Is Japa Still Worth It?

Season Five is here! And we’re kicking things off with a question we’ve been thinking about a lot: when the dream shifts, do you stay, return, or fight for the option to choose?

In this season premiere, Abimisola and Malik reflect on how Japa Diaries has evolved over the years. We've gone from documenting the African diaspora to building a real community through events, screenings, conversations, and shared experiences.

We also get personal, unpacking our own Japa journeys and the changing meaning of migration. Because these days, leaving doesn’t always mean leaving forever. For some, it’s about building a life abroad while keeping the option to go home. For others, it’s about returning, reconnecting, or simply knowing you could if you wanted to.

We talk about the new Japa spectrum, what “touching soil” can feel like after years away, the identities we pick up when we move West, and what happens when the plans we grew up with no longer make sense.

Abimisola also shares what her long-awaited return to Lagos was really like, from seeing old friends to discovering the magic of Lagos happy hour and, yes, getting recognized from the podcast in the wild 😂. Malik reflects on why Lagos still has a hold on him, even from afar.

Then we get into the less romantic side of Japa: stricter immigration rules, rising sponsorship costs, visa restrictions, lottery changes, and the reality of trying to build a future when the rules can change overnight.

It’s a funny, honest, and very real conversation about migration, home, belonging, and what it means to build a life with more than one possible ending.

And this season, we’re taking Japa Diaries even further into the community with events, screenings, street conversations, and a new series asking one very simple question: What is your Japa story?

Welcome back, sunshines 💚