JAPA SYNDROME - by Dolapo Oludairo

Lagos is full of people who would rather suffer with style than succeed in peace.Every day, thousands flock to the big city, believing they’ve found a breakthrough. Villagers leave families, farms, and homes behind because they think the city equals success. But when they arrive, it’s often the opposite—life is expensive, harsh, and survival pushes them into jobs they’d never accept back home.City folks aren’t any different—we run abroad chasing “greener pastures.” But is the grass really greener on the other side? 🤔<img alt="" src="/media/inline_insight_image/1000464682.jpg"/>Let me tell you about my Auntie Jemima.She graduated with a 4.21 CGPA in accounting, landed a good bank job, had her own house, and a wealthy fiancé. Life was set. But then came Auntie Debola, her old schoolmate who moved to the US. Debola bragged about her new life abroad—video calls in fancy houses, expensive clothes, even sending money home. Jemima got carried away.Instead of taking a vacation to scout the place, she quit her job and sold her house just to relocate. On arrival, reality hit: Debola’s “glamorous” life was fake. She was a cleaner—gyms, hospitals, even mortuaries—and sometimes “ahem… extra side jobs” to survive. She had been posing in the houses she cleaned, living a lie.Jemima fainted when she learned the truth. But by then, she couldn’t go back home. She had no house, no job, and too much shame. Her fiancé begged her to return, but when she refused, he moved on. Today, he’s married with kids in university. Jemima? She ended up in shelters, doing odd jobs for survival, her degree useless abroad.Her story isn’t unique. Many leave Nigeria thinking life abroad guarantees success, but without preparation, they meet a harsher struggle. Social media makes it worse—fake lifestyles pressure people into chasing illusions. Families too, expecting “abroad money,” sell properties to sponsor children who often can’t meet those expectations.<img alt="" src="/media/inline_insight_image/1000464681.jpg"/>Yes, Nigeria’s system fails us. Yes, some people do succeed abroad. But what if success isn’t only “over there”? What if it’s about watering the grass where you are?Because no grass grows green on its own.So tell me—would you rather hustle abroad, or build quietly where you are?

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