Rich Opportunities in Developed Countries and Nigerians’ Avidity to Live Abroad as Analogous to Jewish Captivity, Socio-Economic Benefits and Exiles’ Decision to Stay in Babylon

Abstract

The current desperation of Nigerians, seekingfor citizenship orresidency abroad calls for sober reflection. This new phenomenonhas beencode named ‘Japa’, a locally coined word which literallymeans to escape. ‘Japa’and ‘Welcome to New Dispensation’ syndromehave been the anthems of many Nigerians as they look to leave thecountry. According to a Pew Research Centre study conducted in2018, Nigerians top the chat of people who plan to move to anothercountry within the last 5 years with 48%, among the 12 countries sampled for the survey (Opeoluwa,2022). Thus, in the recent time,a large percentage of trained graduates, talented, creative and highlyqualified intellectuals and professionals is leaving the country forrich opportunities, political stability, freedom, a developed economicand better living conditions found in developed countries (Chijioke,2022).This analogous situation exited among the Babylonian Jews.In 586 B.C., the Babylonians, under the leadership ofNebuchadnezzar,captured Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and takencaptive the Jewish people to Babylon(David, 2013).