Winner of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCCI) 2024 Secondary Schools Essay Competition, Miss Ojogun Elizabeth-Ore of Itolo Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos, has urged the Federal Government to tackle youth migration by building a functional system, where youths can achieve their dreams and compete favourably with their counterparts abroad.
Speaking at the prize-giving ceremony, which held last week at the LCCI house in Lagos, she noted that the Japa syndrome is a serious issue the government should tackle to save the nation from losing its best brains to foreign countries.
According to the organisers, this year’s contest had as theme: “Socio-economic Impact of Mass Emigration (Japa) on the Nigerian Economy”, to educate the youths on the positive and negative impact of the syndrome for them to always put the nation first in their decision. About 20 top schools in Lagos took part in the essay contest.
The winners got cash prizes from First Bank, Sterling Bank and Codros Capital. Ojogun, in first position, received a cash prize of N600,000; David Iringa-Koko of Meadow Hall School, Lekki, who came second, got N470,000; and Fawaz Lawal of Honeyland College, Magodo, received N300,000 for his third place finish.
President/Chairman of the LCCI, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, represented by the Director-General of the organisation, Dr. Chinyere Amuna, stated that the competition gives the youths the insights to understand challenges of the country by empowering them with national identity, responsibility and a deep understanding of the world around them.
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Idahosa noted that the Japa syndrome has created a distinct socio-economic impact in recent years with statistics revealing that between 2020-2023 alone, the country experienced a staggering increase in emigration, particularly among the younger professionals and recent graduates.
Idahosa called for investment in job creation, fair compensation and skill development to reduce the impact of emigration in the country.
The LCCI boss emphasised that investing in research, technology and higher education could create an environment that attracts and retains talents as universities, innovation hubs, and technology incubators can be empowered through partnerships with the private sector and international institutions to foster a knowledge economy that encourages young talents to thrive in the country.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, represented by the Director of Strategy in the state, Mr. Kayode Oyekanmi, congratulated the winners for their brilliance performance and urged them to remain focused on their academic pursuits for brighter future.
He acknowledged that despite numerous challenges of the country, the nation is on the trajectory of growth to give the younger generation a platform to thrive in their endeavours.
Omotoso praised the LCCI for its vision in establishing the annual essay competition to foster academic excellence among youths, urging the organisation to sustain the idea.