Imagine waking up tomorrow and everything has changed.

The roads are better.

Electricity is stable.

Hospitals work.

Schools are properly equipped.

Businesses can grow without unnecessary obstacles.

Salaries are enough to live on.

Jobs are available.

Security has improved.

Nigeria is finally becoming the country many people have always hoped it would be.

Then someone asks you:

“So, would you still japa?”

For many Nigerians, the answer might not be as straightforward as we think.

Because for some people, japa isn't simply about wanting to leave Nigeria. It's about wanting a better life. It's about having opportunities, building a career, providing for your family, and living in an environment where you feel your future is secure.

If Nigeria provides those things, would leaving still be necessary?

Maybe for some people, yes.

There are people who genuinely want the experience of living in another country. They want to explore the world, experience different cultures, study abroad, build international careers, or simply see what life looks like somewhere else.

But for others, the desire to leave is largely a response to frustration.

They aren't necessarily running away from Nigeria.

They're running away from what life in Nigeria has become.

If those problems disappeared, perhaps their reason for leaving would disappear too.

Imagine being able to tell your children, “You can build a successful life here.”

Imagine graduates finding meaningful employment without spending years searching.

Imagine healthcare workers being properly paid and equipped.

Imagine entrepreneurs building businesses without constantly fighting against the system.

Maybe then, japa would become a choice rather than an escape plan.

But there's another side to the conversation.

Even if Nigeria became better, people would still have the right to leave.

Wanting to experience life abroad doesn't mean you hate your country. Leaving doesn't automatically mean you have abandoned Nigeria. Sometimes, people simply want to explore opportunities beyond the place where they were born.

The real question isn't whether Nigerians should leave.

Perhaps the real question is:

Can we build a Nigeria where leaving is an option, not a necessity?

A country where someone can say, "I want to japa," without feeling that staying means giving up on their dreams.

And maybe if Nigeria gets better tomorrow, some people will still leave.

But hopefully, fewer people will feel that they have to.

Because the ultimate goal shouldn't be to stop Nigerians from travelling.

It should be to build a country people can proudly choose to stay in.