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Chairman of Heirs Holdings and leading entrepreneur, Tony Elumelu, has expressed total support for Nigerians migrating abroad in search of greener pastures.
The progressively dwindling fortune of the Nigerian economy over the years has forced many skilled and educated citizens to look elsewhere for better opportunities in a phenomenon known as japa.
The japa syndrome cuts across many spheres of life, but the health sector appears to be mostly affected as thousands of doctors, nurses, and other trained hands in the sector continue to leave in droves, thereby putting the country at the brink of a brain drain.
In an interview published by the Financial Times on Friday, August 9, 2024, Elumelu bared his mind on the mass exodus of Nigerians abroad.
The accomplished banker refused to rebuke citizens who have sought the japa route to obtain a meaningful life on faraway shores, blaming the trend on the lack of gainful employment opportunities at home.
He stated that anyone who has endeavoured to acquire an education but couldn't get live up to their dreams due to lack of opportunity is within their right to find solutions elsewhere.
“I support it, totally. I don’t have a problem with people saying ‘I’m going to Canada, the UK or the US.’
“Joblessness is the betrayal of a generation. You’ve gone to school and come back with your dreams and aspirations and you don’t have the opportunity . For people who decide to find solutions elsewhere, no one should stop them. But for those who decide to stay, they should try to create an impact and build a legacy,” Elumelu.