Let me guess.

You're reading this on your phone right now — maybe on a danfo headed somewhere in Lagos traffic, maybe during your lunch break at work, maybe late at night when the generator is the only sound in your compound. And somewhere in the back of your mind, the thought is sitting there like a tenant that refuses to leave.

"Should I japa?"

Don't worry. You're not alone. That thought lives rent-free in the heads of millions of Nigerians right now. Your cousin is processing Canada papers. Your best friend from uni is already in the UK. Your colleague at work just resigned last Friday — she's going to Australia. Your barber. Your pastor's son. Your ex. Everybody is going or planning to go.

Over 1.7 million Nigerians have relocated abroad since 2020, driven by the "japa" wave that has turned emigration into one of the defining social movements of the decade. That's not a rumour. That's real data. Nigeria is now the fifth-largest source country for Canada's Express Entry system, the number-one source of Skilled Worker visa holders in the United Kingdom, and a top-ten origin country for new permanent residents in Australia, Germany, and the United States combined.

But here's the thing nobody on Twitter — sorry, X — wants to talk about honestly: Japa is not a magic button. And staying in Nigeria doesn't make you a fool.

The reality is far more complicated than the two camps — "Japa Gang" and "Stay and Build" — want you to believe. And today, I'm going to lay it all out for you. The real costs. The real struggles abroad. The real challenges of staying. And most importantly, how to make the decision that's actually right for YOUR life.

No motivational quotes. No Instagram highlights. Just the truth.

Let's get into it.


Part 1: Why Everybody Wants to Leave

Before we start debating, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room. People don't japa for fun. They japa because things are genuinely hard.

Food prices across Nigeria have tightened further in 2026, deepening pressure on households already grappling with a high cost of living, and the upward trend seen earlier in the year has not only persisted but intensified in key urban centres, particularly Lagos.

Let's talk real numbers so this doesn't sound like abstract economics.

The price of a 50kg bag of rice has climbed to about N61,000, marking a notable increase from N56,000 recorded in January. This steady rise reflects ongoing supply chain disruptions, currency pressures, and elevated transportation costs.  A paint bucket of garri is priced around N1,900. Yam, a common dietary staple, goes for between N3,700 and N3,900 per medium tuber, while onions are currently sold at N1,400 to N1,500 per kilogram.

And it's not just food. The total cost of basic goods rose from N25,225 in 2020 to N147,050 in 2026, representing a 582% increase. Five hundred and eighty-two percent. In six years. Read that again and let it marinate.

Meanwhile, the naira devaluation has been brutal — the official rate fell from NGN 460/USD in early 2022 to over NGN 1,600/USD by early 2026. Your salary didn't quadruple during that time, did it? But the prices did.

So yes, I completely understand why people want to leave. The frustration is real. The suffering is real. When you can't afford to eat properly in a country that has some of the most fertile farmland in Africa, something is deeply, fundamentally wrong. Nobody should gaslight you into pretending otherwise.

But understanding why people want to leave is different from understanding what actually happens when they do.


Part 2: The Part They Don't Post on Instagram

Here's what your friend who japa'd to the UK posts on Instagram: a nice selfie at Tesco, a photo of snow falling, a picture of their payslip showing £2,800. "God is good," the caption says. Three hundred comments. Fire emojis everywhere.

Here's what they DON'T post: the three jobs they're working to afford rent in London. The loneliness of spending Christmas alone because they can't afford to fly home. The mental health struggles. The racism. The fact that £2,800 after rent, council tax, transport, food, and bills in London leaves you with maybe £400 — and that's if you're lucky.

I'm not making this up. A quiet shift is beginning to emerge. In recent times, a growing number of Nigerians have started to make the move back to Nigeria after years abroad, which is now referred to as 'japada', meaning 'return home' in Yoruba.

Yes, you read that right. People are coming back. It even has a name now.

 Since 2017, over 60,300 migrants have returned to Nigeria with the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).  According to the IOM, 14,787 Nigerians returned home safely in 2025 alone, while more than 2,500 migrants have already been supported in 2026.

Why are they coming back? Several reasons:

1. The cost of living abroad is brutal too. People forget that while you earn in pounds or dollars, you also SPEND in pounds or dollars. A one-bedroom flat in London costs £1,500 to £2,000 per month. A meal at a basic restaurant is £15. Transport is £150+ monthly. The maths doesn't always math the way you imagined it from Lagos.

2. Loneliness is real. In Nigeria, you have family, community, church, mosque, your guys, your girls, your favourite suya spot, your mama's cooking. Abroad, it's you and your four walls. Many Nigerians abroad battle serious mental health challenges that nobody talks about because admitting you're struggling after spending millions to relocate feels like failure.

3. Career limitations. A qualified lawyer in Nigeria becomes a care worker in the UK. A bank manager becomes a warehouse operative. An engineer drives Uber. Not everyone, of course — some people thrive. But the reality is that foreign qualifications don't always transfer, and starting from zero in a new country at 30 or 35 is humbling in ways you can't prepare for.

4. Immigration rules are tightening. This is a big one. The seemingly attractive 'escape route' from the country's challenges has been hampered by stricter immigration measures, including higher proof-of-funds requirements, restrictions on multiple-entry visas, increases in student and post-study visa fees, the removal of dependent visa pathways, and tougher settlement conditions.

 In January 2026, the U.S. introduced a policy requiring Nigerians applying for B1/B2 business and tourism visas to post a visa bond of up to $15,000 before approval. Fifteen thousand dollars. At the current exchange rate, that's over N24 million. Just for a tourist visa bond. The United States, once one of the most aspirational Japa destinations, has effectively closed its doors to most new Nigerian applicants. The United Kingdom and Canada remain open but have tightened their terms.

The message is clear: the countries you want to go to don't want you as badly as you want them. That doesn't mean it's impossible — it just means you need to go in with your eyes wide open, not with Instagram-fueled fantasies.


Part 3: What Staying in Nigeria Actually Looks Like

Now let me be fair to the other side too. Because the "Stay and Build" crowd sometimes sounds like they're living in a parallel universe.

"Nigeria is the land of opportunity!" they shout from their Lekki apartments, conveniently forgetting that most Nigerians don't live in Lekki.

The reality of staying is this: Families are substituting more expensive items with cheaper alternatives — for example, rice or meat might be replaced with cassava products or locally sourced grains. Households sometimes reduce shopping frequency or buy in smaller quantities due to cash constraints. Consumers rely on credit at markets, bulk family purchases, and even skipping meals during lean periods.

People are skipping meals. In 2026. In a country with oil, gas, fertile land, and 230 million people. Let that sink in.

 The states with the highest food inflation are predominantly agricultural states whose residents are paying among the highest prices in the country for food that their own land produces, because security collapse, logistics failures, and input cost increases have broken the supply chain between farm and market.

So when someone tells you to "stay and build," the honest follow-up question is: build with what? When the infrastructure is broken, the electricity is unreliable, the security situation is fragile, and the currency is falling — what exactly are you building on?

But — and this is a crucial "but" — there ARE Nigerians who are building. And winning. And thriving. Right here.


Part 4: The People Who Are Winning in Nigeria Right Now

Here's something the Japa Gang doesn't want to acknowledge: not everyone who stays in Nigeria is suffering. Some people are making more money here than they would abroad.

Think about it. The same exchange rate that makes things expensive for consumers makes Nigeria incredibly attractive for anyone earning in dollars. A freelance developer earning $3,000 per month from American clients is making nearly N5 million monthly — in Nigeria. That's more than most middle managers earn in London after tax.

Business owners who serve essential needs — food, logistics, technology, energy — are growing despite the economy. Real estate developers in Lagos and Abuja are doing extremely well. Tech entrepreneurs building solutions for African problems are attracting global investment.

The fintech sector alone has attracted billions of dollars in investment. Companies built by Nigerians, in Nigeria, solving Nigerian problems. These aren't theoretical examples — they're real companies with real revenue, built by people who chose to stay.

The harsh truth is this: Nigeria rewards a specific kind of person right now. If you have a skill that can earn foreign currency, if you have entrepreneurial instincts, if you have family support or low fixed costs, Nigeria can be incredibly rewarding. The cost of living, while high relative to local salaries, is still much lower than London, Toronto, or New York in absolute terms.

But if you're a salaried worker earning N150,000 a month with no side income and no family safety net, staying in Nigeria without a plan is just slow suffering with extra steps.


Part 5: So What Should YOU Do?

Here's my honest framework for making this decision. Not what your friend thinks. Not what Twitter says. What actually makes sense.

You should probably Japa if:

  • You have a skill that's in demand abroad. Healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, pharmacists), engineers, IT professionals, and tradespeople have the easiest paths. Canada began the year by introducing new immigration pathways aimed at attracting foreign-trained medical professionals, including Nigerian doctors. The initiative broadens access to permanent residency through several channels. Qualified physicians can now begin practicing while their immigration applications are being processed.
  • You have legitimate savings or sponsorship. Relocating properly costs serious money. For Canada, for example, you need settlement funds, tuition (if going the student route), IELTS fees, credential evaluation, and flight costs. Going broke to japa is a recipe for disaster.
  • You're young and adaptable. Starting over is easier at 25 than at 45. If you're young, single, and willing to grind through the tough early years, the long-term payoff can be worth it.
  • Your safety is genuinely at risk. If you're in a region affected by insecurity, kidnapping, or communal violence, your life comes first. Period.

You should probably stay (and strategize) if:

  • You have a business or income source that's growing. If you're already earning well in Nigeria, especially in dollars or from a business with upward potential, leaving means starting from zero abroad while your business dies at home.
  • You don't have a clear plan abroad. "I'll figure it out when I get there" is not a plan. It's a prayer. And while there's nothing wrong with prayer, God also expects you to use your brain.
  • Your family situation requires your presence. Ageing parents, young children, family responsibilities — these are real considerations that Instagram hustle culture loves to dismiss but that actually matter.
  • You can position yourself to earn in dollars while living in Nigeria. This is the real cheat code. Remote work, freelancing, e-commerce, and digital services allow you to earn like you're abroad while spending like you're in Nigeria. The arbitrage is incredible if you can pull it off.

The Third Option Nobody Talks About:

What if the answer isn't "Japa forever" or "Stay forever" but something in between?

Some of the smartest Nigerians I know have a foot in both worlds. They have residency or citizenship abroad but spend significant time in Nigeria running businesses. They travel for work but their base is Lagos or Abuja. They earn in dollars but live a Nigerian lifestyle.

 Although immigration restrictions are tightening across many traditional destinations, 2026 has also demonstrated that global mobility opportunities are far from disappearing. From Canada's targeted recruitment of healthcare professionals to new skilled worker programs and Africa's growing embrace of visa-free travel, several countries are actively positioning themselves as attractive destinations. While some doors are closing, many others are opening.

The world is becoming more fluid. The old model of "move to one country and stay there forever" is evolving. Maybe your version of japa isn't permanent relocation — maybe it's getting a second passport, building international income streams, or spending part of the year abroad.


Part 6: The Real Enemy

Here's what I really want you to take away from this article.

The real enemy isn't the person who japa'd. And the real enemy isn't the person who stayed. The real enemy is stagnation.

Whether you're in Lagos or London, Kano or Canada, the worst thing you can do is nothing. The person who stays in Nigeria but builds skills, invests wisely, creates multiple income streams, and positions themselves for opportunities is doing better than the person who japa'd but is stuck in a dead-end care home job sending every penny home with nothing saved.

And the person who japa'd, learned new skills, saved aggressively, built credit, and is working toward permanent residency with a clear 5-year plan is doing better than the person in Nigeria who spends every evening complaining on Twitter about the government while doing absolutely nothing to change their own situation.

The location is not the strategy. The strategy is the strategy.


My Final Words

I know this article is long. But if you've read this far, it means you're genuinely wrestling with this decision. So let me leave you with this:

Stop letting other people's highlight reels make your life decisions. Your friend's japa story is THEIR story. Your cousin's success in Nigeria is THEIR story. Your story has different variables — different skills, different family situations, different financial realities, different dreams.

Sit down. Be honest with yourself. Ask yourself:

  1. What do I actually want my life to look like in 5 years?
  2. What skills do I have right now that the world will pay for?
  3. What is my REALISTIC financial situation — not the one I post about, the real one?
  4. Am I running TO something, or just running FROM something?

That last question is the most important one. Running FROM Nigeria without running TO a clear plan is just expensive suffering in a colder country.

And staying in Nigeria without actively working to improve your situation is just... suffering in a warmer one.

Either way, DO something. Build something. Learn something. Save something. Move — in whatever direction makes sense for YOUR life.

Nigeria may be hard right now. The world may be tightening its borders. But you — yes, you reading this on your phone — you have more options than you think. You just need the clarity to see them and the courage to act on them.

No more sitting on the fence. Make your move.

And whatever you decide, make sure it's YOUR decision. Not Twitter's. Not your uncle's. Not the WhatsApp group's. Yours.


What do you think? Are you Team Japa or Team Stay? Or are you somewhere in the middle like me? Drop your thoughts in the comments — let's have an honest conversation. No dragging, no judging. Just real talk.

Share this article with someone who needs to read it today. And for more honest, no-nonsense content about life in Nigeria, bookmark Naijatodayblog.com.