Veteran Nigerian comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, has highlighted a growing trend among Nigerians: the liquidation of investments and savings to emigrate, commonly referred to as “Japa.” Speaking during an appearance on Channels TV’s Sunrise programme, Ali Baba shared his observations on this phenomenon, which has significantly impacted the entertainment industry and beyond.
Ali Baba noted that many individuals, particularly those in the entertainment sector, have left Nigeria in recent years. He expressed concern that some of these individuals possessed the talents and opportunities to thrive within the country, yet felt compelled to seek better prospects abroad due to the unpredictable economic environment.
“When I said unpredictable, it is that some things that have been happening are things that people have not prepared for,” Ali Baba remarked. He explained that the current economic realities have forced people to dip into their savings and liquidate investments to manage their resources.
He shared personal anecdotes to illustrate this trend. “Between January and now, out of 10 people that I said ‘they would not Japa’, you just hear somebody call you later and say, ‘Oh, you know, I’ve not been around’. And you say, okay, ‘when are you coming back?’ And they say they’re not coming back,” he said.
Ali Baba mentioned knowing several comedians and many others in the entertainment industry who have left Nigeria. He lamented that some of these individuals, despite having the potential and opportunities to succeed in Nigeria, chose to leave due to the challenging economic conditions.
The comedian also narrated a story about a friend who left Nigeria shortly after Valentine’s Day to provide a better life for his children. “A friend of mine travelled two days after Valentine. We had a Valentine’s party, and he was there. Everything was okay. And then he called me in May to say, ‘Ah, how are you? How are you? How’s Nigeria?’ I said, ‘You’re here, too.’ Then he said he left on February 16,” Ali Baba recounted.
He elaborated on his friend’s reasoning: “He said that he had weighed it over time, that if he was spending X amount of money raising three of his kids, it would be good if somebody took off the cost of education from him so that he could then express himself in other ways and have a good life. He also said that if you raise your children, and after you raise the children at the age of 21 or 22, you still have to take care of them, then it’s good to go to a society where if you raise them to 18 or 20, they can begin to take care of themselves or find work somehow.”
Ali Baba pointed out the long-term benefits of emigration, such as the opportunity for children to gain dual citizenship, which opens more avenues for their survival and success. “If you raise them in a certain country, by the time they’ve done four, five, or six years, certainty is what you can say about citizenship. So they then have dual citizenship, and you’ve opened more opportunities for them to survive and succeed,” he added.
This trend, as observed by Ali Baba, underscores the deepening economic challenges in Nigeria and the lengths to which individuals are willing to go to secure a better future for themselves and their families.
For more details, visit the original source of this report on Vanguard Newspaper.
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