Nigeria's economic struggles have fuelled a surge in migration, particularly among young people, who now refer to this phenomenon as "Japa" to describe their quest for better opportunities in developed countries.
Oladunjoye Omolaja's work visa application has been denied twice, first by the United States embassy in 2022 and most recently by the United Kingdom.
For years, Mr Omolaja, aged 39, nursed the dream of migrating to Europe or North America. He had hoped to secure better employment opportunities through the work visa route, relying on his Information Technology and Communication skills.
He recalls planning to migrate after his unsuccessful job search for Biochemist roles in Nigeria. To evade unemployment, the Ikorodu, Lagos State indigene, took up ICT certifications and became a certified IT engineer.
Although his job provides some of his needs, Mr Omolaja desired more financial stability, better job opportunities, and improved living conditions.
"Gaining employment was difficult," he said. "Most jobs are gotten by knowing someone. You have to go through fire before you can get anything positive. So I asked myself why I was suffering here in Nigeria."
Mr Omolaja's desire to migrate reflects the ambition of many Nigerians like him.
The recently released 2023 global migration data shows Nigeria ranked in the top 10 in migration desire worldwide.
Other African countries in this category are Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, the Republic of the Congo, the Gambia and Comoros.
According to the global analytics and advisory firm, 37 per cent of adults in sub-Saharan Africa would like to leave their countries permanently if possible. This is the highest aspiration rate globally.
"The desire to migrate in sub-Saharan Africa is not going down. The 37% of adults who desire to migrate -- which is the highest level in the world -- is one point higher than it was in 2021 and 2022 and eight points higher than the 29% who wanted to leave in 2011.
"While it has declined across several countries in the region, the desire to migrate remains near or above the 50% mark in nine countries. Seven of them -- Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, the Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, The Gambia and Comoros -- are in the top 10 countries with the highest migration desire worldwide," the report read.
Meanwhile, the trend transcends traditional regional boundaries, with migrant-sending regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and migrant-receiving regions like the US and Canada exhibiting an increased desire for migration.
"In 2023, 16% of adults worldwide -- which projects to over 900 million people -- said they would like to leave their own country permanently if they could. This is unchanged from levels observed between 2021 and 2022 but higher than the 12% to 15% measured between 2011 and 2018."
US and Canada paradox
The Gallup report shows that the United States and Canada, traditionally top destinations for migrants, are experiencing a paradoxical trend.
Since 2011, migration desires have steadily increased in both countries, as a high number of citizens from these countries want to leave permanently.
While 20 per cent of Canadians have expressed the desire to move, an estimated 17 per cent of US citizens would leave permanently if they could.
"Desire to migrate has risen steadily in both countries since 2011 -- but most sharply in Canada, where the 20% who want to leave today is the highest on record and more than double the 8% who wanted to leave in 2011. Most of the increase in Canada has occurred since 2021.
"In the US, the 17 per cent who said they wanted to leave in 2023 statistically ties the previous record high (which appears to have been shattered in new polling from 2024 that shows 21 per cent want to move) and is seven points higher than the 10 per cent recorded in 2011," the report stated.
It indicates that the US topped the list of destination countries for migrants. According to the survey, one in five potential migrants, that is 18 per cent or about 170 million adults worldwide, named the US as their desired future residence.
The survey, however, showed that this figure is a drop from previous numbers recorded from 2007 to 2017.
"Although potential migrants might have cooled toward the US, real migration levels reached record highs in 2023 in both the US and Canada, which was the No. 2 most desired destination for potential migrants. Gallup data show that 9% of potential migrants -- or about 85 million people worldwide -- would like to relocate to Canada," the report read.
Nigeria's Japa syndrome
Nigeria's economic struggles have fuelled a surge in migration, particularly among young people, who now refer to this phenomenon as "Japa" - a Yoruba term meaning "to escape" or "to flee" to describe their quest for better opportunities in developed countries. While the comprehensive impact of Nigeria's Japa syndrome is still being studied, its effect on family and human resources is already being felt.
The stringent visa requirements of migrant-receiving countries often lead to irregular migration. According to the National Bureau of Statistics in its 2020 report on irregular migration in Nigeria, thousands of young men and women "driven by economic desperation and other motives, make attempts to irregularly migrate out of the country in search of better opportunities abroad."
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Meanwhile, the desire to migrate transcends traditional regional boundaries, with migrant-sending regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and migrant-receiving regions like the US and Canada exhibiting an increased desire for migration.
Methodology
The methodology for the Gallup global migration data remained unchanged for 2023.
According to the organisation, the survey question was: "Ideally, if you had the opportunity, would you move permanently to another country, or would you prefer to continue living in this country?"
"The 2023 figures are based on interviews with nearly 146,000 adults in 142 countries and areas.
"The analysis period coincides with record levels of migration after a slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to United Nations estimates. In the 38 wealthy countries that make up the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), permanent-type migration in 2022 reached unprecedented levels," the report stated.
