By Adeboye Ado

The increasing trend of Nigerian academics and professionals relocating abroad, widely referred to as “Japa,” continues to raise serious concerns about the country’s future.

      Dr Lamidi Ishola, a Mass Communication lecturer at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, and former chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ondo State chapter, has identified systemic challenges within the nation’s education sector as a key factor driving the mass exodus.

In an exclusive interview with The Hope, Ishola noted that many of Nigeria’s brightest minds prefer pursuing their PhDs abroad due to better academic environments and career prospects.

“A significant number of our best brains prefer undergoing  their PhDs in abroad, often using foreign academic programmes as a stepping stone to seek better opportunities,” he said.

He further highlighted how some academics exploit government-funded initiatives such as TETFUND, using the financial support as a means to relocate abroad without fulfilling their commitments.

“Some beneficiaries receive these funds and fail to refund them. Others remain abroad while still collecting dual salaries, which is unethical and undermines academic integrity,” he observed.

Beyond financial misconduct, Ishola pointed to the inadequate infrastructure and inefficiencies in Nigerian PhD programmes, making it difficult for scholars to excel.

“Many foreign institutions offer more conducive learning environments. In terms of facilities, they have an edge, whereas Nigerian universities remain underfunded,” he added.

Reflecting on his own PhD journey, which spanned over a decade, Ishola recounted how supervisors were changed prolonged the process.

“My first supervisor retired, leading to a reassignment. The second supervisor also retired, and I was eventually handed over to a third professor, who saw me through to completion,” he explained.

He criticised the prolonged nature of PhD programmes in Nigeria, advocating for a more structured and efficient process to retain scholars within the country.

Beyond academia, Ishola’s research on journalism ethics underscored systemic failures that extend into other professions. He found that while many Nigerian journalists understand ethical principles, financial constraints often push them into unethical practices.

“Economic hardship, lack of professional regulation, sycophancy, and other biases have severely undermined journalism ethics in Nigeria,” he stated.

To curb the mass exodus of intellectual talent, Ishola called for urgent reforms, including increased funding for tertiary institutions, stricter oversight on scholarship grants, and streamlined PhD completion timelines.

He also urged regulatory bodies in journalism to enforce ethical standards more rigorously to restore the profession’s credibility.