“It’s A Big Loss For Us” – AfDB’s Akinwumi Adesina Speaks On JAPA Syndrome

Nigeria and other African countries received a warning as Akinwumi Adesina spoke on Japa syndrome among the youths.

The President, African Development Bank (AfDB), described the Japa syndrome as “a big loss” for Nigeria and other African countries. He explained that the continent is losing its best talents due to the situation.

Adesina also emphasised that what Africa’s youth need is not token handouts disguised as empowerment schemes. He claimed that youths need access to real capital that can enable them to build sustainable businesses and wealth.

The former Minister made this known while speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, April 10, 2025. He called for a shift in how governments across Africa, including Nigeria, approach youth development.

Also, he pointed out that the continent is sitting on a goldmine of human potential, with over 465 million people between the ages of 15 and 35. However, this demographic asset is being underutilized due to poor investment in human capital and lack of access to finance.

Adesina, who previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, made a passionate case for changing the narrative around youth empowerment.

In his words: “Young people don’t need freebies.” Added that “they don’t need people saying: ‘I just want to give you an empowerment programme’”.

“They have skills, they have knowledge, they have entrepreneurship capacity, they want to turn their ideas into great businesses.

“What young people need is not those empowerment programmes; they need capital, they need you to put your money at risk on their behalf,” he stated.

Adesina criticized the growing trend of offering youths small cash handouts in the name of empowerment. He stated that such approaches do not translate into long-term solutions.

Instead, he advocated for mechanisms that allow young people to access credit, scale their ideas, and contribute meaningfully to the continent’s economic growth.

Speaking further, he said the potential of young Africans is immense, but there is lack of belief in them. According to him, the unwillingness to invest in these potentials is creating a terrible situation for the continent. It is making the best minds to migrate abroad in search of better opportunities—popularly known in Nigeria as “Japa.”

“In the case of young people and the japa syndrome, it’s a big loss for us,” Adesina said,

He stressed that the future of African youth should not be outsourced to foreign countries.

“I do not believe that the future of our young people lies in Europe. it doesn’t lie in America, it doesn’t lie in Canada, Japan or China. It should lie in Africa growing well, growing robustly and able to create quality jobs for our young people,” he asserted.