Is Japa smart...or selfish? These Nigerians settle the debate!

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Published May 10, 2026

Japa - leaving to build a life elsewhere - isn’t just a buzzword. For some, it’s survival. For others, it’s a painful drain on everything a country needs to grow. Between chasing opportunity and staying to build, there’s no easy right answer, only trade-offs that cut deep on both sides. In this episode of Convince Me, two teams from the University of Lagos step right into that tension: Is Japa the smartest move you can make? Or is it ultimately a selfish one? And if both can be true at the same time, where does that leave us? Because beyond the arguments, the real question lingers in the middle: Can there even be a compromise?

03.39 Is it really easy to find work abroad?
05.32 'Pounds are no better than naira'
07.38 'Many die from malnourishment'
09.01 'Japa is selfish'
10.08 'Nigeria does not provide quality education'
15.30 Who are the real 'thieves?'
22.20 'The real change must happen here'

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