JAPA and the Future of the Nigerian Workforce

The wave of migration we are experiencing in Nigeria is alarming. The Egyptians can probably relate to this as they faced the exodus of their Israelite workforce who gathered en masse, en route to the promised land.

Nigerians must have taken a hint from the Israelite playbook, leaving jobs and the familiarity of the Nigerian homes in the pursuit of greener pastures, to lands flowing with milk and honey — the UK, US, or Canada.?

The JAPA season seems to touch every aspect of living in Nigeria, as it would seem that the average Nigerian knows one or two persons who probably left the country in the past few months. Many only happened to find out that their colleagues, friends, partners, and even siblings had left the country through social media posts ?? . The typical Nigerian never reveals their JAPA plans until they touchdown at the land of their dreams. Call this the fear of Nigerian voodoo black magic that could probably hinder their travel plans ?? (uncertain about the origins of this myth, but Nigerians can relate ???? ).

For this context, the word Japa is a Nigerian slang popularly used to depict the manner and nature in which an individual elopes from difficult environments or nations such as Nigeria.?

From August to date, there have been mass resignations across Nigeria, with HR managers revealing that they have processed a number of resignations in the past months, most of which are due to JAPA. But with economic instability and the unchecked levels of insecurity in the country, it is only logical for those who can afford it to cross over (and those who are desperate enough are pulling it off by getting into serious debt to flee the shores of Nigeria ?? ).?

For employers that complain about how they have to vet new applicants almost every week, maybe consider taking advantage of People by Bento to automate the cycle of job listings, recruitment, offers, training, and onboarding ?? .?

Employees left in the offices are coming to work to meet empty cubicles, coupled with a tense atmosphere. There may be a silver lining here, however, as the JAPA wave clears a path for job seekers who have been eyeing positions that are now vacant. A chance for other skilled people to step into the shoes of those who left.?

Undoubtedly, if there was a magic wand that employers could swing to get their employees to stop leaving, then that wand would sell out like an in-demand high-end product. But as that is not the case, the high-achieving employees will keep leaving except employers have a pot of milk and honey in salaries and benefits that’s guaranteed to give them the lifestyle they desire.

Fortunately, Bento has a box packed with hassle-free benefits to make life easier for employees — from loans and insurance when times are lean, to savings when things are more bountiful.

It might interest you to note, however, that from our online polls conducted a few days ago more than 52 - 65% of Nigerian employees still prefer to work remotely in Nigeria, despite the JAPA wave.?

What does this mean to employers? Employees want more benefits! So if you want to keep your best people, treat them like your best people. And if your efforts to keep them aren’t working, set them free! If they’re yours, they will come back to you. If they do not come back, fill up the pipeline with Bento HRM.