Nigeria should transform ‘japa’ syndrome to money spinning industry – Don

By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

Nigerian government has been tasked to transform the japa syndrome in the country into a money-spinning industry like countries from Southeast Asia.

This was disclosed by a Professor of Migration and Development Sociology, Adebusuyi Isaac of Obafemi Awolowo University while delivering the institution’s inaugural lecture 407 series on Tuesday in Ile-Ife.

In the lecture titled, “Migralision: A Mix-Trasnational Theory of ‘Japa’ Culture, he said Nigeria like Singapore can transform cross-border and transnational migration into an industry.

According to him, vross-border and transnational migration should be transformed into an Industry with the capacity of earnings from both cross-border and transnational migrations to contribute impactfully to the gross national income (GNI)/gross domestic product (GDP) of the countries of low-income/middle-income countries, essential industry-level regulations are essential in migration management.

His words, “Countries like Sri Lanka and the Philippines have successfully ingrained management of emigration of its citizens into its development plans. In 2022 for example, migrants’ remittances accounted for 15% of the GDP of 25 countries according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), 2023).

“Ostensibly, a significant proportion of these countries are of South-Asian and South-East Asian regions. In this connect, migration will always imply a win-win-win scenario for all involved – migrants, government and destination countries”.

He also stressed the need to prioritise spate of economic migration with a view to stemming the tide to curbing the long term effect on the country, especially the emmigration of its skilled-labour to other countries with lenient policies to accommodate them.

“There is no country that takes the challenge of economic migration with levity owing largely to its long-term negative planning and developmental outcomes. Inadequate socio-economic opportunities often spur the challenge of unstructured migration, which routinely terminates as economic migration at the various points of destinations; even when approached through the education pathway, visitor’s visa pathway or asylum pathway.

“Why do you think that different countries (such as Canada, UK and the United Arab Emirates), keep changing their skilled immigrant work visa rules for Nigerians in particular? We over-supply, even skilled labours, though they are not enough back home, but they are never given opportunities.

“Policies that will encourage Nigerians to realize their dreams in the country are imperative at this point. This is where the experts are needed”, he added.

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