Nigerian companies are set to lose a huge number of their staff in August and September due to mass resignations as foreign schools resume academic activities in September 2022. This is according to findings by Nairalytics from Human Resource managers across the country.
We are currently heading into a month where most foreign schools in the likes of the USA, Canada, Uk, and Australia are resuming academic activities, and with many Nigerian youths pushing to leave the country by applying for study visas, companies will be dealing with a number of vacant positions come August.
The concept of “The Great Resignation,” also known as Big Quit or Great Reshuffle, which became popular in 2021, when employees voluntarily resigned from their jobs in mass is already playing out in Africa’s biggest economy as HR managers revealed that they have processed a number of resignations in the past one month, most of which are due to traveling out.
Nigeria is currently ravaged by a number of socio-economic issues, some of which include insecurity, high cost of goods and services, and unemployment amongst others. Nigeria’s inflation rate is currently at 18.6% as of June 2022 one of the highest in Africa, while the unemployment rate stands at 33.3% as of December 2020, with an estimate of 40 million Nigerians without jobs.
This is coupled with the 5-month-old strike action by university lecturers as well as other security challenges affecting the country. A recent article released by Nairametrics revealed that Nigerian youths are looking to “japa” using study visas, a term used to describe traveling out of the country, in search for greener pasture.
What Human resource managers are saying
In various discussions with human resource managers, the following comments were made concerning resignations in their companies in the past month. According to the survey of HR operators, the sales and marketing department recorded the highest number of resignations in the month of July, followed by employees in the core operations section of the business.
- According to HR in a company operating in the oil and gas industry, four employees resigned from their organization in the month of July, all of which are traveling abroad either as a result of foreign offers or on education visas.
- He said, “So my present industry is oil and gas, 4 employees have resigned in the month of July, while in my previous organization which is a manufacturing firm (I left 3 months ago) they have had 15 resignations this month and still counting.”
- Another stated that “two people in my office have resigned because they are relocating out of the country.” Also, a company operating in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry revealed that 30 people resigned in July, many of which cited relocating abroad as their reason for resignation.
In a conversation with a Human Resource person at an IT firm, she explained that she has only been working in the firm for one month and have had to process about 10 resignations within the period.
- “In the last one month of being here, I’ve done like 10 exit interviews and that’s within a particular 2 or 3 departments in the company,” she said.
- “We are a team of 30 currently and we’ve had 2 resignations till now, both of them are japaing,” those were the words of an HR from a logistic tech company.
- While the comment above is not exhaustive, the number of resignations recorded by the interviewed companies across various sectors of the economy, varied. Some of them had to process ten resignations in July, others five, another stated 12, while a manufacturing company has processed 32 resignations in just one month.
Several other human resource managers of large Nigerian companies particularly in the utility sector who spoke to Nairametrics also complain of a massive wave of resignations. For some of them who prefer to remain anonymous as they fear revealing the name of their organization could affect their ability to attract more talent, they opine even an increase in salaries or better working conditions did not stop their best talents from resigning.
“We have even seen senior managers and other top executives resign and travel with their families” an HR expert with a major utility informs Nairametrics. “These days they take all sorts of project management exams and often work late to remain focussed on their studies. In fact, an easy way to know who will japa is when they start telling you they have exams to write”.
Economic conditions making things worse
The crushing depreciation of the naira and its heightened insecurity have also created a sense of urgency for a lot of young Nigerians looking for a better life.
- Even when they are offered a promotion or increase in salary a simple conversion into dollars shows just how paltry the money is compared to earning in hard currency.
- Remote working has also given Nigerians an inkling of what it is like to earn hard currency while working locally.
- However, it appears that is not enough for some who seek a better life. Beyond just earning dollars and living in Nigeria, some worry about insecurity, health care, and quality of life, all of which are lacking in Nigeria.
What this means for Nigerian companies
- Whilst this Great Resignation could be a headache for some organizations, it could also mean that employees at the low-level rank in the company will receive promotion opportunities in order to fill the vacant positions.
- Companies will be able to place value on their loyalists going forward, which could attract pay rises for the employees.
- Some companies could be tempted to pay their employees in USD, to keep their best hands from fleeing.
- This could also be an opportunity for unemployed Nigerians to get a shot at being employed.
A brilliant article. One sector that comes to mind is the banking sector, particularly their IT department. And generally, our government is really clueless on how to deal with this. It all started with the medical sector when qualified hands fled & still flee the country for better terrain. There’s hope sha – that I submit.
I don’t think our leaders are actually clueless about this situation, problem is they don’t really care, though they may pretend to us they do. They seem to believe that just making one or two publicly broadcast statements about their plan to improve things to end the mass exodus should calm things down for a while; it’s as bad as that. The only thing that really seem to bother these selfish leaders we have is something that would prevent them from stuffing their already overflowing bank accounts with stolen and diverted public funds.
@David Mayokun, NO nation on earth can compete with the US on doctors’ wages (primarily because US healthcare is mostly PRIVATIZED and accordingly there is no universal access to healthcare in the US, even for some working people who pay taxes). That’s why even advanced nations like the UK, Australia, even Canada, lose doctors to the US, much less Nigeria. Meanwhile, thanks to cheap/subsidized medical training in Nigeria, Nigeria-trained doctors arrive in the US with the average $250K loan burden of most US-trained doctors.
Whatever the Nigeria government does, Nigeria will ALWAYS lose doctors and others who choose to migrate for money or relative security (and I use the term “relative” in respect of the US, given the average of almost 2 mass shootings involving 4 or more victims DAILY!). Nonetheless, it is suffice to note that Nigeria’s condition is a culmination of the various actions (by commission or omission) of ALL Nigerians – not just the (mostly inept) government or leadership.
There is danger in rushing for dollars because a manager here may end up a common labourer and the dollars they earn there may only barely keep them alive there. Some of our doctors there are actually medical orderlies but they earn dollars, where is self esteem
Most of us left the country not necessarily because we were hungry at home or in search of better pay abroad, but we fled for our lives. For example, I was almost kidnapped in Osara; a community between Okene and Lokoja in Kogi State about 3 years ago. We were already surrounded by heavily-armed bandits until soldiers came to our rescue. God’s goodness! After narrating the experience to my family, my 8-year-old said to me, “daddy, if you cannot take us to the UK or the US, can you please take us to Ghana?’. My job involved a lot of travels across the country, and I literally spent several months after the incident worried and troubled on every trip. That’s a bigger problem than being unemployed.
Better to be safe, and alive. With time, you rise from medical orderly as you claim to full blown status. One thing I know is that Nigerian trained doctors are not lesser trained, rather, they are only not given enough environment here to excel in, that’s why when they Japa you hear how excellent they perform over there
What is self-esteem to a man who is in danger? A man whose next income (salary) is not guaranteed? A man whose children’s future is not guaranteed?
This problem is compelling and HR professional and recruiters have to develop more agility to help organisations from collapsing. In a way, it is good for the young ones who now have opportunities to export their talent.
Two major elements like preparation and planning as the underlying signs for perform proactively is missing so therefore the State act on response or demand to issues….is also the basis for everyone leaving without sufficient, contingent and sound plan. Nigerians goes to outstretch and tilt the plans and food table of places they flee to and do those countries what they have done to their space. If you are good you can work remotely with required skill need for jobs. There more problem to this than appear. This a breakdown of some sort….bad bad sign.
Any need for this article? Next tin now ogas and madams go ban travel. No be everytin dem dey put 4 news abeg
You are right my brother… This article should not be here as we all know this is no news really….. This writer has a mission to make ‘them’ block others that are planning to go…. Writer please be guided!
Una no get sense….Japa.. go suffer ,when will Nigerian get it dat no where is save in the world.we keep saying Nigeria is undeveloped and the youth Day are suppose to fight for their country are running away is a shame..una no get sense
We are not running away. We will continue the fight from abroad… He who runs away lives to fight another day init?
God bless you jare
I’m not saying that anyone who wants to “Japa” should not because they have their reasons for doing so, but I tell you that few years to come the situation will change to the opposite. There will be more and better opportunities for the professionals and the educated people in Nigeria than over there. People should know that nothing is permanent. Some countries we see as better than Nigeria today will have lesser blessings than Nigeria not so long time from now, and you’ll begin to see Nigerians abroad coming back home. This is a good opportunity for many who are not doing well now to fill up the spaces left behind by our fellows who are relocating abroad.
Abegiiii, I am 30 years old now and those of my age mate at 15 that had the opportunity to travel are way better because of the flexibility of the life the are exposed to over there. 15 years down the line and we are still in a spot and spinning. Biko those that have the means, feel free to flee
“I tell you that few years to come the situation will change to the opposite. There will be more and better opportunities for the professionals and the educated people in Nigeria than over there.” This sort of statement made me return back to Naija in 2008. My eyes cleared eventually that Naija has no plan to move forward. It hasn’t gotten better. I have since moved back abroad and would be observing from there. When it gets better, home will always be home…we can’t be locked out. But till then, I will remain here.
Tell me companies that want to recruit around onitsha, so that while their workers are japaing, i’ll fill up at least a position.
Nigeria is the worst place on earth. Take it or leave it.
The “me first” mentality is killing Africa. We are all pointing fingers, but at their own level everyone thinks about the fastest way to get comfortable. Some through, japaing, some through embezzlement, others through extortion others again will just rob and kidnap. Thiefs and incompetent are put in leadership positions because the “good people” are japaing, not voting, afraid to fight to make their country better.
How many Americans fought and died so that America can now be called green pasture and livable for people like us?
Is the pasture there even green? Do we have any dignity left for us to choose to be 2nd class citizens in countries build by exploiting our forefathers?
Japaing is an expression of failure…not just the failure of the leaders but of that of all of us.
Haven’t we been made second class citizens by the ruling class and political class?
Did you just compare “japa” with other people cutting corners? Be patriotic all you want but don’t teach other people how to be patriotic. Americans died? So what? Shey you too now want to die in? Or you’re asking those who are leaving not to leave but die instead?
My own take is that we shld stop publicizing the exodus so our selfish leaders would not block this opportunity. they are that mean to block the door with out a progressive substitute in place. there is nothing wrong with migration. they jew community are know for their prowess in migration and establishing their community historically where ever they migrate to. nothing do Nigeria. “Awa lo kan”. Ema da wa duro. the Nigeria labour market is large. we will not be missed. it will rather take care of the senseless segregation of class(OND,HND AND BSC issue) used in screening process. let the world that appreciate dignity in labour have us. let the large corps go and re write their recruitment policy, they will realise how overwhelming the labour market his with number of graduates that are been turn out by our institutions yearly!
I cried for Nigeria my country, can someone tell me outcome of end sars , please if you have your way and you are lead to Japa, please do
While I’m not happy that we are losing our vibrant minds like we did during the slave trade era, I wish everyone “japaing” the very best of luck.
To Japa is export promotion. Why the complaint, when it will soon turn to foreign inflows in dollars an pounds. We are economic agents doing wonders for GDP growth. Ask India how it survived economic woes.