Beyond Japa: A bigger, uglier picture
The japa wave involves individuals who have endured Nigeria’s failing systems—strikes, unemployment, stagnation—and still managed to build careers. But what of the youth who never get that far? Many don’t even try.
In cities like Benin, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Warri, Lagos (Lekki, Festac, Surulere), Abuja (Gwarinpa, Wuse 2), and Port Harcourt, subcultures have formed where fraud and sex work are glamorised, not hidden. In some areas, Yahoo and hookup culture are not outliers—they are norms.
The japa wave involves individuals who have endured Nigeria’s failing systems—strikes, unemployment, stagnation—and still managed to build careers. But what of the youth who never get that far? Many don’t even try.
In cities like Benin, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Warri, Lagos (Lekki, Festac, Surulere), Abuja (Gwarinpa, Wuse 2), and Port Harcourt, subcultures have formed where fraud and sex work are glamorised, not hidden. In some areas, Yahoo and hookup culture are not outliers—they are norms.
‘Yahoo and Hookup’: The youth’s new economy?
Scroll through Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll see youth flaunting designer wear, Dubai trips, and hotel stays paid for by sugar daddies or online scams. These are no longer fringe activities. They are disturbingly mainstream among segments of Gen Z.
What began as covert fraud or discreet sex work is now a structured economy. Yahoo boys operate in “offices”, run training programmes, and use spiritual fortification. Hookup culture features pricing menus, agents, and hotel affiliations.
This is where talent dies before it matures.
Scroll through Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll see youth flaunting designer wear, Dubai trips, and hotel stays paid for by sugar daddies or online scams. These are no longer fringe activities. They are disturbingly mainstream among segments of Gen Z.
What began as covert fraud or discreet sex work is now a structured economy. Yahoo boys operate in “offices”, run training programmes, and use spiritual fortification. Hookup culture features pricing menus, agents, and hotel affiliations.
This is where talent dies before it matures.
Impact on employers and the labour market
From tech startups to farms, employers lament the growing challenge of hiring trainable, motivated young Nigerians. The reasons are stark:
From tech startups to farms, employers lament the growing challenge of hiring trainable, motivated young Nigerians. The reasons are stark:
Eroding work ethic: Many youths dismiss ₦100,000 jobs as pointless when a single “client” or hookup can bring triple that in one night.
Disinterest in skills training: Technical schools and internships struggle for attendance. The long-term payoff of skill-building pales against the instant rewards of fraud and sex work.
No career vision: Even when hired, many young employees lack commitment. Some resign mid-project for better “offers”—not from firms, but from sponsors or hookups.
This creates a talent bottleneck. Investors decry the difficulty of building reliable teams. Multinationals now import staff from other African countries. Even Nigerian SMEs recruit remotely from Ghana and Kenya.
Disinterest in skills training: Technical schools and internships struggle for attendance. The long-term payoff of skill-building pales against the instant rewards of fraud and sex work.
No career vision: Even when hired, many young employees lack commitment. Some resign mid-project for better “offers”—not from firms, but from sponsors or hookups.
This creates a talent bottleneck. Investors decry the difficulty of building reliable teams. Multinationals now import staff from other African countries. Even Nigerian SMEs recruit remotely from Ghana and Kenya.
The societal irony: “Leaders of Tomorrow”?
We chant, “The youth are the leaders of tomorrow.” But which youth?Those who list cyber fraud as a skill?
Those who livestream hookup routines on Snapchat?
Those who say a CV is irrelevant if you have a plug?
If we stay this course, we risk raising a generation with smartphones and data but without skills, ethics, or purpose.
We chant, “The youth are the leaders of tomorrow.” But which youth?Those who list cyber fraud as a skill?
Those who livestream hookup routines on Snapchat?
Those who say a CV is irrelevant if you have a plug?
If we stay this course, we risk raising a generation with smartphones and data but without skills, ethics, or purpose.
The collapse of value systems
What makes this more dangerous than japa is its corrosive effect on values. We are witnessing a collapse of moral and professional aspirations. When fraudsters and hookup influencers are wealthier and more admired than teachers, engineers, or entrepreneurs, young minds are no longer drawn to excellence—they are seduced by excess.
Even universities are affected. Campuses now serve as recruitment grounds for Yahoo rings and hookup networks. Students are lured not by dropout risks but by fast cash.
What makes this more dangerous than japa is its corrosive effect on values. We are witnessing a collapse of moral and professional aspirations. When fraudsters and hookup influencers are wealthier and more admired than teachers, engineers, or entrepreneurs, young minds are no longer drawn to excellence—they are seduced by excess.
Even universities are affected. Campuses now serve as recruitment grounds for Yahoo rings and hookup networks. Students are lured not by dropout risks but by fast cash.
The data we don’t talk about
Though hard to quantify, anecdotal evidence paints a grim picture:A 2022 NOIPolls survey found 62 percent of Nigerians aged 18–30 knew someone involved in cybercrime or transactional sex.
In Lagos, hotel managers report that over 40 percent of daily mid-tier bookings are hookup-related.
EFCC data shows internet fraud arrests rose over 200 percent between 2015 and 2023, yet conviction rates remain low, emboldening offenders.
Though hard to quantify, anecdotal evidence paints a grim picture:A 2022 NOIPolls survey found 62 percent of Nigerians aged 18–30 knew someone involved in cybercrime or transactional sex.
In Lagos, hotel managers report that over 40 percent of daily mid-tier bookings are hookup-related.
EFCC data shows internet fraud arrests rose over 200 percent between 2015 and 2023, yet conviction rates remain low, emboldening offenders.
A national reset is urgent
This crisis is not just a youth problem—it’s systemic. Solutions must include:
This crisis is not just a youth problem—it’s systemic. Solutions must include:
Economic incentives for honest work: Government and the private sector must make entrepreneurship, tech, and vocational work attractive with grants, visibility, and meaningful returns.
Education reform: Beyond curriculum changes, career guidance and mentorship must be embedded at secondary and tertiary levels.
Strengthen the rule of law: Fraud thrives on impunity. Agencies must improve conviction rates, not just conduct high-profile arrests.
Media responsibility: Influencers and media outlets must stop glorifying crime and hookup culture.
Community engagement: Churches, mosques, and local leaders must engage youth, not with judgment, but with purposeful alternatives.
Education reform: Beyond curriculum changes, career guidance and mentorship must be embedded at secondary and tertiary levels.
Strengthen the rule of law: Fraud thrives on impunity. Agencies must improve conviction rates, not just conduct high-profile arrests.
Media responsibility: Influencers and media outlets must stop glorifying crime and hookup culture.
Community engagement: Churches, mosques, and local leaders must engage youth, not with judgment, but with purposeful alternatives.
Conclusion: A nation at war with its potential
Nigeria is not only losing talent to Heathrow, Toronto, or Berlin. It is also losing them to hotel rooms, VPN scams, and the worship of vice. If we fixate only on emigration and ignore the rot within, we risk hollowing out the nation entirely.
This is not just a labour market issue. It is a moral emergency. The fight for Nigeria’s future must begin with reclaiming the minds of its youth.
Nigeria is not only losing talent to Heathrow, Toronto, or Berlin. It is also losing them to hotel rooms, VPN scams, and the worship of vice. If we fixate only on emigration and ignore the rot within, we risk hollowing out the nation entirely.
This is not just a labour market issue. It is a moral emergency. The fight for Nigeria’s future must begin with reclaiming the minds of its youth.
