To Japa or Not! (A Christian Naija Girl’s Perspective)

Blessing Orogun January 28, 2023 1

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)

If you ask many young, determined Naija persons what is on their mind now, their almost immediate response is how to “japa”! And to be honest, I don’t blame them.

Every talented and focused individual should at least have a working system that supports and enables them to fulfil their dreams, not frustrate them and make things difficult for them.

It’s merely logical for everyone in the right frame of mind to find better pastures. Every farmer knows that the type of crop you want to plant determines the kind of soil you choose which in turn determines your harvest amongst other climatic conditions.

Right now, it would seem to many Nigerians that Nigeria is an arid, unproductive land. Hence, the urgent need to “japa” to give them an enabling environment to be “fruitful and multiply”.

I can’t even count the number of my colleagues that relocated last year and the ones that already have plans in motion to leave this year. The other day, I was on the phone with a very close friend and what summed up our discussion that night was how we could “japa” and leave this supposed mess of a country.

It’s not even just about greener pastures anymore, it’s also about security. People want to be able to have peace of mind and to be able to celebrate the holidays without being shot at by policemen. They just want to make their honest living without being harassed or accused of being yahoo boys.

We want to be able to be in our houses and to travel when we need to without the fear of being kidnapped. We want a stable economy where even the poor man is catered for. These are the issues.

However, even before that call, I have been pondering on this whole “japa matter” which has become a fad and I have been asking myself some questions which I am going to throw at you.

Why exactly do you want to japa? Is it because everyone else is leaving? Have you even discovered your purpose? Do you ever wonder why international schools ask you to write a statement of purpose? It’s so that you can prove how that degree is relevant to your career and life goals (short-term and long-term).

Can you categorically demonstrate how moving abroad is going to influence your goals positively? Do you even have a life map?

Trust me, if you’re purposeless in Nigeria, you’re going to be purposeless wherever you go. You will just be going with the flow. You will keep trying out things just because everyone you know is doing it.

Have you asked God what He would have you do at this juncture? For I remember Isaac wanting to leave Canaan for Egypt because there was a famine in the land. This was an adequate thing to do because that was the exact thing his father Abraham had done when he encountered the same dilemma. But God specifically told Isaac to remain in Canaan. Thank goodness, Isaac obeyed.

Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold because the LORD blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy (Genesis 26:12). The people of the land became envious of him and sent him away because of how enormously blessed he was by God.

Our success lies in our ability to hear what God is saying per time and our obedience to what He has told us. It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich without adding sorrow.

This is not to discourage you from your japa mission but to help you make an informed decision. What if you were destined to make it in Nigeria?

For some of us, our first instinct is to run when confronted with a challenge. What if we’ve been called to face this problem and deal with it headlong though? If we all leave, who will make the country work?

Even if you’ve got it all figured out, have you asked God what His will for you is? Just know that whether God gives you green lights or red lights, it’s all for the best. In God’s will abides our provision.

In The Right Brain God, by Michael Faust, it says “Anyone can jump on a bandwagon…You have to find a cause and commit yourself fully.” That’s the first step in giving meaning to your life.

Therefore, to japa or not, is at your discretion; the choice and all that comes with it.

Regardless, be intentional. Discern and understand the objective and mission of relocating. Otherwise, you might have nothing to show for it at the end of the day.

Commit your ways to God and He will establish you.

May God bless our undertakings.

God bless Nigeria!