The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a motion to address the migration of Nigerians to other countries in search of a better life.

A member, Victor Agbese prayed to the House to urge the Federal Government to declare the “Japa” (migration) syndrome a national emergency and convene a national summit to address the matter but it was voted against by a majority of the lawmakers.

With Nigeria’s unemployment rate at a new record high of 33.3 percent, the mass exodus known as the ‘Japa’ phenomenon has been in full swing for a while.

Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States are some of the top destinations for Nigerian youths relocating in pursuit of better education, employment, and security purposes, among other reasons.