Obi: ‘Japa’ syndrome good for Nigeria’s devt

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, says the growing exodus of Nigerians in search of greener pasture, fondly called as ‘Japa’, is good for the country.

Obi, in a series of tweets on Thursday, June 22, said he agreed with with American billionaire, Bill Gates’ comments on ‘Japa’ syndrome that the recent surge of Nigerian professionals leaving the country for greener pastures is good and healthy for the country.

The LP presidential flag bearer while corroborating Gates said he “always preached and maintained this same position on the “japa wave”.

He added: “For years now, and throughout my campaign in the last presidential election, especially during my tours from Canada, the USA, Germany, the UK, and other countries.

“I maintained that our brain drain today will be our brain gain tomorrow.

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“Nigerians leaving the country may look like a loss today, but when we start doing the right things and taking the governance of our nation more seriously, the knowledge and resources from them will be critical in the building of the New Nigeria, as it happened in China, India, Ireland, and other developing countries.”

Obi stressed that “today, India prides itself as one of the countries with the biggest tech talents in the world, having produced some of the world’s top engineers and computer scientists. Many top global tech companies are headed by CEOs of Indian origin.

“So India’s success in the tech industry can partly be attributed to its ability to harness the knowledge and resources of Indians in the diaspora for their national growth.

“Nigeria will grow and develop on all fronts when we build the New Nigeria that prioritizes investment in education, health, and support for small businesses, guarantees respect for the rule of law, security of lives and properties, and unity of the nation.

“Then our diasporan Nigerians around the world will return home with their global training, skills, and resources, to immeasurably contribute to building a New and better Nigeria. We will not give up on our dreams for the New Nigeria.”

The Star