Regaining the lost brains

In the last three decades or so, Nigeria has consistently lost many professionals to brain drain – described as “the loss of skilled intellectual and technical labour through the movement of such labour to more favourable geographic, economic, or professional environ; depletion or loss of intellectual and technical personnel; a gradual depletion of energy or resources; a drain of young talent by emigration”.

At the same time, arising from the instability in the nation’s education system, many young Nigerian students have continued to seek academic advancement in other parts of the world, particularly Europe and the Americas, resulting in capital flight to those countries.

This trend has negatively affected the Nigerian economy as those who emigrate are most often the skilled manpower – as well as the raw talent – needed for development. Studies have proven that the absence of required talent and expertise in Nigeria, as a result of brain drain, has adversely affected economic growth in the nation.

But the brain drain may become a gain as an overseas community can be a breeding place: providing a suitable environment for talented local persons to access knowledge, expertise, resources and markets for the development of the country of origin. This seems to be happening in Nigeria. Nigeria’s stable macro-economy is luring them back home.

In the last five years or thereabouts, there seems to be a reversal of the brain drain syndrome – what analysts have referred to as “brain gain”. However the process has been gradual. Many Nigerians in Diaspora appear desirous of returning home, thanks to the positive outlook of the nation’s economy – the economy grew 6.56 percent (GDP) in Q1:2013, compared to 6.34 percent in Q1:2012, and, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the real growth in GDP is estimated to be approximately 6.75 percent in 2013. Though, unfortunately, unemployment is still widespread. As an analyst put it a few years ago, “Newly capitalised banks (and other financial services companies), international oil majors and telecommunications companies are dangling offers that match, sometimes surpass, those abroad – the recession looming in developed countries is certainly now a clincher.”

Equally, multinational companies (MNCs) in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, the likes of Unilever and Procter & Gamble, are spurred to expand, thanks to a burgeoning Nigerian middle class boosted by the upswing in the economy.

As a result, there is a competition for talented employees. The most wanted skills by these companies include ability to deal with and manage change, thinking strategically, communication and interpersonal skills, and project management skills. But, according to an in-house survey by an international oil company on the quality of new graduate hires, these skills are difficult to find among graduates of Nigerian universities – many of them are churned out ill-prepared for the 21st century work environment. This skill gap is apparently being filled by these returnees.

This is a good trend that needs to be encouraged.  The movement of the high skilled and low skilled workers from less to more developed economies and back opens up diverse and new opportunities for development. Indeed, Nigeria can tap into these new opportunities.

Yet, the government needs to take more seriously the issue of education and human capacity development in the country to ensure that Nigerians who cannot afford to travel abroad get comparable quality.

South Korea’s economic miracle would have been impossible without a competitive high quality education system from primary to graduate school. Nigeria needs job generating growth. This can and should be delivered by Nigerians; those that schooled abroad and those with local degrees.