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Japa is a Yoruba word that means to ‘flee’. This has however been adopted as a popular slang that now means to leave Nigeria in search of greener pastures. In 2022, a survey said 7 out of 10 Nigerians want to relocate out of the country.
A lot of Nigerians have already done this and are currently living in different nations across the world. For some Nigerians who have eventually japa’d, here are five common things they do afterward;
1) Post a picture of themselves wearing winter jackets to confirm japa status
This seems like the very first thing most Nigerians do immediately after they japa. As soon as they get into the new country, they post a picture of themselves wearing a winter jacket as if to confirm their japa status.
Some take a picture of their passport and post it alongside a meme of actress Sola Sobowale with the caption – Welcome to a new dispensation.
2) Become japa advisers
For some young Nigerians, immediately after they successfully japa, they become what we can call ‘japa advisers’.
For these set of people, they are always posting a video of themselves wearing winter jackets and dishing out reasons why people should not japa or things they’ll ‘suffer’ when they japa.
Top of their list is usually how lonely ‘abroad’ actually is, how they have to go out in the snow to get to work, or how a ‘friend of theirs’ is currently regretting their japa move.
Another common thing some Nigerians do immediately after they japa is how they suddenly become experts in japa tips. Some go on to open YouTube channels and give out lots of tips on how to easily japa.
4) Start posting about all the things they miss in Nigeria
For some Nigerians who just relocated, their next step is to talk about most of the things they miss about Nigeria. This usually revolves around food, weather, and community.
5) Begin a serious job search
Amid all the social media shenanigans after Nigerians’ japa, the part they may not post about publicly is how they begin a serious job search.
Most people apply for anything and everything just so they can get a job as soon as possible. After all, japa isn’t cheap and they need to start making money fast.
How many of these did you notice in your friends who japa’d?
