'Japa' is a Nigerian slang which means 'running swiftly out of dangerous situations' and is widely used to describe migrating from the country, Nigeria in this case, in search of greener pastures.
Everyday, Nigerians leave in droves for the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and a list of other countries including neighbouring Niger. Libya has become a connecting hub to Europe. The uniqueness of this concept is also in the irregularity and the conditions within which their ‘travelling out’ takes place.
In 2021, the World Bank statistics indicated 50% of Nigerians youth yearned to migrate.
This begs the question:
Do they truly understand the dynamics of migrating and the new host countries? Do they have the tools and mindset necessary for life in a new country? How shall they survive and assimilate in the new environment? In what manner are they leaving the country? Are they being trafficked? These and many other questions are top of mind in this endemic global phenomenon.
Taking the global situation into consideration requires an examination of the economic,
social and political struggles and issues, particularly during the current global endemic, which is affecting the world in many unprecedented ways.
In this episode of Thinking Reimagined, Mrs. Comfort Agboko (Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Lagos Zonal Command), Deborah Duropitan (Tech Expert, Law Graduate), Jerry Adelu (Entrepreneur, Migrant Returnee), Chylian Azuh (Founder, Female Return Migrant Network), Peter Armand Boyo (Director, Actor, Filmmaker and Brand Ambassador), Dr. Ama (Founder, Allied Empowerment®️ & Live Abundantly®️) and Nifemi Oguntoye (Moderator) offer unique perspectives and share experiences and solutions to address the factors which drive irregular migration and human trafficking.
