Reverse Japa: The Bold Return of Nigerians Abroad

By Chisom Umejiaku

A growing wave of Nigerians are packing up their lives overseas, not in defeat, but to build a future back home.

For years, the word “japa” has been shorthand for escape, the urgent flight of Nigerians seeking greener pastures abroad. But quietly, another migration wave exists: the return of Nigerians who have lived overseas and are choosing to come home. Far from being tales of failure, these “reverse japa” stories are about purpose, identity, and a deliberate decision to build in Nigeria rather than simply survive abroad. From pastors to film stars, they are proving that coming back can be a bold move, not a last resort.

‘Sometimes, coming home is the real dream.’

Pastor Dapo Awosika’s story captures this shift. In 1995, fresh from earning his MBA, he relocated to London, joining the stream of young professionals seeking opportunity abroad. Within two years, he was back in Nigeria. The reason? Life in the United Kingdom wasn’t the dream he had imagined. He worked jobs he says his mother “should not even hear about” and felt the weight of a culture and lifestyle that didn’t fit him.

What makes Awosika’s return remarkable is that he doesn’t frame it as a failure. Instead, it was a decision rooted in self-awareness, purpose, and faith. He points to biblical migration stories, noting that even Jesus moved across regions and sometimes, returning is part of the journey.

Celebrity Returns
This same mindset is evident among a growing number of Nigerian creatives. British-born actress Beverly Naya relocated to Nigeria deliberately, drawn by Nollywood’s rapid expansion and creative energy. She has described her move not as a fallback, but as an intentional step into an industry where she could shape her own path.

Similarly, U.K raised actress and TV personality Zainab Balogun left behind international opportunities, including a role in The Dark Knight Rises, to return and tell authentic Nigerian stories. Both women saw home not as a limitation, but as a launchpad.

‘It’s not about what you left behind, it’s about what you came back to build.’

In Nigeria, “reverse japa” still carries a stigma. The unspoken assumption is that anyone who comes back “couldn’t make it.” Yet, that view ignores the reality that some returnees bring back professional skills, global networks, and a renewed sense of belonging. For them, the decision to return is strategic and a calculated move to apply their experiences in a market they understand better than any foreign land.

Awosika’s and others’ honesty also challenges the glossy social media image of life abroad. The photos of new cars, tidy apartments, and winter fashion rarely show the loneliness, cultural displacement, or the pressure to work jobs far below one’s qualifications.

The reality, as many quiet returnees will admit, can be far more complex.

Pastor Dapo Awosika’s journey from London back to Lagos mirrors those of Beverly Naya and Zainab Balogun, all of whom returned by choice, not compulsion. Their stories challenge the stigma attached to returning migrants, offering a different truth: that reverse japa can be strategic, empowering, and deeply rewarding.

As more Nigerians abroad reconsider where “home” truly is, this quiet current of returnees may one day be the tide that reshapes the migration conversation entirely.

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