A Nigerian-born entrepreneur in the United Kingdom, Ayomide Iyanuoluwa Omole, has developed a free online story game designed to expose the financial pressures, emotional struggles, and fraud risks confronting Nigerians and other migrants settling abroad. The browser-based game, titled Japa, follows the experiences of a fictional Nigerian migrant, Kemi, during her first months in Manchester, highlighting the realities of life abroad that are often missing from social media portrayals of migration.
Omole, who arrived in Britain in 2023 and now leads a team in Bristol, said she created the game to challenge the popular perception that relocating abroad automatically translates into financial success and a better life. According to her, while social media often showcases graduation ceremonies, new cities, and apparent achievements, the less visible reality includes mounting rent, household bills, financial support for relatives back home, and the pressure to maintain an appearance of success.
The game presents these experiences through a simulated mobile phone interface featuring family WhatsApp conversations, bank notifications, job applications, and messages from scammers targeting newly arrived migrants. It comprises five chapters, three side stories, and 37 possible endings, with players making decisions about their finances, personal relationships, and the information they share with family and friends.
Omole said the project also has an educational objective, particularly in helping new arrivals identify fraudulent messages and scams that could result in significant financial losses. She explained that the stories were inspired by experiences within her community, including friends, colleagues, and other migrants whose struggles often remain hidden behind the success stories presented online.
To make the experience culturally relatable, Japa incorporates elements of Nigerian popular culture, including Afrobeats-inspired sounds, an original theme song, Detty December references, and other familiar details of Nigerian life abroad. The game also features an additional open mode, Japa Life, which allows players to manage monthly expenses, including rent, bills, employment, and family obligations, in a city of their choice.
Omole’s journey reflects a combination of academic achievement, media experience, and professional development. Before relocating to Britain, she won ₦1 million on the Nigerian television quiz programme Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, reached the final stages of a national essay competition at the age of 14, and worked as a radio presenter. She also graduated with a degree in Sociology from the University of Ibadan before building a career in adult social care in the United Kingdom.
By making the game free and accessible through any browser, Omole hopes to encourage conversations about migration beyond the familiar images of success, while helping new arrivals prepare for the financial and social challenges they may encounter. The project brings attention to the often-overlooked economic and emotional costs of migration, particularly the pressure on Nigerians abroad to meet expectations at home while struggling with the realities of settling in a foreign country.
Key points
- The game Japa aims to challenge the popular perception that relocating abroad automatically translates into financial success and a better life.
- The game has an educational objective, particularly in helping new arrivals identify fraudulent messages and scams that could result in significant financial losses.
- The project incorporates elements of Nigerian popular culture to make the experience culturally relatable.
