Renowned Nigerian poet and scholar, Professor Niyi Osundare, has called for urgent efforts to make Nigeria a more habitable country, saying poor living conditions are contributing to the mass departure of Nigerians in search of better opportunities abroad.
Osundare made the call during a conversation with Gbénró Adégbolá at the presentation of his new book, Truth Is Trouble, in Ibadan.
The book, published by Bookcraft Africa, is a major collection of Osundare’s essays, speeches, tributes, farewells and interviews, dealing with literature, politics, culture, identity and the responsibilities of truth-telling.
Osundare said the phenomenon popularly known as “Japa” should not simply be viewed as Nigerians’ desire to live abroad.
According to him, the more important question is why Nigerians feel compelled to leave their country in the first place.
He said he had travelled to virtually all the continents of the world but continued to return to Nigeria several times a year.
He described his continued connection with Nigeria as partly patriotic but also connected to survival and belonging, stressing, “This is our country.”
Osundare argued that Nigeria’s cultural and intellectual environment remained important to its citizens, even those living abroad.
However, he expressed concern that the country was losing talented young people who could have contributed to its development.
He said he was not condemning Nigerians who leave, acknowledging that people have different reasons for seeking opportunities elsewhere.
Instead, he blamed the conditions in Nigeria that make leaving appear inevitable, saying, “I am condemning African countries, including my country, Nigeria, that have made it inevitable for them to go.”
The professor recalled an occasion when he was unable to work for five days because there was no electricity where he lived, explaining, “For five days, there was no electricity where I live. So, I couldn’t work.”
He argued that such conditions could undermine productivity and make it difficult for professionals, academics, writers, entrepreneurs and other skilled Nigerians to remain productive at home.
Osundare said Nigeria needed to deliberately create conditions that would enable citizens to live with dignity and contribute to national development, arguing, “Let us make Nigeria habitable.”
He maintained that development did not happen by accident and that underdevelopment was also the result of deliberate choices and policies.
“Progress is not an accident. Underdevelopment is not an accident,” he said.
Osundare’s remarks formed part of a broader discussion on memory, history, culture, slavery, corruption and the responsibilities of citizens and leaders in shaping Nigeria’s future.
