ANALYSIS: The Japa Train, Blessing In Disguise For Professionals Who Decide To Stay In Nigeria

Despite the honking of the disturbing horns inside the traffic of Lagos, the weakening abuse from some Ibadan people and the extravagance of eating one’s preferred food in Uyo, some Nigerians decide to stay and weather the storm pulled at them by the inconsistencies of their country of birth, Nigeria. 

This is not to say that those who left the country to make ends meet, study or for other reasons are jerks, but it is worth mentioning that some have been stout to defeat all the temptation of leaving the country.

They want to be the architect of that better Nigeria if it would ever be better. 

Everybody wants to leave Nigeria: Papa Johnbul with six children, Musa with three wives and Femi, the banker everyone sees as the cream of the crop.

“The cream of the crop” professionals are also forfeiting their employment to search for greener pastures abroad. 

The Japa wave is a brain drain but could become a significant gain for some Nigerians who think there is still a drop of good in the country.

Painfully, people hardly talk about the benefits of those departures. We will do so in this article.

Bigger administrative roles are open

Employment opportunities in Nigeria are not only limited but also competitive.

But the Japa train has packed a bunch of job seekers abroad, giving those who choose to stay a chance to show their worth. 

A bank manager who dumps his job to take up Uber driving in the US has freed up two spaces in the bank that a single employee cannot fill.

The bank management, as it is with other employers of labour, will need a professional space to fill up for the compelling positions the passengers of the Japa train are leaving behind. 

They will have fair job security 

When doctors have flown out of the country, even though some of them hardly get what they want, employers in the medical sector will try to appease the few professionals they have left. 

Even though this might be relative, a dedicated establishment would treat its staff like gold when their counterparts who left would still struggle before they are reckoned with in their new abode. 

Without a doubt, professionals in Nigeria only need to be good at what they do.

They will be the dictator of their choice in the country in the world of work.

In the kingdom of the blind, a one-eyed is the crown prince.

Itis important that professionals in Nigeria equip themselves with every requisite orientation to command the work space.

Once they have that, they will measure up with the demands of top positions and would reach the zenith pretty quickly.

Skill plus morality makes a good alternative 

If you have decided to stay in the country and push for your professional relevance, remember that Nigerian employers value interpersonal relationships, and mutual respect as they value your services. 

An employer in the education sector who spoke with our correspondent anonymously says, “I will always hire a good character and train the personality that I so desire."

Unlike your colleagues abroad, Nigerian employers of labour want you to regard them as you regard their work as opposed to how it works inside the Japa train. 

Once you can tick the moral box, you can reach the pinnacle of your career unimaginably fast.

For the professionals abroad, this is not the case.

Side hustles are allowed 

In Nigeria, where a winner of a government contract is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (We have our facts, no assumption), a Nigerian professional can multiply his profit downstream. 

You can combine your daily job with a side hustle or craft that could pay you more than your daily job.

This is not to say that it is impossible overseas, but how soon could one get that going in a foreign land or when one has yet to get his footing right upon arrival?

It is harsh and ridiculous to say that leaving Nigeria is inadvisable.

Who would want to stay where everything seems not to work?

But it is unwise to leave the country when the next destination is not a soft landing. 

A popular adage says it is better to seize the opportunity than to wait for the one you are unsure of.

As a Nigerian professional living in the country, you have a chance to excel now more than ever. 

It could be advantageous for you if your Japa train has yet to arrive. Nigeria is a safe place for dedicated professionals.