By Nnamani Arinze Darlington

The term "japa" which comes from the Yoruba lexicon means to run or flee. In recent times, it has become something of a buzzword on the streets of cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu as a growing number of young educated Nigerians often look to move abroad to escape unemployment, inflation, extreme poverty, and low salaries.

They left because they could no longer bear the same inconveniences everyone fusses about. It is an issue of absolute neglect; that of an oppressive government versus its vulnerable citizens. Same issues that gave them the japa answer. Pathetically, the Nigerian japa situation is getting worse as each day passes. 

A new survey, carried out by Phillips Consulting, has indicated that over half (52%) of Nigerian professionals are considering leaving their current jobs and moving abroad within a year. According to Phillips Consulting, 88% of individuals who plan to quit their jobs within a year were millennials and Gen Z. This demographic shift could lead to a significant loss of skilled workers, which may negatively affect critical industries and the economy, it stated. “Moreover, this demographic data includes young professionals with valuable skills and extensive education, making them highly desirable in the global job market. “More than 50% of those surveyed said they would consider canceling their migration plans if Nigeria met specific conditions. "These conditions include a peaceful environment, better economic conditions, access to competitive and fairly paid job opportunities, and effective leadership.

Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah was sworn-in as the Governor of Enugu State on May 29th, he made an inaugural speech that touched the hearts of Enugu youths. He described two illuminating tales which explained the future that has come for Ndi Enugu. One is the narrative of an imaginary youth, whom he called Emeka, who piles his craft right here on the soil of Enugu State. Like many young men who struggle with existential survival issues in Nigeria, "life became an excruciating and lost battle to Emeka. He had gone through the unease of struggling to study and there he was, with his certificate that looked worthless. So Emeka decided to join the now popular japa movement. Life must be blooming on the other side of Europe, he thought. So he was enfolded into a ship that travels on the Mediterranean. Hope was beginning to build in him. As the ship taking him to a new life had conjured, that hope suddenly evaporated. The ship sank and the Mediterranean Sea swallowed Emeka and his lofty dreams."

Inversely, he spoke of another youth whom he called Ikechukwu. Like Emeka, life was troubling for him too. He scarcely could make ends meet. He also struggled to go through school. Life was tough. However, he suddenly woke up to the creative genius in him. Ikechukwu with friends on Ogui Road, was able to develop an app and before he knew it, entered his creative genius products in a global contest. All of a sudden, he won a prize in Dubai and the world stood still for the hitherto hopeless boy previously roaming the streets of Enugu.

Juxtaposing the above stories with the future of our youths in Enugu is a testament of what the power of ideas can bring forth as against the said escapist belief in the redemption power of japa. The two of them, Emeka and Ikechukwu lived in this same city of Enugu. The billion dollar question that Mbah is asking is, how many Ikechukwus will his administration produce? How is he going to stem the tide of Emekas? How is his administration going to address the 'hopelessness' among the youths of Enugu? These are pertinent questions that will drive our mind into the future that mbah has planned for the youths of Enugu. 

His inaugural speech gave hope and a sight of light at the end of the tunnel with his story of how he conquered poverty and rose to grace from nothing. As Mbah told his growth story, it gave Ndi Enugu present at the inauguration goosebumps. There was luminosity and lustre splendor felt by the mammoth crowd at Okpara Square. He said " I am an Enugu boy whose creative energy saw him through all his existential life battles and brought him to where he is today. Like Ikechukwu, while growing up, I struggled against the tides of adversities that made the future look bleak. Failures and frustration dogged my way. I worked as a shop attendant at Alaba International Market in Lagos, struggling to stave off all kinds of negative manifestations of an inclement environment. Like a swimmer, I swam against the tides of these adversities to embark on a scholarly journey. In 2008 when we began operations at pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, I came into that industry as a backbencher. The DNA of exploits and creativity that is innate in every nwa Enugu was my driving force. It pushed me to go beyond the limits of expectations in the industry. A few days ago, I resigned as the CEO of Pinnacle. By the time I was leaving, Pinnacle Oil and Gas had conquered all odds, displacing the incumbent in the petroleum industry within a short time. We succeeded in driving the upstart of yesterday into reaching the pinnacle of the downstream oil sector."

According to data available on the website of the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 23 million Nigerians representing 33.3% of the country’s population are unemployed. This is one of the highest in the world. But even more disheartening is that 42.5% of this unemployed population are youths; the critical demography that drives production and growth in a nation, this is one big problem that leads to the popular japa movement. But Mbah has reinstated his commitment to stop the youths of Enugu from following the brain drain trend as he categorically said in his inaugural speech that "The youths of Enugu State will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the tomorrow that is now here today. We want to expose our youths to the skills required to grasp the emerging future and create opportunities for the genius in them to flourish. We also want to invoke and instill in them the can-do spirit that is innate in the Igbo - meaning that Enugu will rubbish japa, not by legislation but by creatively addressing the challenges to the future of our youths."

He stressed that his administration will equip the youths of Ndi Enugu with e-commerce, fintech, and cyber security skills, such that our young people will become globally interconnected, and can indeed "japa" all over the world by providing services online through e-commerce skills which will make them champions of the globe without necessarily having to leave Enugu.

The construction of a world-class Theme park in Enugu and the establishment of the proposed Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in all the local government areas as well as agro-allied processing Zones and industrial parks in all the senatorial zones of Enugu is a gateway to provision of employment opportunity for our teeming youths which will mitigate the quandary "japa" syndrome. This way, Enugu, aside becoming an economic hub, will become a talent and skill hub for the local and global markets now and in the imminent future. 

 Vigorously, Mbah reiterated his commitment at his inaugural speech to rescue thousands of unemployed youths in Enugu as he said "I am standing before you today pregnant with ideas on how to rescue our youths and indeed the whole of Enugu State from the threats against our existence. You can trust me. I will be operating from the vantage of transcendental values and not narrow interest. That is what we are driven by. I will not let you down. We believe that the only purpose of leadership is to bring the best out of everyone. You are why all these are possible."

It is promising for the youths of Enugu because Mbah has once passed through what the ordinary Enugu youth is passing through today. They say "only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches," and I am happy the youths are a major part of Mbah's audacious plans. Those who portray the traits of Emekas should not japa but hold on and be like Ikechukwu whose creative energy saw him through all his existential life battles and brought him to the paradise of wealth and self accomplishments. Let the Ikechukwus rise up to the occasion, Enugu needs to grow. There is need to compete in the comity of States, the Ikechukwus should help Mbah achieve all his promises and audacious plans for the people of Enugu.