03/06/2025
There’s a new trend that’s been gaining attention. People are calling it Japada. It’s a situation where individuals who once traveled abroad and lived there for years are now relocating back to Nigeria or their home countries.
Let me share a story with you.
A friend of mine left Nigeria for the U.S. shortly after we graduated from the university. He lived there for about 15 years with his wife and children, and he was doing very well, financially stable and living comfortably.
Last year, he decided to move back to Nigeria. Out of curiosity, I called him for a long chat to understand why he came back, especially when so many people here are even selling off properties just to move to the U.S. the very place he left.
He told me he now lives in Lagos. I asked, “How’s Lagos?”
He replied, “Lagos should be fine, Edward.”
I was surprised and asked what he meant by saying “Lagos should be fine” instead of just the usual “fine.”
He laughed and explained that he planned things very well before returning.
Before relocating, he bought a house in one of the top estates in Lagos, a place with 24-hour electricity, good roads, and a well-structured environment. He has multiple domestic staff working for him. He, his wife, and their kids barely go out of the estate, so they härdly experience the typical chãllenges of living in Lagos.
I asked how he copes work-wise, and he said he works remotely. Even though he's physically in Lagos, he still earns in d0llars. Plus, his entire family are U.S. citizens. If things don’t go according to plan, they can easily return to the U.S because they have the passport.
He told me he’s already been back to the U.S. once since returning to Nigeria, just for a few weeks. Meanwhile, he’s enjoying life in Lagos.
Now, imagine someone like that coming online to say:
"Abroad is not worth it. It’s just endless sûfffering. Look at me, I've come back home and I’m doing well.”
But he won’t mention the 15 years of solid work, the house he bought, the citizenship, the d0llar income, or the well-planned return. People will just listen and say, “Ah! If someone who has lived abroad for 15 years says it's not worth it, then it must be true.”
Oftentimes, you’ll see some of them posting online and giving fãlse narratives, claiming that living abroad is all sûffferin̈g and that there's nothing good over there. Unfortunately, many people fall for these narratives. But the truth is, there’s usually more to the story than things they don’t tell you, or only tell you halfway. Innocent people then take their words at face value, believing that’s the whole picture.
I've also heard similar stories of people who lived abroad, saved up well, and returned with business plans and capital. They come back, invest their money in Nigeria, and sit back to enjoy the fruit of their years of labor.
I also know another man who lived and worked in the U.S. until he retired. He came back to Nigeria, but he’s still receiving his $3,000 monthly pension. So even while running a business here, he's still cashing out in dollars over there.
Don’t be mislêd by these online narratives. Most of the people who "Japada" have solid backup plans. Many of them are citizens of the countries they’re returning from. If anything goes wr0ng in Nigeria, they’ll just dust off their passports and jet out.
The reality is that some of them return just to invest or retire. And while they may choose to sit with their investments, they still have the safety net of a passport that grants them access to over 180 countries visa-free. If anything crúmblês, they won’t be strãndêd.
So don’t fâll for half-baked stories. Most times, what they tell you is only part of the truth; they're not being entirely sincere.
Follow your intuition. Pray. Let God lead you. If you have a relocation plan, the resources needed, then map it out strategically. It could be your game changer or even your destiny reset.
Use your brâin.
