Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has asked Nigerians not to be “worried” about the mass exodus of young professionals to other countries.
Tinubu spoke on Monday at the swearing-in ceremony of Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo, in Owerri, the capital city.
Tinubu said more Nigerians will be trained to fill the vacancies that exist as a result of those relocating overseas.
“Don’t worry about what you are hearing about the japa syndrome. We will train more people and we will supply them,” Tinubu said.
‘Japa’ is a local parlance for the mass exodus of skilled professionals seeking greener pastures abroad.
There have been growing concerns in recent times over the relocation of many professionals in Nigeria, especially those in the health sector to foreign countries.
In 2022, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) warned of a “total collapse” of the health sector if measures were not taken to address the brain drain in the system.
The association called for an emergency solution to the issue.
NMA expressed concerns there may be a need to hire doctors from foreign countries in the future if the trend is not addressed.
