Unemployment Key Driver Of ‘Japa’ Syndrome In Nigeria, Says Ex-Lawmaker

-SPECIAL REPORT-

Unemployment as the Key Driver of ‘Japa’ Syndrome in Nigeria - Insights from Ex-Lawmaker Nkoyo Toyo

In a candid interview on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief,” former House of Representatives member Nkoyo Toyo offered a sobering diagnosis of Nigeria’s escalating emigration trend, popularly known as the “Japa” syndrome.

Toyo, who once represented the Calabar-Odukpani Federal Constituency of Cross River State, attributed the phenomenon primarily to the country’s deepening unemployment crisis.

“Japa,” a Yoruba term meaning “to flee,” has become shorthand for the mass exodus of Nigerian youth, particularly graduates, skilled professionals, and middle-class workers, seeking better opportunities abroad.

Toyo lamented that the current economic climate starkly contrasts with the 1980s, when university graduates could expect immediate employment upon completing their studies. She emphasized that the absence of such prospects today has created a sense of urgency and despair among young Nigerians, compelling them to look beyond the country’s borders for survival and dignity.

“The lack of work is a major crisis and this is the most driving force of Nigerians going on Japa,” Toyo stated. She underscored that the repeated cycle of political promises and deferred hope has left many disillusioned.

According to her, Nigerians are no longer content with being told to “wait”; they yearn for a nation that delivers tangible results and respects their aspirations.

Toyo also highlighted the indignities many Nigerians face abroad, noting that while the decision to emigrate is often framed as a pursuit of greener pastures, it frequently comes with its own set of challenges. Nonetheless, the overwhelming desire to escape economic stagnation and systemic dysfunction continues to fuel the migration wave.

Her remarks align with broader academic and policy assessments that identify unemployment and underemployment as central to the Japa syndrome.

Studies have called for a renewed focus on technical education and entrepreneurship as potential remedies, urging the Nigerian government to create pathways for self-employment and skill acquisition to stem the tide of outward migration.

This report underscores the urgent need for structural reforms in Nigeria’s labor market and education system.

Without decisive action, the country risks losing a generation of talent to foreign shores, an outcome that could have long-term consequences for national development and social cohesion.