Japa: Public varsities on edge over exodus of best brains, dons

Japa - Public Varsities on Edge Over Exodus of Best Brains, Dons

Nigeria’s higher education system is facing a silent but devastating crisis: the mass departure of its brightest academics, a phenomenon popularly known as “Japa.” This exodus threatens the very foundation of public universities, leaving them understaffed, under-resourced, and struggling to maintain quality.  

The term “Japa,” derived from Yoruba slang meaning “to flee,” has become a shorthand for the wave of emigration sweeping across Nigeria’s intellectual class.

Unlike the familiar disruptions caused by strikes, this crisis is more insidious. It represents a steady haemorrhaging of intellectual capital, as lecturers and professors abandon their posts for more stable and rewarding opportunities abroad.

The consequences are profound: universities are losing their best minds, students are left with inadequate mentorship, and the nation risks a collapse of its ivory towers.  

 

At the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the scale of the problem is staggering. Over the past five years, nearly 1,800 of its 3,000 academic staff, about 60 percent, have left for foreign institutions.

This leaves only 1,200 lecturers to cater to more than 50,000 students across 250 programmes. The imbalance between staff and students has created a severe strain on teaching quality, research output, and administrative efficiency.

Similar patterns are reported across other leading universities, including Ibadan, Nsukka, and Ahmadu Bello, where departments are shrinking and postgraduate supervision is faltering.  

The drivers of this exodus are multifaceted. Poor remuneration, harsh working conditions, and lack of research funding are chief among them. Many lecturers earn salaries that barely cover basic living expenses, leaving them unable to afford healthcare or sustain their families.

For instance, one professor recounted how his monthly salary of ₦380,000 was insufficient to cover medical treatment costing ₦900,000, forcing him to seek opportunities abroad.

Beyond financial hardship, academics lament outdated facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and limited access to international collaborations.  

Stakeholders such as Vice-Chancellors and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have repeatedly raised alarms, warning that the mass departure of dons compromises the quality of education and undermines Nigeria’s global competitiveness. They argue that without urgent intervention, through improved pay structures, better working conditions, and investment in research, the country risks producing graduates ill-prepared for the demands of the modern economy.  

The implications of Japa extend beyond the universities themselves. Nigeria’s development trajectory depends heavily on its intellectual workforce.

With thousands of lecturers relocating to Europe, North America, and the Middle East, the country is losing not just teachers but innovators, researchers, and thought leaders.

This brain drain weakens the nation’s capacity to generate homegrown solutions to pressing challenges in health, technology, and governance.  

The Japa phenomenon is not merely a story of individuals seeking greener pastures; it is a systemic crisis threatening the survival of Nigeria’s public universities.

Unless decisive action is taken to stem the tide, the country risks hollowing out its academic institutions, leaving future generations bereft of the intellectual guidance needed to thrive in a competitive world.