In 2024, the Migration Data Portal reported that 1.4 million Nigerians left the country. In recent years, the term ‘japa’, once a casual slang for emigration, has become shorthand for the steady outflow of talent from Nigeria’s workplaces, as thousands of the country’s brightest professionals seek opportunities abroad. The resulting brain drain cuts across many fields, from engineering and medicine to entrepreneurship.
However, the lack of information during immigration processes has led to career resets, skill devaluation in the diaspora, recruitment scams or securing the wrong visas. What should have been a pathway to leadership becomes a setback for these skilled individuals.
This has stripped industries of talent and seasoned expertise, while leaving migrants frustrated by the maze of global immigration systems. Immigify, a U.S.-based immigration technology company, is determined to change this.
Building pathways, not exits
On November 29, 2025, Immigify is breaking the barrier of misinformation with its Global Leaders Roundtable + Uplift Hackathon. In a series of conversations with global leaders, attendees will engage with other Nigerian professionals to learn tested and proven strategies for global success.
“Immigify’s goal is that our best people have access to the best opportunities,” Christianah Arowolo, Immigify’s Revenue Growth Manager, who is leading the event, said, “The world needs Nigerian talent, and our role is to guide that talent to global relevance, not brain drain. This event is our way of bridging the two worlds: established leaders expanding globally and young founders building locally.”
The Global Leaders Roundtable, which will be held in Ikeja, Lagos, will convene C-suite executives, industry experts, and professionals from tech, finance, health administration, academia, and media to explore how talent mobility can fuel national and personal growth.
Attendees will gain insight into pathways like the EB-1 Green Card (EB-1A Extraordinary Ability), a prestigious U.S. immigration route designed for individuals with proven excellence in their fields. They will also network with peers, like-minded individuals, and participate in a panel discussion on global leadership.
The roundtable panel discussion will explore how Africa’s talent can position themselves for the Global stage. The panel will consist of global leaders such as Victoria Adebayo, founder at Intrajac Consultancies, Ambassador Humphrey Aye, founder of Nexus Hub Limited, and Dr Bankole Israel Adeyemi. Adeyemi is the pioneer Director of Medical Laboratory Service at the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency. The Global Leaders Roundtable is not just another meeting for relocation possibilities; it is about globalising impact.
Uplift Hackathon: A platform for innovation and mentorship
In partnership with Immigify’s Roundtable, the Uplift Hackathon will feature some of Nigeria’s most promising startup teams who will present solutions across fintech, sustainability, and AI-driven industries.
This edition’s total prize is ₦1,500,000 in seed funding, awarded to the top three most innovative founders, all receiving structured mentorship and exposure to industry leaders at the event. This capital will enable founders to finance essential initial steps such as product testing, legal fees, basic marketing, or securing a key hire without having to give up equity in their business. The mentorship opportunity also enables business strategy refinement and provides direct access to industry leaders.
“The competition is designed not only to reward innovation but to cultivate collaboration between local entrepreneurs and globally recognised leaders,” said Kishi Fadeko, Community Manager for Immifigy and the Uplift Hackathon
Technology meets talent mobility
Immigify’s broader mission is clear: to simplify global mobility and help individuals and businesses expand internationally through structure, technology, and expertise.
In a joint statement, Immigify’s co-founders, Emma Sheyi, Deji Adesola, and Diana Melendez, said:
“We’ve seen too many brilliant Nigerians give up their potential abroad because they lacked structure and credible guidance. Our mission at Immigify is to build technology that not only simplifies immigration but also empowers people to lead, innovate, and contribute globally. The Global Leaders Roundtable is an extension of that mission; a bridge between opportunity and impact.”
The company’s success rate remains unmatched, driven by its data-informed process and immigration expertise across EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, and O-1 visa categories. Unlike traditional immigration routes that rely heavily on guesswork and luck, Immigify’s strategic approach ensures professionals leap forward with certainty.
“We’re not just helping people move,” Arowolo added. “We’re helping them scale, turning migration from an act of desperation into one of strategy.”
For Nigeria’s talent and founders, the Global Leaders Roundtable is more than an event. It’s a call to redefine success, and a call to transform ‘japa’ from a reaction to a plan. To find out more about the EB-1A pathway, a Green Card for top talent in Nigeria ready to compete in the U.S. market, learn more here. To register for the Global Roundtable, click here.
