Japa or Stay? Brain Drain and Internal Migration in Nigeria’s Development Crisis

Abstract

The rate at which Nigerians are currently leaving the country is quite unprecedented leaving the government, policyholders, and stakeholders in a dilemma. Surveys indicate that over 63% of Nigerians are considering leaving the country which signals a huge erosion of Nigeria's workforce and human capital. The prevalence of this reality led Nigerians to nickname this mass emigration as Japa Syndrome(Brain Drain) and it has attracted the attention of economists, professionals, nationalists, and researchers. This issue has beset various sectors of Nigeria-from health to the educational, and also the legal sector, significantly forestalling Nigeria's development. Alongside this, internal migration is another menace as the congestion of the urban areas has necessitated huge crime rates in these areas deepening the underdevelopment of rural areas. 

Against this backdrop, this paper-relying on existing literature-commences a critical examination of the underlying causes of Brain Drain and internal migration with emphasis on their implications for Nigeria's economic development. Several factors like handicapped educational sector, poor infrastructure, among others were discussed as the crucial driver of this mass emigration. This paper further argues that these issues have eroded investor confidence thus hampering foreign direct investment. In response, this paper proposes several structural frameworks to curb this menace which has exacerbated Nigeria's condition economically, institutionally, and Socially.

Keywords: Brain Drain, Rural-urban Migration, Development