Japa syndrome: Sansadeen’s round trip to Kansas as turning point

The Bola Tinubu has yet to make an official pronouncement on the emigration of Nigerian youths to foreign countries in search of the proverbial Golden Fleece. But it would be fair to say however that the administration is committed to youth empowerment in the quest to further its plans for the country’s future, although the manifestation of this also remains to be seen.

On June 16, members of the House of Representatives at the plenary rejected a motion seeking to declare the emigration of young Nigerians abroad, also known as the Japa Syndrome, a national emergency.

Hon. Philip Agbese, the sponsor of the motion, quoted statistics from the Nigerian Economic Summit that a growing number of young Nigerians were relocating abroad and securing permanent residence in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, a development he said portended grave danger for the country, especially from economic, intellectual and social points.

According to the House of Representatives member, there is a 40 percent increase in the number of young emigrating Nigerians in 2023, compared to the number captured in 2019, as reported by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and they include skilled workforces like bankers, lecturers, health care practitioners, doctors and nurses. He lamented that the situation is persistent at a time when the services of trained professionals are needed to build a strong and vibrant economy in Nigeria.

Despite the ugly scenario painted above, there is still a glimmer of hope that it is not all the Nigerian youths that are attracted to the emigration craze. The story of a first-year student of Marine Sciences at the University of Lagos, Ms. Oluwadamilola Sansadeen, bears so much relevance and deserves special recognition. Sequel to the success of a 2022 U.S. Consulate Public Diplomacy grant, Sansadeen travelled to the United States this summer for a training programme on permaculture and sustainable food systems at Kansas State University.

A report on the university’s site indicated that Sansadeen, who is a volunteer project manager at an agriculture nonprofit outfit, ProtectOzone Sustainable Livelihood Initiative, had received two months of mentorship from Dr. Jeremy Cowan, an assistant professor of sustainable food production systems at the university.

In addition to gaining practical skills and knowledge on creating sustainable and resilient agricultural systems, she completed the Permaculture Design Certificate Course at the College of Agriculture in the university before garnering internship experience at the Willow Lake Student Farm of the university.

The University of Lagos undergraduate, who described her experience in Kansas as valuable, also said: “I had the unique opportunity to collaborate with multiple agricultural stakeholders in Kansas’ thriving permaculture community. I also learned that embracing sustainable agriculture paves the path ahead of creating and enabling food security in Nigeria. I learned how to operate farm implements, including operating a tractor, although I don’t know how to drive a car yet.”

Cowan, who is Sansadeen’s mentor at Kansas State University, said he was proud to support her aspirations to make a difference in the field of permaculture.

“She brought a completely new perspective to both programmes, introducing the Kansan community to her Nigerian culture, which left all of us in awe,” Cowan said.

Meanwhile, the United States Consulate’s Public Affairs Officer, Joe Kruzich, remarked that the collaboration between the US university professor and the Nigerian undergraduate highlighted the enduring commitment of the American government to fostering academic exchange.

“We are promoting innovative solutions to shared global challenges by connecting a bright young mind from Nigeria with a prestigious US university,” Kruzich said.

One remarkable aspect of Sansadeen’s trip to Kansas should not be lost on all Nigerians, especially the Tinubu administration, at this time when the Japa Syndrome is gaining much attention. Many of Sansadeen’s mates would have used the trip to Kansas to perfect their emigration plans, knowing that no such opportunity suffices every time. But Sansadeen opted to return, seeing a greater opportunity to contribute to Nigeria’s quest for food security.

Interestingly, food security is the target of the newly sworn-in Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari. Just a few minutes after he was sworn into office by President Tinubu in Abuja on August 21, he told journalists: “We know the challenge that we face now, hunger is one of the big problems that we have in this country. When we say hunger, it also means food and there are challenges to food security.”

Kyari would do well to embrace Sansadeen with a view to encouraging her and the like among the youths who still believe in Nigeria and what they can offer the country. It would not be a bad idea as well if President Tinubu spots the UNILAG undergraduate and adopts her as a poster girl for the youths who seek a turnaround for Nigeria.