Categories Of Nigerians Who Shouldn’t JAPA Abroad

Categories Of Nigerians Who Shouldn’t JAPA Abroad

 

 

 

 

JAPA– I noticed a thread on 10 sets of People Who Shouldn’t Travel To The UK”. I found it interesting and decided to create my own version. I am an immigration lawyer who just came back from an IBA (International Bar Association) Conference. As a member of the immigration committee, we discuss immigration issues. Immigration is as old as time and inevitable. I don’t have issues with Nigerians emigrating for “greener pastures” after all, I did the same thing as a teenager thanks to my folks, and encourage many others to do so. What I do have a problem with are the categories of people emigrating abroad to start all over. The list is as follows:

 

 

 

 

1. Big earners/those who are at the top of their career: It doesn’t make sense for someone who earns millions a month to abandon that in the name of JAPA. The chances that you will earn the equivalent of what you are earning in Nigeria is slim. You have to start all over again as no country is going to hire you over their own nationals.

2. People approaching 50 and above. I was insulted some time ago when I stated that if you must Japa abroad, you should do it when you are young. While there are quite a few over 40s who have been able to re-establish themselves, there many more who have struggled to get back on their feet. The job market is a young person’s market.

3. Politicians. This category of people makes too much money to desire to move to another country. The system in Nigeria was designed to cater to their very whelms.

4. Small-scale/large-scale businessmen. If you have a thriving business, it doesn’t make sense to abandon your business just to start over in another country. Don’t get me wrong, many countries are looking for businessmen to invest in their economy. In the UK, they fall under the category of investor visas.

If you are a Senior Lawyer, Bank Manager, Senior Surgeon, or Senior Chartered Accountant, you are most likely at the peak of your profession in Nigeria and very likely earning a decent amount of money that places you in the elite. It makes no sense for these categories of people to emigrate and start all over again.

There you have it. Everybody else has the right to leave the country as it’s not working but it doesn’t make sense for the above-mentioned class of people to JAPA abroad (at least, outside Africa) as they have a lot to lose.