In Nigeria, 'Japa' is based on Yoruba slang for leaving, while 'Japada' means those who have left, return. In part two of her series, Juliette Gash reports on the lives people built after returning home.
"I was probably the only black person in school at the time," recalls Adenike Adekunle of her time in primary school in Tipperary.
Adenike went to Ireland aged seven with her Mum and started off living in direct provision.
The 31-year-old says she doesn't have negative memories, and people were really kind to them.
The family sought, and were granted asylum in Ireland, but she admits that there were many reasons for leaving Nigeria.
Asked whether they were economic migrants, Adenike says she wasn't aware why they left Nigeria as a child, but she has come to appreciate that it was a complex situation; "be it abuse, family circumstances, some sort of traditional requirements, and really just wanting better for your child."
Adenike went on to study in what was then NUI Galway, and then in the UK, and is now back in Lagos, having run a successful restaurant in London along the way.
She now has funding for her start-up, a food business called Forti Foods, and is looking to scale up.
She credits her Irish education with giving her more opportunities, and confidence.
"In terms of how you articulate yourself, your opinion of the world, having an opinion of the world, having some sort of confidence in your own academic [ability]... has been something that's super useful."
The World Bank predicts the Nigerian economy will grow this year and next and yet swathes of the population live in poverty.
Millions emigrate annually and because it's expensive, it's often well-off, educated people who leave, causing brain drain.
CEO of Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Dr Chinyere Almona, says it is a problem, but she's keen to point out some of the opportunities presented by the 'Japa' phenomenon.
"Because we have a young population, they're actively seeking new opportunities, so we have a generation that wants to try new things."
She accepts that "if you have skilled professionals leaving, you need to replace them".
But she says with a population of 250 million people or so, they get by.
However, "it has been challenging, because in the short term... the right people aren't available, but in the long term, we continue with the grind."
Dr Almona would not like people to be prevented from emigrating, but would rather the government improve the conditions that cause people to leave Nigeria in the first place.
The businesswoman is keen to look at the opportunities: "The Japa phenomenon also gives us access to the world. So now we have Nigerians everywhere, and if you’re able to harness that benefit, it's huge."
She also points out that remittances are a huge part of Nigeria's economy, with around $19 billion sent back last year by emigrants.
And Dr Almona is hopeful that the growing economy will attract people back, a phenomenon known as 'Japada'. Japa is based on Yoruba slang for leaving, while Japada means those who have left, return.
'Don't just leave forever'
Jim Ovia is the founder of Zenith Bank, one of the largest in Nigeria, and he is consistently ranked among the richest men in Africa.
"Definitely when I finished my education, it was Japada," he tells RTÉ News.
Mr Ovia took undergraduate studies in Louisiana, going on to graduate from the Harvard Business School.
"The first year, second year I got back to Nigeria, I thought, 'my God, there's so many opportunities here'. I thought 'I’m going to contact my friends and say it's good for them to start coming [back] to Nigeria because we're experiencing so much opportunity here'."
The billionaire says lots of people are returning now, and he is encouraging others to come back.
"If there are young Nigerians, some of them in Ireland, we would always encourage them to come back home and improve the country."
Adenike Adekunle says a lot of her friends abroad are thinking about returning home too.
"There's not so much people can do that can have substantial impact abroad," she says.
"But here, little things can have such significant impact so a lot of people do want to come back... because they also see that the glass ceiling is lower [abroad]."
"A lot of people are coming back, and I hope that the people that have left, go there, get the security that they need, and start to think [about] how they can bring back value home.
"Don't just leave forever. Come back, bring value back, and I think that’s how the country will really start to develop."
Read: 'Japa' - Cultural phenomenon sees millions leave Nigeria each year
Juliette Gash travelled to Nigeria with the assistance of the Simon Cumbers Media Fund.
