Japa Syndrome and Its Effect With Respect To Brain Drain

Japa has become a very common syndromes in Nigeria. Japa actually means fleeing the country in search of greener pastures abroad. The Japa syndrome has been linked to massive Brain Drain, affecting the country because most people on this Japa route are skilled, talented, and educated. There is no way this won't affect the country because if those sets of people keep leaving the country, then Nigeria will only be left with people who are not skilled or educated. So what are the effects of this Japa Syndrome with respect to Brain Drain?

Brain drain in Nigeria

We have established that this Japa syndrome has been linked with massive brain drain which has had a lot of effects on Nigeria, so what exactly is brain drain? This term means the movement of skilled and experienced individuals from their country into another country to look for better opportunities. This can have negative effects on their home country, especially when you look at it from the angle of losing valuable human capacity to another country. 

According to Wikipedia, from the early 1980s to 1990s, there were restrictions to keep some professions in Nigeria, but the restriction was lifted over time. This precented certain professionals from moving out of the country to find better opportunities in another country.

What are the causes of brain drain?

There are different reasons why Japa is rampant in Nigeria, and the genesis of brain drain in Nigeria are:

Unemployment and Low paying jobs

It is normal for everyone to wish to get employed and be paid well. Still, here in Nigeria, since the high level of unemployment has increased, people have started seeking other opportunities. If your salary can't foot the bill after every month, it can be a sign that you are earning low. These people have decided to get money and travel out of the country.

Inadequate financial security

Due to the country's economic situation, some staff is being laid off, and as I said above, people's salaries don't cover their needs again. With this and even the high rise in price, financial stability has not become a big deal in Nigeria and has reduced people's zeal towards the country.

Lack of good health care services

The lack of good health care service is among so many reasons why people have left Nigeria. Everyone wants to enjoy the basic amenities, but it seems not visible in Nigeria. This has pushed many Nigerians to lose trust in the health sector, and we can attest that the people who can afford to travel out are the ones who go out of the country to get medical attention.

Bad leadership

With the increase in bad governance and leadership, where every promise made is not fulfilled, this has zeroed off the mind of Nigerians on almost all leaders. Because of this, they have decided to take the next decision to travel out of the country. Due to the bad leadership, the dollar rate isn't favorable, and people can't cope any longer.

Corruption

The high level of crime and corruption has made some people enjoy more benefits than some Nigerians. Due to this hardship and lifestyle, everyone is seeking a better life, and they have gathered strength and money to travel out. Due to the rate of corruption, the available jobs are only given to the people who are not qualified, but because of bribery, some people enjoy more than others.

High level of poverty

The poverty rate in Nigeria has increased, so the standard of living didn't reduce. That is why finding new career opportunities outside the country is the best thing for some Nigerians, and that is why Japa is increasing. They are hoping they will find a better life outside the country.

High rate of crime and crises

Everyone wants to make a living, which has also increased the high rate of crime among youths in Nigeria. It is better to be in a safe environment where you can enjoy the little you are making rather than lose it to crime. Herders invasion and Boko Haram are great crises that have hit Nigeria, so some people have decided to Japa.

What are the effects of Japa Syndrome with respect to brain drain?

The Japa syndrome with respect to brain drain has posed a lot of effects on Nigeria and has made the country lose so many valuable resources. These resources are people of experience, expertise, great skill, and people like Doctors, Engineers, Tech gurus, Scientists, and other significant people. Unfortunately, all these sets of people are needed for the growth of the country's company, but they have all Japa. So what are the effects of brain drain, also called Japa in Nigeria?

Loss of professionals

When people leave one country for another to look for better opportunities, the country they have left will suffer. Since brain drain has been the other of the day in Nigeria, the county has lost a lot of professionals and talents. Professor Innocent Ujah, the Nigerian Medical Association President, said between 2016 and 2018, they lost over 9000 medical doctors to the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. He said that between December 2021 and May 2022, over 700 trained Medical doctors in the country relocated to the United Kingdom.

According to Devex, at least 12 Nigerian doctors are employed in the United Kingdom weekly. More than 40% of students are trained as medical doctors in Nigeria but refuse to practice in Nigeria. This indicates that so many talents have gone, which has a negative effect on the country of Nigeria. This means that as Nigerians have more people going out of the country for better opportunities, there will be more loss of professionals.

Decrease in the quality of service

This is also one of the major effects of Japa on Nigeria; it will be hard to get quality services because skilled people have left the country. In every sector of Nigeria, you will surely get reports of people who have left the country to find better opportunities. Then you will notice that the number of qualified staff or workforce in some sectors has reduced. 

Because of the high level of brain drain in Nigeria, the education sector has suffered a lot, and we can say the movement of lecturers to other countries as a result of the strike and non-payment of salaries has had its effect on the education of Nigeria, thereby reducing the number of qualified human resources.

Adverse effect on economic growth

This is another effect of the Japa syndrome with respect to brain drain, and as I have said above, it will only positively affect the country people are going into. The more the outflow of skilled labour, the more the country's economic growth will amount to a decline. With the reports of japa cases in Nigeria, the drop in the economic growth of Nigeria is because of the high rate of brain drain. This is why limited investments in infrastructure, roads, education, and other amenities are needed for living.

Loss of tax and funds to other nations

The country you work for is certainly the owner of your tax, and the more the Japa syndrome, the lower the tax Nigerians will get. It will be a plus to the countries that have received the talents that left Nigeria. Some countries have high tax rates because they have a good economy that enables them to pay well. So imagine the high volume of Doctors that have left Nigeria; as said by the Nigerian Medical Association President, all their taxes will now be paid to the country they are all left for. These countries used these taxes to develop their place, which always entices Nigerians.

Decrease in technological advancement.

Because there is a reduction in the tax revenue generated by Nigeria, it will reduce the rate of technological advancement. You can't expect so much from a country that has lost a higher percentage of its skilled and experienced experts. The high rate of Japa has reduced the level at which advancement will hit the country's technological sector. Since these talents are not cared for, they find a better place where their worth will be appreciated. This has benefited other countries that have embraced these talents.

Naira keeps depreciating

Because of the high rate of Japa in Nigeria, there is a high level of naira depreciation. This is because most of the payments made for traveling are made in the dollar, which has made the dollar rate to Naira keep fighting against each other. Even though this has increased the money paid for traveling, people are still ready to travel out.

Low level of education

Because all competent hands have left, it has reduced the stand and level of education in Nigerian. The human resources needed in those sectors are not much like before, reducing the efficiency and productivity of each labour in the education sector. This will surely increase the rate of people traveling out of the country.

Poor health services

According to the data we gave about the number of Medical doctors that have left the country, you will agree that the number of medical services will reduce. Because most of these practitioners have left, few people sensitize about the importance of health, which has caused a high mortality rate, even among pregnant women and children.

Final words on the Japa syndrome effect with respect to brain drain

Japa syndrome has a lot of effects on the country regarding brain drain. It will be hard to entice those who travel back to the country. All that can be done is to improve what is in Nigeria now to encourage those who haven't traveled. The government must do something about this issue; improving so many sectors in the country will help encourage people to stay back.

In other words, there are different measures that governments can take to reduce the high level of Japa in Nigeria. Suppose they can address all the highlighted issues. In that case, Nigeria can be on the developing side again and be able to compete with other countries when it comes to technological advancement.

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