Japa: 35 years old Adeleke, a PhD holder, Discusses His Reason for Going Back to Nigeria While Others Are Leaving

 

Adedoyin Adeleke, a young Nigerian from Osun State, has explained why he decided to remain home during a period when many other young, gifted, and capable Nigerians were fleeing the nation in large numbers.

LEADERSHIP reported that competent Nigerians were emigrating to Europe and other affluent nations in quest of better opportunities, a phenomenon that is now widely referred to as the "Japa Syndrome."
Adeleke, a PhD candidate specializing in Energy for Sustainable Development who worked in Italy before to returning home, stated that Nigeria needed to be transformed into a more fertile land for future generations.


Date of birth: July 7, 1989 Dr. Adeleke was born and raised in Osogbo, which is now part of Osun State. He completed his elementary and secondary education there before going on to earn scholarships for his doctoral studies in Italy from the Italian government. He then attended the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife and the University of Ibadan (UI), respectively, for his bachelor's and master's degrees.

Adeleke claimed that he moved to Nigeria against the advise of friends and family in order to promote green development and progress throughout Africa.

He said Nigerians needed to transform their nation into a more fertile land, akin to Europe and America.

While Europe is undoubtedly a "greener pasture" than where I was, some individuals have made Europe sufficiently "green" to catch our attention. But why can't we make more money for Will Nigeria become sufficiently "green" to attract foreign nationals to come and settle there? I chose to answer this call," Adeleke said.

Adeleke has significantly aided in the development of 22 African nations from Europe over the years. He said, "If I could do this side by side while I was in Europe studying, I can do more if I return," as he considered his option to go back home. I frequently remark, "I choose to act because Africa is too rich to be poor."

Adeleke was adamant about returning to Nigeria even though relatives and friends advised him to stay in Europe. "In November 2023, I went back to Nigeria covertly." Ever since, I made sure that nobody connected Except for one of my aunts, everyone in my family knew about it. My mother didn't find out until April 2024, five months after I moved here.

Adeleke's passionate conviction in the possibilities of Nigeria and the African continent as a whole propelled her back. "The people must sacrifice, be determined, and have hope if Nigeria is to be great. Government and industry stakeholders must also step up their game," he said.

He acknowledged that his decision was greatly influenced by his faith. "My greatest decision-maker is God; without His guidance, I definitely would not have gone back to Nigeria. I think that God has the final say over human matters.

Adeleke is dedicated to "green growth," as he put it demonstrated by his non-profit organization, which he formed in 2017 and is called the Green Growth Africa Sustainability Network (Green Growth Africa), formerly the International Support Network for African Development (ISNAD-Africa).


Through its Mentoring for Research Program, the organization, on the one hand, assists Master's and Doctoral research students in African universities. Adeleke stated, "As of right now, 175 Master's and PhD students (mentees) in 55 universities across 22 African countries have received help from a community of 160 mentors from 44 countries.



Aside from the Mentoring for Research Program, Green Growth Africa has created a number of additional programs, such as EcoKnowledge Derivatives, Africa4Nature Health Initiative, and EcoHeroes Initiative.

The group just unveiled the Green Growth DigiHub, a digital platform that distills the policy and worldwide ramifications of local green growth-oriented projects.



"Vertical Development" With sections for news, communications, professional networking, social networking, and professional networking, DigiHub is a one-stop shop for green growth. In the upcoming days, Adeleke stated, "We will be launching a digital application called Green Growth Watch as well as a media and broadcasting station in Abuja that is devoted to green growth."



Adeleke's group has also finished construction on a state-of-the-art green building that is completely powered by solar energy and doesn't link to the national grid. It is constructed entirely of used plastic bottles.

"At Green Growth Africa, we work to build solutions, policy designs, and innovations that meet Africa's development needs while reducing the carbon intensity of development processes on the continent. We also hope to contribute to sector decarbonization and nature-based solutions to catalyze green and blue transition in Africa."  Adeleke explained.