The presiding Pastor of Livingspring Chapel International Pastor Femi Emmanuel, has warned Nigerians, who are nurturing the ambition of travelling abroad in search of greener pastures that such a move might be counterproductive.
The pastor Speaking on the japa phenomenon (the mass exodus of Nigerian youths to foreign countries for better job opportunities) in a now-viral video online, the pastor highlighted appropriate routes Nigeria can follow to relocate abroad.
He warned that anyone planning to relocate from the country solely to escape economic hardship is making a fundamental mistake that may have far-reaching consequences on even their generation.
Pastor Emmanuel, however, said people who relocate to further their education, acquire skills, or simply because God has revealed that their destiny is connected to foreign countries will have nothing to regret.
I’ve spoken so much about japa, I’m not going to talk about it again. But just to let you know, if anybody had japad or want to japa so that you can make it. So you can feed. So that you can stop suffering. So that you start making money. If that’s why you want to japa, you’ve made a fundamental mistake of your life, which you and your generation will regret forever. You generation that you took into slavery will regret it forever.
He added: “Now, if you japa, if you relocate for education, good. If you japa for training, good. If you japa to acquire skills so that you can do it better, good. If you japa for conferences, if you japa for trade, for business. If you japa because God said your purpose of living is there, it’s connected to Canada, to UK, to U.S., that’s the reason you’re travelling, good. But if you want to eat, or Nigeria is tough to make money, that’s why you want to relocate, it pains me for you because the grass isn’t greener on the other side.”
