Japa: Nigerians are realising US, UK not filled with gold – Femi Rogers

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Rogers

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Houston-based real estate developer Femi Rogers has said that Nigerians are beginning to realise that the roads of Western countries are not filled with gold.

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Mr Rogers stated this while speaking on the migration wave locally dubbed Japa during a recent appearance on Frankly Business Podcast.

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“There is a lot of misconception by a lot of Nigerians about the Western world. They think the roads are filled with gold, things are easy, and that’s wrong. I think a lot of people are realising that now,” he said.

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Rogers said many Nigerians in the diaspora misuse credit and end up being imprisoned by debt.

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He noted that Nigerian authorities must make the country business-friendly to attract investments from countrymen in the diaspora.

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“Diasporans have money. We’ve not tapped in. The reason why they are not investing is because they don’t trust. There’s no clarity in the way you do business; everything is shrouded in secrecy,” he said.

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“As of 2025, diasporans remitted almost $23 billion; that’s a lot of money. Foreign direct investment was only about $900 million. So you can see the difference.”

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“If I were developing in Nigeria, I would be looking for N1 billion cash to build one house. In the US, that my N1 billion cash will build five houses,” he added.

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Rogers revealed that when he moved to the United States, he began as an Uber driver despite having over 100 staff working for him in his various businesses in Nigeria.

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