Japa! Japa: Immigration Edition!
"3 in every 5 of my friends want to japa, are planning to japa, or have already japa"- @peaq.
Japa simply is a Nigerian slang which means to flee or run away quickly from an uncomfortable or dangerous situation or condition **(for my non-Nigerian pals).
**Is Immigration an option for me?
Yes and No!**
I currently consider immigration for school purposes. However, as someone who has lived in the United States of America (USA) for a period of time, I honestly prefer Nigeria for several reasons. I know other people might disagree with this but I am speaking from my personal experience. So when it comes to educational purposes in terms of getting a degree or an advanced one, I would not mind temporary immigration.
On the flip side, I hear people say opportunity reasons all the time and while this is not a lie, I believe opportunities exist here at home. A person just needs to *be at the right location, get the right information, have access to the right connection or network sometimes and these factors could be independent of or co-dependent on each other. I have seen people relocate back to Nigeria after schooling abroad and made it here in Nigeria.
Personally, I believe opportunities exist in Nigeria but we may just have different ways of accessing them- it could be easy or difficult depending on the factors highlighted above. For this reason, I would prefer to explore Nigeria further regardless of the kind of challenges we face daily as citizens. *Life in a Different Country I lived in the USA for a little over a year. I majorly stayed in a country-like state, Powell – Wyoming situated in the Western part of the country. I had a beautiful experience without a doubt but a couple of things posed a challenge for me.
In Nigeria, I was used to eating *organic food at affordable prices. However, I struggled with eating inorganic food as the organic ones were more priced. Food cost is a really big thing in the US and this made me appreciate Nigeria even more. I could eat healthy food for less.
Another thing would be the *community/communal living in Nigeria. While I am someone who loves and lives to mind my business and enjoys my space back here at home. I felt the most lonely and alone while I was abroad. I could call home and speak to my loved ones, I made a few friends abroad but it was not the same. There is a community-type support a person feels from just being in their own home.
A third thing was the *cost of living. There is no denying that the cost of living impacts the standard of living of a society or an individual either directly or indirectly. In Nigeria, the cost of living no matter how high it gets cannot be compared to that of the US for instance because of currency valuation first of all. I realized I can have a low cost of living and still maintain a high standard of living in Nigeria in certain locations of the country. This is not the case abroad as the cost of living required to maintain a certain standard of living is directly proportional. What would make me Happy? The following things that would make me happy in order not to consider immigration are as follows:
- Earning a foreign currency in my home country
- Getting foreign investors to invest in my home business
- Being able to see other countries as vacation spots and not a place to seek refuge
- Living a high standard or quality life while minimizing expenses.
*The Hardship in Nigeria Personally, living in Nigeria is not so hard for me because I have experienced the highs and lows of both living in Nigeria and abroad. This has led me to find a balance and devise a way to live in Nigeria which I prefer. I realized my complaints were not amounting to much and while people were planning to leave or have left, it does not change the way things are. I understood that I can make it here, it may take some time and a lot of hard work, smart work, and networking but I am willing to put in the effort.
*My Final Thoughts I have been privy to knowing how many untapped resources and opportunities exist in Nigeria. The unfortunate thing is that a lot of people are not aware of this or may not be able to see it either.
Every day I sit down with young brilliant minds from Nigeria, I realize we are not only blessed with natural resources but human resources as well. The key is to find a problem, mobilize both resources, and the sustainable solution would be the opportunities we all seek.
In conclusion, I would want to travel to get some form of expertise, experience, and/or connection and bring that back to develop Nigeria ultimately.
*But are you going to take the bull by the horn or japa?
**You are welcome to join the @hivenaija weekly prompt conversation-See post.
“Indeed there is no place like home”*
Thank you all for your precious time and do have an amazing day!
*Till I come your way again. Bye for now!
Photo Credit: By 1.Lagos Techie on Unsplash 2.VOO QQQ on Unsplash 3.Nupo Deyon Daniel on Unsplash 4.Alfred Rowe on Unsplash 5.Omotayo Tajudeen on Unsplash
