Hohe Arbeitslosigkeit und Unsicherheit treiben die Abwanderung der westafrikanischen Jugend voran

This research paper examines the drivers and consequences of youth emigration from West Africa, focusing on the 'japa' phenomenon in Nigeria. It identifies high unemployment, political exclusion, and insecurity as primary drivers of the exodus of people aged 15 to 35, which results in a significant brain drain in healthcare, technology, and education sectors.

• Youth emigration from West Africa is driven by structural failures, including high unemployment rates and the exclusion of young people from governance. In West Africa, individuals under 35 make up over 50% of the population but less than 20% of elected or appointed officials, while unemployment often exceeds 30%.
• The exodus of youth leads to a 'brain drain' that weakens public services and slows industrial growth, particularly affecting the technology, education, and healthcare sectors. This trend increases regional dependency on remittances over the development of local economies.
• Specific youth unemployment figures vary across the region: in 2023, the West Africa region's youth unemployment rate was nearly 13%, while Ghana's was 21%. In Nigeria, data from the Ministry of Budget and National Planning indicates that more than 53% of youths are unemployed.
• Insecurity and violent extremism, specifically from groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP, drive forced migration. In Nigeria, insurgent attacks have caused more than 350,000 deaths since 2009 and displaced over 2 million people, including 244,000 refugees in the Lake Chad Basin region.
• Migration patterns from West Africa to the Global North increased between 1990 and 2020, with the rate to Europe rising from 12% to 19% and the rate to North America rising from 3% to 10%.

APA

Ademola, A. A. (2025). Hohe Arbeitslosigkeit und Unsicherheit treiben die Abwanderung der westafrikanischen Jugend voran. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/de/exodus-steuern-jugend-mobilitaet-japa-phaenomen-en

Chicago

Ademola, Adedeji Aina. Hohe Arbeitslosigkeit und Unsicherheit treiben die Abwanderung der westafrikanischen Jugend voran. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/de/exodus-steuern-jugend-mobilitaet-japa-phaenomen-en.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ademola |first1=Adedeji Aina |title=Hohe Arbeitslosigkeit und Unsicherheit treiben die Abwanderung der westafrikanischen Jugend voran |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=5 December 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/de/exodus-steuern-jugend-mobilitaet-japa-phaenomen-en |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ademola2025hohe, author = {Ademola, Adedeji Aina}, title = {{Hohe Arbeitslosigkeit und Unsicherheit treiben die Abwanderung der westafrikanischen Jugend voran}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://afripoli.org/de/exodus-steuern-jugend-mobilitaet-japa-phaenomen-en}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }