeria not as a place to escape from but as a platform to transform.

FINAL THOUGHTS 

The Japa Syndrome is not just a migration trend, it is a mirror reflecting how we, as a people, relate to responsibility, adversity, and opportunity. When ordinary citizens flee instead of building, and when leaders abandon the very systems they oversee, it communicates one tragic message: that we are more committed to consuming the excellence of others than creating our own.

But this script can change! True transformation begins when leaders and citizens alike refuse to abandon, refuse the quick fix, and instead commit to building excellence within. The future of our nation will not be secured by escape, but by transformation from within.