The House of Representatives, on Thursday, rejected a motion seeking to declare the factors that motivate Nigerian youths to relocate abroad, otherwise known as “Japa”, as a national emergency.
The motion was sponsored by Philip Agbese, a lawmaker representing the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency of Benue state.
The motion was titled: “Need to Declare Emigration of Young Nigerians Abroad, A.K.A Japa Syndrome, a National Emergency.”
Presenting the motion, Agbese cited statistics from the Nigerian economic summit which showed that a growing number of young Nigerians were relocating abroad.
He also cited recent reports by the African Polling Institute which indicated that 69 per cent of Nigerian youths would opt to relocate if given the chance.
The lawmaker said there was a 40 per cent increase in the number of young Nigerians leaving the country compared to the number captured in 2019, as the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN DESA, reported.
He said the UN DESA report stated that international emigration from Nigeria in 2020 totalled 1.7 million, which was a substantial increase from 990,000 in 2010.
He argued that the alarming statistics of young Nigerians leaving Nigeria and securing permanent residence in the UK, the USA, and Canada portends a grave danger for the country from economic to intellectual and social aspects.
“The eagerness to migrate to countries that offer hope seems to have a compelling influence. Those leaving Nigeria are not just the poor but middle class who possess skills/workforce including bankers, lecturers, health care practitioners, doctors, nurses, and trained manpower, all of whom were trained in Nigeria and emigrating at a time when their services are needed to build a strong and vibrant economy in Nigeria,” Agbese said.
The lawmaker warned that if the “Japa” trend continues unmitigated, especially with the country’s best brains and skilled personnel leaving, Nigeria “may fall into a grave crisis.”
He, therefore, suggested the convening of a national summit with key stakeholders by the federal government to effectively address the “japa syndrome.”
Agbese also asked the House to declare a state of emergency on “the factors that predispose young Nigerians to give up on Nigeria in preference for other nations.”
Afterwards, several lawmakers who contributed to the debate opposed the motion because it contravenes the provisions of the constitution, especially the fundamental human rights contained in the constitution.
And when the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas subjected the motion to a vote, the ‘nays’ overshadowed the ‘ayes’.
