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Former BBNaija star Elozonam Ogbolu has expressed how Nigeria's ongoing japa trend—where individuals leave the country in search of better opportunities abroad—has affected his relationships, particularly with his family and friends.
During his recent appearance on the Uncolured Podcast hosted by former BBNaija housemate Venita, Elozonam revealed how his twin brother's departure to a different country has changed their once close-knit bond.
He explained, "For my twin brother and I, because we're twins we tend to fight or disagree a lot by virtue of the fact that we are twins. But after he left, there was nothing to fight about. Now I have to be intentional about calling him because there are days and weeks where I don't hear from him, so I'm annoyed but I understand that people have to go and do what they need to survive and have a good life for themselves."
The reality TV star shared how difficult it has been adapting to life without his twin brother being nearby.
Reflecting on how the japa wave started affecting his circle, Elozonam traced it back to 2018, when his former boss moved abroad with his family, and other people followed.
He said, "This whole Nigerian situation is something else and between 2018 to 2024 the first person who left was my boss at the time with his family. After him, it was like he opened the floodgates and people started leaving. I'm tired of people leaving and the adverse effect is that you are now too wary of making friends because you won't know if they will wake up and leave tomorrow. Nigeria isn't getting any better and we all know this. Everyone wants a good life for themselves and would leave someday."