The Lead Pastor of Zoe Household Global, Dolapo Lawal, has issued a strong cautionary message to Nigerians seeking to relocate abroad, describing the act of selling personal assets to fund foreign menial jobs as covetousness and “foolish thinking.”

Speaking to his congregation during a Sunday service, the cleric condemned the unbridled obsession with the “Japa” syndrome—the popular term for mass emigration from the country. He argued that many life-altering decisions are driven by unrealistic expectations, material desires, and unhealthy comparisons rather than informed judgment.

The pastor criticized the trend of individuals abandoning stable lives and valuable properties at home to pursue jobs as care workers overseas, attributing this behavior to the influence of curated, often misleading images of success on social media.

“It is covetousness that will make somebody sell their property in Nigeria and go to do a care job in America. Foolish thinking!” the clergyman stated during his sermon.

Lawal challenged the widespread belief that relocation automatically guarantees financial prosperity, pointing out the harsh reality that many Nigerians find themselves stranded abroad. He noted that out of a sense of pride and shame, some are unable to return home and instead subject themselves to immense financial strain, saving for months just to finance short visits to Nigeria to keep up appearances.

“Because you are seeing people in the UK taking pictures, you think they are okay? Now you go there, you are stranded there, and you cannot come back because of shame. Meanwhile, you are coveting that life. They will save money for 10 months to come and spend here,” Lawal added.

The cleric warned against allowing envy to dictate life-changing choices and urged Nigerians to re-evaluate their motivations for seeking greener pastures, cautioning that true financial stability is not guaranteed by simply moving abroad.