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JAPA: Does migrating pay off? episode artwork

Sep 25, 2026 22 min

JAPA: Does migrating pay off?

from Focus on Africa Hosted by BBC World Service

For millions of young Africans, leaving home in search of better opportunities has become an increasingly attractive option. A recent Afrobarometer survey across 38 African countries found that 55% of young people aged 18–35 have considered emigrating. Roughly 22% would prefer to remain somewhere in Africa, while 60% favour Europe or North America. Among those considering leaving, better work opportunities are the leading motivation, but is this merely about better work opportunities and what would make young Africans stay? Host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to Oluwaseyi Makinde, who moved from Nigeria to Canada as a teenager, only to return to Nigeria as an adult, and Omotoke Motunrayo Fatoki who made the move from Nigeria to Rwanda. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Ayuba Iliya, Carolyne Jotham and Keikantse Shumba Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producers: Priyanka Sippy, Blessing Aderogba and Charles Gitonga Editors: Daniel Dadzie, Maryam Abdalla

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This episode was published on September 25, 2026.

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