MIGRATING FROM NIGERIA (JAPA)
Everyone and their cat are currently migrating from Nigeria. Locally this phenomenon is known as Japa!
The Oxford dictionary is yet to to accept the word JAPA. Though its origins are in the Yoruba language of south west Nigeria, it has become a universal term that should rightly have a place in the esteemed dictionary.
Japa is now more than a word, more than a trend, it has become a movement. If you are not a partaker you will feel left out.
JAPA! Where has Everyone Gone?
The other day I looked at the phone numbers on my class WhatsApp group and it struck me, the regular numbers that were +44, +1 etc were still there, that was not the surprise. The surprise was that the numbers that were 0802, 0803.. etc had changed (while we all slept) to +44, +1, +27 etc.
Was Japa part of the Dream?
At graduation from medical school many moons ago we made a year book, and one of the questions asked was
‘After medical school what next?’
Some replies from my classmates include:
- Specialization
- Residency in surgery
- Anything but medicine
- Marriage/specialization
A lot were not thinking about traveling out, rather they wanted to stay, get married and specialise. Not me. My answer was – ‘Greener pastures, probably abroad.’ LOL.
Now guess who is in Nigeria, yep you’re right.
Statistics show that:
- 6 out of 10 doctors leave Nigeria daily
- There are about 25000 doctors in Nigeria for a population of 200 million.
- Nigeria has one doctor to 4000/5000 patients.
The big question:
Se na me Una leave all these patients for?