By Adedotun Ajayi

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It is no hidden knowledge that nowadays the anymore Nigeria youths have little or no faith in this country. A huge number of them search for ways to leave the country, sometimes taking risks and endangering their lives in the process.
President Muhammadu Buhari also expressed sadness at the sheer desperation of some Nigerian youths who dare both the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of greener pastures.
He lamented that the situation was hurting the pride of the country, a development that would propel his administration to do everything possible to make the country live-able again.
The president had, during the visit of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, sometimes in 2018 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also wondered why Nigerians, in spite of resources at our disposal, embarked on the illegal exodus to Europe at grave risk.
Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has cautioned Nigerian youths against relocating to other countries in search of greener pastures, saying they should focus on making the country better.
Speaking at The Platform, a programme organised by the Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos, Fayemi told the youth to “kick out” the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023 if they were not satisfied with the party’s style of governance or records.
He urged the youth not to succumb to despondency, saying there was a lot to hail in Nigeria.
“There is a lot to frustrate you, a lot to want to make you give up and pick that visa and go to Canada. I know it is a popular destination but you know what? There is also a glass ceiling in Canada,” said the Governor
“When you get to the top of it, you will now discover there is a glass ceiling there. This is the place where there is no glass ceiling, let us work towards making it a better place. Even if your search is a regime change in a democracy, there is only one word for regime change in a democracy: you work towards it.”
It is common knowledge that the Nigerian economy is in a very bad state with lack of basic infrastructure like electricity, water, roads, that businesses are not striving. All of these leading to severe rate of unemployment among the youth. A situation that causes vast number of them to troop out of the country in an attempt to reach Europe and other countries in search of greener pastures. The quick growth of the population and economic issues in recent years have produced stubbornly high youth unemployment in many places, leaving many youths doubting that they could ever have a decent life within the country.
From the political scene, economic outlook, the country is walking a slippery slope as our so called leaders are not working to the taste of the youths. Why then would they not go on greener pasture?
According to an immigration lawyer based in Akure, Barrister Ayoola Oludeji, who spoke to our correspondent, said his clients who engaged him in their quest to travel abroad did so for different reasons.
He named the reasons as expectation of higher income, career advancement, job opportunities, better education and exposure for their wards.
“Nigerians are aware that the time and energy they invest in working in the country will earn them more income if they replicate that abroad. Being hard working in the diaspora means more money in the bank account, but the same cannot be said in the case of Nigeria, Secondly there are many job opportunities abroad than you will find in Nigeria. People who troop out of the country are aware of this. The rate of unemployment in Nigeria has skyrocketed and many Nigerian youths are tired of searching for jobs that are not available and when we talk of education, the quality of education in America and Europe is better than what we have in Nigeria.
While students in Nigeria battle with lecturers, university strikes and a host of other troubles with the educational system, it is a different case in most developed countries. Despite the economic crunch, many parents are still sending their children to schools overseas in their drive to secure second passport and better future for them, and this is one of the reasons Nigerians leave the shores of the country with certificates obtained in higher institutions abroad, they are aware that companies, abroad will employ them”
According to Juliana Adewale, a civil servant, said “There’s a common saying that “grass is always greener on the other side, although its tough in Nigeria, but its also tough seeking greener pasture, but if you can channel the energy into starting a business or networking with the right people to guide them in the right path, I believe progress can start from there, apart from the fact that some youths leave the shores of the country because they want their kids to have dual citizenship and receive the opportunities every other child in the foreign country receives.
But speaking contracourse, Stephen Oluwole, a businessman said “We all know moving abroad is a dream many people want to achieve in Nigeria, many people want to explore new cultures and may also want to work in foreign countries, but have they ever thought of some problems related to it?
Many people experienced some sort of cultural shock when they moved to other countries. Sure, this depends on the country you move to.
“If the country has similar cultural values like you are familiar with back home, chances are that you will not suffer. However, if you move to an exotic country that has quite different cultural norms and social values, chances are that you will have difficulties adapting to those new circumstances and some people may not get happy abroad since they will not be able to identify with those new values.”
Another downside of living abroad is that many people also suffer from serious communication problems. Many people just move to another country without even knowing the local language. This can lead to serious problems since if you are not able to communicate in a proper manner, you will also not be able to find a good job, to make enough money and so on.
Hence, if you want to move abroad, definitely make sure you learn the local language in advance basic factors should be considered before the rush to leave Nigeria.
On how to tame greener pasture in the country, both interviewer, posited that government must be al;ive to their responsibilities. They lamented the present plights of graduates roaming the streets, where those in papers and where available sharing the juicy ones for their children. Expressing that such would continue to make Nigerian youths to take the risk to guarantee their future.