Tinubu says don't japa, stay and build Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu used his Democracy Day address on Friday to tell young Nigerians directly: "Nigeria is your home and your future. Build here, code here, work here, and vote here. Every great nation was built by those who stayed to solve problems, not by those who abandoned ship."

He said democracy must be felt in the pocket and pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, 10,000 tractors for agriculture over five years, and over 1,000 certified SMEs for export. He even said our generation must secure prosperity the way the June 12 generation secured democracy.

But here is what I keep asking myself — how do you tell someone earning 200k a month in Lagos that they should stay when the same person can make 2.5k pounds a week in London stacking shelves? The japa wave is not about lack of patriotism. It is about survival. Be honest — would you stay if you had the visa in your hand right now?