This “Japa Queen” is flipping the script on migration

For all their hefty tuition fees, Nigerian  private university are generally looked upon with great expectations. Parents envisage their children stepping into prestigious careers—law, medicine, engineering—or securing high-ranking government positions.

This sentiment resonates across much of society, which see private-university graduates as poised for a life of success and stability.

Against this backdrop, Divine Mmachukwu Chukwuemeka’s decision to take an unconventional path raised more than a few eyebrows.

Raised in a strict Christian household, she didn’t have access to a smartphone. To engage herself, she would develop a deep love for reading. While her peers spent hours scrolling through social media, she  buried herself in books, honing her command of English and broadening her perspectives. She would later credit this practice for building her research abilities and passion for academia. 

Growing up with such independence of thought also meant that she struggled to embrace external perspectives. That changed when she began to listen to Nigerian evangelists such as William Kumuyi and Femi Lazarus, whose teachings opened her mind to different viewpoints. For Divine, this was yet another skill that would prove pivotal in her work in migration research. 

When she secured admission to Anchor University in 2020, she imagined a future in colonial or economic history. Her final-year project proposal reflected that interest. She wanted to explore Nigeria’s colonial relationship with Britain, Nigeria-Germany diplomatic ties, or economic history. She didn’t even give a thought to migration studies.

At first, it was about getting an A, ensuring that her project did not reduce her cumulative grade point average. But as she dug deeper into research, conducting interviews, visiting embassies, and engaging with Nigerians in the diaspora, she began to discovered the harsh realities of migration— the struggles that Nigerians faced overseas,  the misconceptions hidden behind the glamorized social media posts of those who had ‘made it’ abroad.

Then came the divine nudge literally.

One night, while praying, Divine felt an overwhelming conviction to share her insights on LinkedIn. The idea seemed absurd. Who was she to speak on migration? She had no formal credentials, and the internet was full of seasoned professionals.

Still, the urge was insistent. She posted

Not certain of how to marshal her thoughts,  Divine turned to ChatGPT for help to generate content on migration. She tweaked the AI-generated response to sound more natural and then posted it—half-expecting the post to be ignored. 

Instead, it exploded. 

The engagement far surpassed anything she had ever posted, even outperforming her previous travel content. Professionals, academics and everyday Nigerians engaged with her insights. What began as an act of reluctant obedience became a defining moment, launching her into the migration space.

Divine’s influence grew as she continued sharing migration insights. Her posts broke down complex concepts in a fashion that resonated with young professionals, the demographic most inclined to seek opportunities abroad. Before long, she earned the moniker “Japa Queen.”

But not everyone was impressed. Critics dismissed her for ‘wasting’ her expensive  university education on migration research.

Some accused her of discouraging Nigerians from seeking better opportunities abroad. Others, including lecturers and students, rebuked her for pointing out disparities in educational standards that left some Nigerian students struggling overseas.

Her stance on illegal migration brought even more backlash. When she argued that every country has the right to regulate its borders, social media erupted in anger. People questioned her credibility, mocked her and questioned her right to speak on migration without formal training.

“I know that if people are throwing stones at a tree, it means there’s maybe a mango or something that they want to pluck from that tree. People don’t throw stones at a tree without fruits, right? When you see people throwing stones, that means they’ve seen a fruit that they want to pluck. So I feel like, for these people to be talking to me, what I’m saying is thought-provoking. So I sometimes try to help myself feel great. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but I mean, it’s God who sent me.”

According to UNESCO, Nigerian youth constitute one of the largest migrant populations from the Global South to Europe. From economic instability to desire for a better standard of living, the reasons are varied, with young Nigerians facing significant challenges abroad, including labour exploitation and cultural adaptation struggles.

Divine’s research bridges the knowledge gap, ensuring that those who decide to migrate do so with informed perspectives.

She credits her success to key figures who believed in her: Dr. Saibu Israel, her supervisor, who steered her toward migration research; her parents, who provided financial and emotional support; and Dr. Mustapha Abiodun, who gave her a platform to speak at TEDx, further validating her work.

At just 21, Divine Chukwuemeka is not only a migration researcher but also the founder of EmigrateEase, a consultancy firm dedicated to guiding aspiring migrants towards informed, legal and strategic relocation.

Looking ahead, she envisions EmigrateEase expanding into a global consultancy, collaborating with international organizations, airlines and policymakers to streamline migration processes.

“If you ask me now, I don’t think there’s anything I can do aside from migration. Like it is me and I’m it. I cannot have a conversation without migration. I’m 101% sure that I’m doing the right thing. And I’m open to the challenges that would come. I’m ready, so when it comes, it might hit me, but I’ll be fine.”