THE IMPACT OF BRAIN DRAIN ON AFRICA'S ECONOMY

The Nigerian dream has morphed from simply wanting a decent middle-class life to seeking economic refuge in distant foreign lands. Every day millions of Nigerians and Africans are leaving their homeland for Europe and North America. This exodus is costing Africa some of its best hands and human capital which is slowly destroying the African economy. In today's post, I will discuss the issue of brain drain in Sub-Saharan Africa using Nigeria as a case study. Also, I will highlight the cause of the brain drain in Africa and its impact on the African economy.

WHAT US BRAIN DRAIN?

Brain drain is said to be the movement or Emigration of skilled individuals or talent from one region or country to another. This move is said to be economical as this individual seeks better working conditions, higher wages and a better standard of living.

CAUSES OF BRAIN DRAIN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

ECONOMIC REASONS

Low Standard. The living conditions in most sub-Saharan African countries are poor. The majority of people in this region do not have access to basic amenities like clean water, constant electricity, good roads and medical care. Even for mid-class living this is an issue, hence the need to migrate to places where they have access to these amenities.

Poverty. The poverty rate in sub-Saharan Africa is said to be at 86.5% with a decline of 4.3% as of 2018. These people want to seek economic refuge in first-world countries through illegal means making it difficult for the receiving countries to plan accurately for this uncountable population trooping into their countries.

High cost of living. The average inflation rate in Sub-Saharan Africa rose 14.5% in 2022. The increase in inflation coupled with the rising poverty rate has made it difficult for most Africans to afford basic commodities. Families are leaving to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

Unemployment. The unemployment rate in sub-Saharan Africa is capped at 6.7% in 2021. However, this does not reflect the reality in some of the major economies in Africa. For instance, Nigeria and South Africa, which are the major economies in Africa, have a youth unemployment rate of over 30% many of which are skilled (and non-skilled). The rest are either unemployed or underemployed, so they look towards developed nations for better opportunities.

POLITICAL REASONS.

One of the leading causes of emigration in sub-Saharan Africa is political instability. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa have poor political institutions which leads to poor economic management that impacts the lives of its citizens. There is neither the political will nor desire to better the lives of African people by its political elites who see power as a right and not as a means to serve.

So emigration or the brain drain in Africa can also be said to be a vote of no confidence in the African leadership. MOST Africans are leaving their country because they did not believe in the capacity of their government which also show no interest in leading.
The African governments are not a representation of their people. There is no alignment between the political elites and the masses. This has gone on for ages and most Africans are taking destiny into their hands by seeking a better life abroad

There are also cases of neo-colonialism whereby first-world countries meddle with the affairs of African countries, destabilising these countries in order to exploit their natural and human resources. mostly in cahoots with the African government.

INSECURITY

The political instability in Africa has led to civil conflict among major regions and countries. This has made the region unsafe for its citizens who are fleeing to other regions.

The rise in poverty has also increased the crime rate, making it unsafe for citizens and foreign investors to do business.

IMPACT OF BRAIN DRAIN IN SUBSARAHAN AFRICA

One of the major drawbacks of brain drain in Sub-Saharan Africa is that the best hands who are capable of fixing the problems of this region are leaving.

There is also the economic impact of having your most skilled individuals leave your country. For instance, it is said that 9 countries in Africa lost over 2 billion dollars since 2010 due to the massive emigration of doctors trained in Africa into North America and Europe. This has led to a massive deficit in the health sector in most African countries where primary Healthcare is already a luxury.

Another issue with the massive immigration in Sub-Saharan Africa is that puts pressure on the Economic and Social infrastructures of these first-world countries that receive them. So the emigration problem is a challenge to the receiving and departing countries. It has also led to strict immigration rules which has opened the channel for illegal immigration. Millions of Africans die in the Sahara desert in their bid to fly into Europe to Italy. Many have also been forced into modern-day slavery during the process of their transition

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

The massive immigration in Sub-Saharan Africa is a global crisis and should be tackled as such. There should be a genuine desire by the international community, the African people and its leaders to solve the socio-economic issues plaguing the region which has led to the displacement of millions of Africans.

To engender the trust of the African people there needs to be reform of its political system. One of the key ways to gain political stability is to bring transparency to the electoral process. This can be achieved with the use of blockchain technology to carry out elections. Citizens need to elect leaders that reflect their hopes and dreams for their country. This will bring about the stability needed to build and grow the African economy. Political stability brings about economic prosperity which in turn engenders the confidence of its people, giving them a reason to remain and build with its government.

Also, there should be a review of the involvement of superpowers like America, Britain and China in African politics. Partnerships between African countries and all the first-world countries need to be beneficial and or parasitic. There should be a genuine desire to help the African continent develop and become autonomous requiring little or no aid from their first-world counterparts.