Migrants as Ambassadors: tackling brain drain from lessons learnt from the Nigeria experience

Migrants as Ambassadors: tackling brain drain from lessons learnt from the Nigeria experience.

Change is a concept that every human being inevitably undergoes. We experience it in various aspects of our lives, voluntarily or otherwise; in our journey from childhood to adulthood, in physical evidences and in preferences as well as in our most concealed cerebration. One important issue that affects us that borders on change is migration.

Human migration is defined as physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. It is also the permanent change of residence by an individual. At some point, every young person has contemplated moving from one place to another. In Nigeria, most secondary school students have their first experience of this irresolution in the last term of their final year. In my final year, I had the eagerness to travel to Lagos, for the first time, to spend the long holiday and to cut loose the solitariness of my hometown.

Bestowing thought to Nigeria, human migration can easily be classified into two: internal and international. Under internal migration; we have movements such as those caused by incessant religious and ethnic conflicts which have haunted Nigeria since her independence. Those Clashes have forced tribes and communities to leave their homes and as a result rendered internally displaced persons who have settled in other parts of the country. There is also the Rural-urban drift; job seeking persons often move to bigger cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt in search of opportunities.

However, it is the international migration of Nigerian youths that really gives one a turn. It is no news that many Nigerian youths are desperately seeking to travel to any country that has a relatively good standard of living. Nonetheless, Nigeria’s immediate and drawn out neighbours are sub Sahara African countries, many of whom have characteristically worse economic conditions. Due to this geographical setting, the predominant form of international migration is the movement of Nigerians to Europe, America and South Africa. Also, because many of the countries in these regions require Nigerians to obtain visas or entry permits before arriving, only the best and most skilled workers are usually admitted. Consequently, over the last few decades, countless intelligent Nigerians have been extracted abroad and have eventually settled there.  By 1998, Nigerian prodigies constituted the largest number of educated foreigners in the US¹, and today it is a similar story for many other developed countries. It is difficult to pinpoint the origin of this trend; one can identify the economic hardships experienced after the gruesome Nigerian civil war or the great repression of military rule. Whatever the case, as a consequence, Nigeria seems to be unable to do anything for herself; we always hire foreigners to do the simplest of tasks. Even Government agencies when hiring, consider expatriates ahead of local experts because they do not trust our local experts to do a good job. In my home state [Benue state], if a road has not been made or supervised by a foreign engineer, everyone would dread plying it or if a drug has been formulated by one of our local chemists, a dark shadow is immediately cast on its potency and trustworthiness. The fears and reluctances of the people in my community and indeed the rest of Nigeria towards made in Nigeria goods and services are only rational because time after time these goods and services have failed abruptly, sometimes resulting in fatality. We have now lost count of how many times we have put our trust in our local experts and were met with disappointment. What is more, there are certain specialized expertise that are completely absent in our communities. Advanced professionals such as Cardiologists, Urologists, Gastroenterologists and Aerodynamic Engineers etc. are hard to come by. A visit to the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi which is reputed to be the most equipped health centre in Benue state reveals that patients suffering from diseases that require specialized care are often referred to more sophisticated health centres in India, Germany, and the UK etc.  It is a similar story at the ministry of works and those of agriculture and rural development; sophisticated equipment such as bulldozers and trucks lie dormant, many of which will be remedied with the most basic repairs but for the unavailability of specialized engineers. The virtual absence of intellects in our communities is undoubtedly an upshot of long term migration of skilled Nigerians to other parts of the world. This trend has slowed national development tremendously and has catalyzed unemployment rates because our local graduates always take the backseat to expatriates but then again, our centres of higher learning have not been spared by the brain drain menace and without key scholarly personnel in our education institutions, they can only turn out bunches of mediocre graduates. 

That Nigeria is experiencing “brain drain” is a problem and the fact that many more youths want to leave the country is an issue, but what is more worrisome are the illegalities that keep cropping up whenever Nigerian youths try to migrate. It will not be incorrect to state that migration tendencies have had negative effects on the youths of Nigeria. Between 2009 and 2010, about 12000 Nigerians were deported from countries around the globe for various irregularities ranging from drug abuse to prostitution². Similarly, the country was thrown into shock in 2009 when the then Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on return from a visit to Libya announced that more than 10000 Nigerian girls mostly aged 13 to 20 were being held in Libyan prisons under despicable conditions³. The negative effect of massive migration of exuberant young Nigerians has also crawled into many aspects of our personal lives. Because of the concerns many Nigerian youths are giving security operatives in migrant receiving countries, it is almost impossible for me to transact business on the internet without having to first of all circumvent through robust security checks. So, in a quest for better opportunities, many Nigerian youths who otherwise should have had the privilege of sound education and contributed their various unique abilities and ingenuities to a country in desperate need of development are barely surviving in foreign countries. 10,000 Nigerian girls in Libyan prisons is highly appalling and could well be likened to the average number of girls in each Nigerian university. Many youths weary of Nigeria’s retro gradation and magnetized by the ‘good life’ depicted in all forms of foreign media will do almost anything to move to Europe. Most of them usually make it to the ‘Promised Land’ if they are lucky to find a scrupulous travel agent but those who are not so lucky or ignorant are drudged doing odd jobs before and after arriving. I have a friend who travelled to South Africa on a visit permit and absconded after his permit elapsed, and after 3 months of successfully eluding law enforcement, he secured a job as a porter. He sends remittances home to his family every now and then. Today, everyone in his neighbourhood is aspiring to migrate to South Africa where porters are perceived to be paid jumbo wages. It is easy for an outsider to criticize youths who jump at any chance to travel abroad because it seems unpatriotic, inept and imprudent. I used to be a critic of Nigerians who travelled abroad in search of better conditions; my argument use to be: ‘why not be the change you want to see’. Times without number, I read on the internet about how Nigerians were a menace in many neighbourhoods in South Africa, dealing drugs and causing mischief. I detested the idea of travelling abroad and preached against it but just as I examined at the commencement of this essay, the inevitability of change caught up with me. My personal experiences led me to understand how young Nigerian migrants feel and what brings about their desire to leave the country.

The national pledge is one the very important principles that every educated Nigerian has had to learn and anyone who has attended a catholic or missionary school in Nigeria will agree with me that they do have a unique and impeccable record of indoctrinating the  verbalization of this pledge in school pupils. The third line of the Nigerian national pledge states: ‘to serve Nigeria with all my strength’. Having attended catholic primary and secondary schools, I did not just recite the pledge; I had the deep craving to serve my country in a way that will bring her international recognition in the committee of nations. In the face of Nigeria being seen globally as a country of corruption, poverty, sectionalism and disintegration, I wanted to be an accomplished global figure to demonstrate to the world that we are also people of substance. As I grew up, I built a dream of becoming one of the best entrepreneurs the world has seen. I longed to be a researcher, to be an inventor in the area of physics, to be able to use the relationships between planetary bodies to explain basic physical concepts. At the end of my Primary and secondary education, I was equipped with patriotism and self-confidence and like a doubled edged sword, I was ready to wield this weapon and use it to do exploits for my beloved country but alas, nobody warned me that in Nigeria, no matter the weight of your believe or assertiveness, a reality check comes right after graduation from secondary school.

This attitude of optimism and outright devotion to my country led me to enrol to study in Nigeria despite the evident odds, and even though I had my university application turned down more than once, I remained keen and by the year 2008, my decision to take the path of patriotism paid off. I got accepted to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho Oyo state in October 2008 to study mechanical engineering. At this point, everything was going to plan; I had gotten what I always wanted, a chance to live my dream, a chance to join millions of other physicists and scientists around the globe in experimenting on fundamental nature principles. Sadly though, barely one year into the program, my belief in ‘making it’ in my country was squashed and it completely give in under the pressure of an increasingly ineffective Nigerian educational system. The setbacks I experienced were numerous; overcrowded lecture rooms, poor or utter deficiency of principal engineering tutorial equipment, obscure teaching methods, inadequacy of practical challenges and many more.  However, the last straw was the recurrent industrial actions by various university unions between 2009 and 2010⁴. The school was plagued by disagreements over wages and I was out of school for a cumulative time of more than 6 months. Because school is closed down during industrial actions, I usually travel more than 530 kilometres on treacherous Nigerian roads which many have described as death traps to get home. As the days passed, my dreams and aspirations seemed ever more unattainable, I was not learning the practical scientific methods that I craved for and the several interruptions in the school calendar established little coherence in my assimilation of what I was being taught. Universities which by default should be centres of research and extensive learning did not look quite like it here. It is not a coincidence that not a single Nigerian university falls among the top 1000 universities in the world⁵. So as a second year mechanical engineering student here in Nigeria, I applied to study physics at York University, Toronto Canada.

Becoming an intending emigrant was a tough decision, I had to juxtapose calculatingly, the benefits of studying abroad with my resolve to remain in Nigeria and be loyal to my country. I had to weigh the profound advantages of studying abroad because I had to first of all convince myself that it was the best option. Although my perceptions of schooling abroad were framed from what I   had read, seen or heard, I was about to experience the benefits firsthand. And so I   took the leap of faith and applied to York University, Toronto Canada; my choice of school and country was not born out of a serious search, I   just enquired about a school in the west that accepted applications from students with West African Senior School Certificate and York University was the first school I   found. Obviously impressed with my high grades, I   was immediately offered placement. This further exacerbated my disappointment in my country, the degree of orderliness and precision displayed by York University throughout the admission process debased the Nigerian admission systems. The story got even more interesting, before paying the acceptance fee, I   was given the breakdown of fees, the course content, outline and dates; at this point I   was so impressed I   was satisfied beyond doubt that the solid foundational education that I   so much craved for was out there. I   had never seen or experienced such orderliness before, everything was completed in time, and courses were prearranged and ordered systematically and available online for viewing. Studying in Canada did not only promise superior education but also bigger exposure and opportunities. Even before arriving Toronto, I   had applied for five jobs, something that is almost impossible in Nigeria. Nigerians countless jobless graduates saturate all the few job offers that pop out from time to time and there is none ever left for students. The thought of working and schooling in one of the biggest cities in America made travelling abroad hard to resist. Also, it was what I   wanted, to be part of a learning experience that performs its functions and provides challenges. This must be how every emigrant’s dream begins, a strong admiration for a quality that is insufficient in their country and abundant in another country. However, for me, travelling abroad also meant that I   will be joining millions of other Nigerians who abandoned their country for self accomplishment because even though I   would have travelled on a study permit which expires after the duration of study, it was only natural to assume that since I   was attracted by a better standard of education, I   will also be persuaded to stay by better work opportunities. So here was I   wanting to be renowned scientist, wanting to travel to a foreign country to achieve this but very reluctant to leave my country.  There were other hazards of travelling out that I   had to mull over; coming from very religious society, I   had to think of lifestyle adjustments reckoning that the west is perceived to be the normal abode of many perversions and debaucheries. A handful of Nigerians who have returned home have often displayed certain habits which African’s consider abominable. Acts such atheism, homosexuality, disregard for elders, nudity etc. which are generally not chastised in developed countries are heavily detested in a typical African society like mine. I   also had to think of my family; family is still a very strong institution in Nigeria and there was little chance there were going to be in support of my plans. To this very moment, my Father has had no knowledge whatsoever about my plans, I   had failed to inform him in particular because he belongs to an older generation of Nigerians who believe that every young person must offer full service to his/her country, physically and intellectually. It is important to state that at this point, my desperation to study abroad was matched only by my repulsion for Nigeria’s numerous shortcomings. Before taking a stand, I asked myself three questions: ‘how can I help my country if I do not become what I   want to be?’ ‘Will I   be willing to return to this country after tasting the good life in a foreign country?’ and ‘what are the things I can do that will bring glory and good fortune to my country?’ I   made my decision with the last question, I   was going to be the best in my field and bring good fortune to the people in my community wherever I   found myself. With the unrelenting support of my mother, I   was able to get the sponsorship of the Benue state government and an application for a study permit was on the cards.

Today, when I   chew over my swift shift from a feeling of chauvinism for my country to that of outright hegira, I   can only imagine what Nigerian youths of feeble devotion will do when faced with similar setbacks. There have been reports of daredevil Nigerian youths who pay as much as 300,000 naira to trek across the Sahara in atrocious weather conditions to Libya all in a bid to enter Europe⁶. Some Nigerians ingest hazardous chemicals in a bid to smuggle them to a country where they have been promised a job or residence. The long and short of my story is that I   had my student permit application turned down. According to the letter sent to me by the Canadian immigration office in Lagos, I   had failed to convince them that I   would return to my country after four years of study.

Not making it to Canada was a massive disappointment because I   had hinged my future on studying abroad. However in the midst of the dejection, I   could point out to something positive, I   had experienced what an emigrant undergoes physically and emotionally; and if my experience is anything to go by then there has to be program to manage the movements of Nigerian migrants in particular and skilled migrants in general. It is not enough to just discourage people from leaving the country because the fact remains that residents in poorer countries will always be attracted to a quality of some sort in more developed countries. Also, migrants should not be seen as traitors as is the case in some quarters in Nigeria, rather they should be seen as ambassadors and treated as such. The great trek refers to mass movements of Voortrekkers who were a large body of Boers migrants from cape colony to what is today known as South Africa Under the leadership of influential names like Hendrik Potgieter, Andries Pretorius and others. Historians say the reason for the ‘great trek’ was the hardships and unfavourable conditions experienced by the Voortrekkers who were predominantly farmers. The great trek has greatly influenced the demography of South Africa of today, who knows what good the migration of Nigerians to developed countries will bring in the future. There has to be a study on how Nigerians abroad will help their communities, in the meantime the country can adopt a program I   call the Migrant Requital Program (MRO).  

According to UNESCO⁷, 171 million people around the world will be lifted out of poverty if students in poor countries can have access to consummate education. Sadly, many development watchdogs have expressed their lack of confidence in Nigeria to attain the millennium development goals by 2015⁸ especially in education. So what do youths with dreams and aspirations do in the face of this sad fact. Being leaders of tomorrow, it is important that our children get top notch education if we are going to escape poverty, gender inequality, child and maternal mortality, diseases etc. truth be told, our schools are below par and job opportunities are fading. Asking us not to travel abroad will be pure carrot-and-stick treatment. So we need to access the education and opportunities abroad and still serve our country, MRO can make that possible.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that about $414 billion was sent back home by migrants as remittances in 2009⁹. These remittances are voluntary actions and out of goodwill but what if migrant receiving countries are mandated to pay home countries for their labour service. If there is a requital program managed by a nongovernmental body like the IOM that obligates migrants to offer assistance and responsibility to their home communities, emigrants will have confidence serving in their countries of sojourn knowing that they are also serving their home countries.

This program will be of immense benefit to countries with the brain drain challenge. Countries who wish to participate will sign a binding agreement with the international body. This agreement will allow the IOM to monitor migrates from participating countries. The program is divided into two:

• Labour requital: this arm of the program involves monitoring every migrant from a participating country working in a foreign country. Just as labour in developed countries is rewarded according to the number of hours of work, so also will the migrant receiving country be mandated to pay remittances to the home country. For instance, the office for national statistics estimates 154000 Nigerians living in the UK¹⁰.

Say 70% of this population do regular office work of 8 hours (9am-5pm) per day, and a price of £10 per hour of labour has been agreed by the IOM then for Monday to Friday workdays and 4 weeks in a month, we have 160 hours and consequently £1600 for one migrant worker. Therefore for the entire migrant workforce which we assume to be 70% of 154000, the money will be £172480000 for one month and £2069760000 per annum. So the UK will make these funds available exclusively for development projects in Nigeria. The funds collected should be managed by the IOM and projects can be executed through any of the development bodies of the United Nations.

Developed countries owe poorer countries this much, because the brain drain syndrome has provided economic stability and diversity in their countries and created economic voidance and inadequate manpower in poorer countries like Nigeria. This added to the cheap labour it offers them should persuade well meaning countries to be part of this program. The program will also enhance the safety and acceptability of migrant workers since they will be under the radar of the IOM and other agencies, they will be given exemption from the dolorous treatment usually accorded migrant workers.

• Intellectual requital: many migrants travel abroad to developed countries to study; this arm of the program will require all migrants from participating countries who are on study permit abroad to base their research study on cases in their home countries. One of the requirements for the award of a certificate, diploma or degree in higher institutions is a field research; students from countries registered with the program will be mandated to carry out their research on a problem in their home country. Schools in developed countries will be partners in this program and will be mandated to offer as much support as they would offer citizens of their countries. Many universities in Europe and America have benefitted from brain drain too, it is reported that the average rate of refusal of study permits at the British high commission in Lagos is 65%¹¹, which means only about 35% are usually accepted and yet the amount of money spent by Nigerian students to study in America and the UK over two academic sessions is put at about £685 million¹². If the numerous African students who travel out every year are to focus their studies on their home countries, the development to be witnessed will be tremendous. Take my experience as example, if I had successfully travelled to Canada, then in a program like this, I   would probably be researching on how to produce maximum energy from the coal extracted at Udi hills in Enugu. Moreover, it is goal of every higher institution of learning to expand knowledge and produce better ways of solving problems; the problematic and undiscovered terrain of poor nations offers them that chance.

In a nutshell, brain drain has left Nigeria at the threshold of begging for assistance in the most rudimentary projects. The solution to brain drain lies in ensuring that, as our youths travel out seeking better conditions, there should be a system that will guarantee that their labour and intellectual prowess will have positive impact back home. By doing so, both migrant sending and receiving countries will benefit from skilled migration.  
 
 
 
 

References

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3. Azania James “Nigerians spend over N137bn to study in UK, US varsities” The Punch. 2011 The Punch. Accessed on 17/03/2011 www.punchng.com
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