I have read with great enthusiasm the case for JAPA by most NIGERIANS especially those on nairaland - and as one who has been in the USA for almost 30 years and still counting, let me simply give this advise. I am not saying there are no genuine reasons for wanting to leave- BUT IF I have known these truths almost 30 years ago, MOST PROBABLY - I would have stayed back on NIGERIA- please read these 10 points with an OPEN MIND:

[I] -- 90% PROBABILITY - you will never marry for LOVE

I know this may sound stupid because you will say who marry help, but FOREVER is too long to marry for anything EXCEPT true love. Those of you willing to JAPA from naija, know that once you get overseas, you are no longer in control of what you want regarding LOVE and MARRIAGE, it becomes whatever LIFE throws at you because of circumstances. Most people will not admit publicly but MOST that japa end up marrying someone over there that they may never have said hello to IF they had the luxury of choice like they do in naija

[II] --- 90% PROBABILITY - the one you love back in Nigeria will end up with someone else

I know this may sound funny, like forget love, I do not care - I just want to leave. But if half of the reasons you japa is to find the resources to make life more comfortable for you and your loved ones when you japa, where will that "loved one" be when you finally capture that financial freedom you so desperately seek ? Do not forget, Nature abhors vacuum, by the time you spend 4 to 7 years on average looking for your permits, you think other people and interests will not creep into HIS or HER life in Nigeria? where will that relationship be in the final analysis? EVERY JAPA enthusiast will say, "abeg - leave matter, I will use my resources to find love again" - Then you will become the mugu who will end up marrying someone who just needs you to travel abroad and most likely dump you when HE or SHE gets there

[III] Most Nigerians who are still single overseas are most times severely damaged emotionally and psychologically due to the trauma of living under pressure which comes with life in the western world - so IF you intend to marry the "Nigerian" you meet overseas, most likely -you are in some trouble already.

[IV] You may never raise your child the way you deem fit. The state puts a lot of strangles on your ability to correct your child. You may say- oh as long as I do not beat my child, it is ok, but that restraint is not limited to physical abuse. If the child says you yell at them always just to correct them, that is "EMOTIONAL ABUSE" and your child can be taken away from you by the CPS for that - [Child Protection Service] - This is why many naija kids overseas end up being what their parents will never imagine them to be IF they were brought up in naija

[V] In LIFE, it takes 2 to agree to marry, BUT it takes the decision of just 1 of the 2 to end it. This means you can be the best husband and father to your kids as you rate yourself. HOWEVER, if your wife thinks otherwise, because she has been influenced by her friends and seduced by another man or simply compelled by nature to seek other interest outside the home you built with her, it is game over for you, your peace of mind, your financial health, your physical well being and probably your ability to have custody over your kids- they may end up being raised by your wife with another man (her new lover) supervising the kids in the way he deems fit UNTIL your visitation day. And most likely your ex-wife will have up to 3 to 5 relationships before the kids turn 18, Think of the effect that will have on them - over time - seeing different men come in to sleep with their mom and leave in the morning.

[VI] LET ME go to LARGER or EXTENDED FAMILY and CURRENT FRIENDS - There is a 90% PROBABILITY that most of your current friends - with whom you grew up with and have enjoyed the UP's and DOWN's of life together - and your treasured family members who give you that happiness and joy of life will be lost. This comes because as you "stay apart, you grow apart" - and then there will be demands coming from them because they do not know any better that the streets of the western world may be paved with gold but no one picks money on the floor. So when their needs are not met, they start thinking it is your greed that has taken over - not knowing you are struggling to pay your bills and there are no extras for them - this will sour up the friendship and even relatives over time will start avoiding you - Even those who did not ask you for a favor will conclude you failed to use "YOUR CHURCH MIND" to help them - soon you will find yourself alone with new friends and probably family overseas who have no bearing to your roots.

[VII] REGARDLESS of the fuel subsidy issue, NIGERIA is still a country where you can earn high and spend less- especially IF you have tech skills that are globally in demand - You can make that dollars and spend naira - meaning you can KEEP up to 80% of what you earn - those living overseas are too luck to keep enough -IN FACT 90% of those who japa may not be able to keep more than 15% of what they earn NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY TRY - when you consider paying for TAXES (federal/ state/ county) RENT/MORTGAGE, CAR NOTE, UTILITIES, INSURANCE, FOOD (yes groceries aint cheap because whatever you buy is taxed at POS) CHILD CARE/ CREDIT CARD BILLS, GAS, CLOTHING, MEDICALS/ all that - you are left with almost nothing - you can not escape bills overseas and IT WILL NOT WAIT... (to be continued soon in a few hours --- 3 more points to go )

De play

For every 10 reasons of yours not to encourage JAPA among nigerians, there are more than 100000000001 reason why anybody that have the means to live this country. More than 80% of nigerians are just existing and not living. Ordinary food to eat in this country na war for many of us, let me not talk about security.

Who love epp?



Advice: Don't preach this on nigerian streets if you don't want to collect wotowoto