How Nigeria can make lemonade from ‘Japa syndrome’ – Echono, Bala

THE GUARDIAN

The Nigerian media space has been awash with the implications of Japa syndrome on developing nations – from loss of talent and human capital, shortage of skilled workers and difficulty in attracting foreign investment. These and more lead to decline in productivity and hinder Nigeria’s ability to compete in the global economy and improve the lives of citizens.

Like other professions in Nigeria, tertiary institutions have been gravely hit by the ‘Japa syndrome’ as thousands of academics keep leaving the nation in search of better opportunities abroad.

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Nigeria had a Diaspora population of 1.7 million as of 2020. Stakeholders in the education sector have also proffered divergent solutions on how best the situation can be remedied.

The development also caught the attention of the Education Minister, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who regretted that when talented academics leave the country, it leaves a vacuum in the knowledge and expertise available to students and researchers, stressing that this negatively affects the quality of education, research and innovation in the universities. The ‘Japa’ menace, he argued, has been underreported in the media.

However, industry experts have put the blame on poor remuneration, inconsistent policies and lack of motivation, among others.

For the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono, rather than bemoan the situation, “we should make lemonade out of it.”

Speaking while hosting the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who was on a working visit to his office in Abuja, the Executive Secretary stated that the situation could be Nigeria’s biggest export.

To Echono, the remittance inflow by Nigerians in the Diaspora would help a great deal in boosting the economy. He said that Nigerians should look at the bright side of exporting ‘intellectual assets’ while reaping the enormous benefits of Diaspora remittances.

According to World Bank data, the Nigerian Diaspora population remitted $65.34 billion in three years to boost economic activities in the country. Specifically, the data showed that in 2018, the Nigerian Diaspora remittance was $24.31 billion; in 2019, it dropped to $23.81 billion; and in 2020, it nosedived to $17.21 billion.