Popular Nigerian actress and media personality Omotunde Adebowale David, widely known as Lolo1, has sparked conversation with her candid assessment of why Nigerians increasingly choose difficult lives abroad over remaining in their home country. During a revealing interview with News Central, the outspoken entertainer painted a stark picture of Nigeria’s deteriorating living conditions that continue to drive its citizens overseas despite facing potential hardships abroad.
Speaking with evident emotion, Lolo1 expressed profound sadness about the current state of affairs that has normalized mass emigration from Africa’s most populous nation. I feel bad for Nigerians. I feel bad because, are the facts not glaring? I don’t know much about data, but the data is literally in your face. It shows that we are making the lives of foreign countries easier,” she remarked during the interview.
The actress, who gained popularity through her roles in Nollywood films and as a radio personality, highlighted a painful paradox: many Nigerians willingly accept challenging living conditions abroad that they would consider intolerable at home. According to Lolo1, this choice isn’t driven by illusions of instant prosperity overseas but rather by access to basic infrastructure and services that remain unreliable or absent in Nigeria.
This is because our own leadership has made the country so bad that people would rather suffer there and pay high school fees than stay here and have relative ease,” she explained, touching on the fundamental issues driving Nigeria’s ongoing “japa” phenomenon—a colloquial term describing the mass exodus of young professionals seeking opportunities abroad.
What makes her observation particularly poignant is how it reframes the common narrative around Nigerian emigration. Rather than portraying those leaving as simply chasing foreign currencies or glamorous lifestyles, Lolo1 characterized their decisions as practical responses to systemic failures at home.
There are some people abroad whose living conditions are so terrible and degrading, yet they would rather stay there managing because, at least, they are managing where there is constant electricity,” she noted, highlighting how even the most basic amenities that citizens of developed nations take for granted represent luxuries for many Nigerians.
Her comments reflect broader socioeconomic trends that have intensified in recent years. Nigeria’s persistent electricity challenges, with frequent power outages lasting days or weeks, have severely hampered business development and everyday life. Transportation infrastructure remains inadequate across much of the country, with congested roads, limited public transit options, and high fuel costs creating daily challenges for commuters.
“They are managing, but the roads are functional. They are managing, but at least they can still find transportation. But look at us here—if you enter a bus, people see you and attribute your life to poverty, and that’s not true. I don’t want to drive every day, but look at what is happening in the country. Even feeding is expensive here,” Lolo lamented.
Her critique extends beyond infrastructure to touch on deeper social issues. Her observation about public transportation stigma reveals how economic necessity has become conflated with personal failure in Nigeria’s increasingly status-conscious urban centers. The actress challenged this perception, pointing out that in functional societies, public transportation represents convenience rather than evidence of poverty.
Economic indicators support Lolo1’s assessment. Nigeria’s inflation rate has remained stubbornly high, reaching approximately 30% in early 2025, with food inflation significantly higher. The naira has experienced dramatic devaluation against major currencies, reducing purchasing power and making imported goods increasingly unaffordable for average citizens. Meanwhile, unemployment rates continue hovering around 33%, with youth unemployment even higher.
These economic pressures coincide with security challenges across multiple regions, unreliable healthcare systems, and educational institutions plagued by frequent strikes and underfunding. Together, these factors create powerful push factors driving emigration, particularly among young, educated Nigerians with marketable skills—precisely the demographic the country needs for development.
The “japa syndrome,” as it’s sometimes called, represents a significant brain drain that further complicates Nigeria’s development prospects. Medical professionals, engineers, technology specialists, and academics departing in large numbers leave critical gaps in essential services and knowledge economy sectors. Conservative estimates suggest over two million Nigerians have emigrated since 2015, with the pace accelerating annually.
What makes Lolo1’s comments particularly resonant is her position as a successful public figure who has chosen to remain in Nigeria despite presumably having resources to relocate. Her critique comes not from external observers but from someone experiencing the country’s challenges firsthand while maintaining a platform to address them.
Development experts note that the issues Lolo1 highlights reflect governance failures rather than resource limitations. Nigeria remains Africa’s largest economy with substantial natural resources, human capital, and economic potential. The persistence of basic infrastructure failures despite this potential underscores her point about leadership accountability.
Her observations also challenge simplistic narratives about migration that focus solely on economic opportunity rather than quality of life and basic dignity. For many departing Nigerians, the decision represents not just a financial calculation but a fundamental reassessment of where they can access the basic conditions for human flourishing.
As the interview circulates on social media platforms, many Nigerians have expressed agreement with Lolo1’s assessment, sharing personal stories that mirror her observations. The conversation highlights how emigration has evolved from an exceptional opportunity for the privileged few to an aspiration for millions seeking reliable infrastructure and functional systems.
While government officials frequently discuss initiatives to stem the outflow of talent and create better conditions at home, Lolo1’s interview serves as a reminder that such efforts must address fundamental quality-of-life issues rather than focusing exclusively on economic metrics. Until Nigerians can access reliable electricity, functional transportation, affordable food, and other basics that citizens of developed nations take for granted, the exodus she laments seems likely to continue.
