How Nigerians came about Japa (Jakpa)
For the longest period, large numbers of Nigerians have been emigrating from the nation. Not to be soon forgotten are the immigration lottery methods of the 1990s, nor the checking out and emigration of the 1980s. Therefore, what has appeared to be a planned exodus from the country in recent years is not wholly novel to our national awareness.
However, none of these earlier emigration drives have been as big or as well-documented as the current one. Nigerians are emigrating in large numbers in the year 2022.
It only makes logical sense that emigration stories are now shared in real-time, going viral, and becoming more of a spectacle than they ever were for earlier generations because it fits in well with the Internet age and mass information.
The inference is that everyone is aware of it, follows it, and appears to be aware of how it is developing.
No word has been more associated with the idea of permanent relocation than “japa,” the contemporary social media lingo that has permeated pop culture and other areas of Nigerian life. Permanent relocation has long been a reality and an ongoing goal for many Nigerians. The phrase is now woven into all discussions involving travel outside of Nigeria.
But how and when was this new term for leaving from Nigeria created? Now let’s discuss the specifics.
Describe Japa.
It is a Yoruba word that, in plain English, means “flee.” The word’s derivation combines the words “ja” and “pa,” which in this context allude to an action’s intensity or harshness, respectively.
In essence, “japa” can be translated as “run hard” or, preferable, “flee.”
How Japa came to be associated with the exodus of Nigerians
The precise time period when this change took place cannot be pinpointed, but Naira Marley’s 2018 song “Japa” is when the term was first used in public culture.
So in essence, the slang; “japa” or “jakpa”, in Nigeria, refers to Nigerians relocating to other countries, in search of better opportunities.
