Why every Nigerian should see Movement Japa

Occasionally, we get a show that understands the times. Africa Magic’s Movement Japa is one such show. Set in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, Movement Japa explores the new Nigerian dream: leaving Nigeria, or as famous artiste Naira Marley christened it, japa.

There has been a mass exodus of young Nigerians recently due to increasing economic hardship and decreasing value of life; Movement Japa explores this, focusing on the nation’s working class and how they go about japa-ing.

However, migration is not so evident in the first episode of the show, the plight of a young man, Shina (Gideon Okeke), is. He doesn’t earn enough to feed himself but must fend for his younger sister and their sick mother. In the opening scene, she calls for him: “Oluwashina, where are my drugs?” she asks, her voice breaking into tears. He promises to get them while his sister, bemused that her broke brother is promising, asks how and where.

Shina’s story intertwines with Osas (Sambasa Nzeribe) and Mimi’s (Okawah Shaznay) – a couple with dreams much bigger than their current situations. Osas currently works as a security guard but hopes to fight in the UFC one day; Mimi wants to make films, but producers have deemed her not sexy enough. They have accepted their dreams may only come true outside the country and want to japa. As their stories unravel, there are several lessons for the average Nigerian.

https://youtu.be/TPrakQ10_tM

Below we discuss some reasons you should watch the show.

It is a story of our time 

We are loving Movement Japa because we connect to it. It is relatable to the average Nigerian youth. The show highlights only a few people can afford to leave the country; the rest journey through the Sahara Desert, through shady agents who force them into prostitution or fund the migration via crime. Osas and Shina choose a terrible idea to sponsor their japa, but how it unravels, leaves the audience low-key rooting for them even though you admit they are doing an awful thing.

Gideon Okeke and Sambasa Nzeribe

Gideon Okeke and Sambasa Nzeribe are two of Nollywood’s reliable actors for gritty stories. They bring so much intensity to their characters, showing Osas and Shina’s fear, terror, and small joys, as the story unravels. The duo have always been intense, but there’s something even more daunting about how they interpret these roles. You want to experience it.

Understanding Japa

Like popular films about migration, Movement Japa provides context. Why do people leave their homes for foreign countries? What happens to Nigerians who journey to Europe through the harsh deserts? And if they somehow survive and return home, how are they integrated back into society? These are some of the questions the show tries to answer. Shina and Osas have seen life at its worst but are trying to make it work anyway. You see glimpses of their brokenness, but also their remaining humanity and ever-surprising Nigerian hope: they still dream of a life where their dreams come true, even if outside Nigeria.