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Paper short abstract:

This paper examines japa syndrome and provides insights into how social media creates a false impression of an ideal life among Nigerian youth. The study concludes that access to programs that facilitate skills acquisition and entrepreneurship is an effective means to curb youth migration.

Paper long abstract:

Japa is a Yoruba phrase that connotes fleeing abroad or exploring any available means to escape possible hardship in Nigeria. I attribute the latest surge in youth migration in Nigeria to social media influence, which has created a false impression about an ideal life in the global North. Meanwhile, human migration is premised on seeking comfort and better opportunities to improve one’s living standards and conditions. While studies on how social media prompts a false perception of an ideal life among Nigerian youths remain largely unexplored, extant literature is rife with reasons for these youths seeking greener pastures. This paper argues that social media has exacerbated feelings of envy and competition by reinforcing false perceptions of life in the global North among Nigerian youth. The paper seeks to answer three critical questions that are germane to the current reality of Nigeria. How do Nigerian youth perceive a successful life? How does social media elevate the phenomenon of japa in the 21st century? What are the consequential bearings of japa on Nigeria's developmental growth? Drawing on a qualitative research approach with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, this paper contributes to knowledge by highlighting the urgent need for greater access to resources and programs that facilitate skills acquisition and entrepreneurship for Nigerian youth as effective measures against japa syndrome.

Keywords: Global North, Japa, Social Media, Youth and Nigeria.