Brain Drain or Brain Gain?

Published on 11th December 2007

“In 25 years, Africa will be empty of brains,” says Dr. Lalla Ben Barka, of the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (ECA), on Africa's increasing brain drain. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has estimated that 20,000 African professionals have also left the continent since the year 1990. 

 

For many years African experts have migrated mostly to the West and Europe to further enrich these already developed environments, sending the Third World countries further down the bottomless pit of under-development. In Africa, brain drain not only impeds Africa's socio-economic development, but also its political and economic foundations. The debate on whether migration and brain drain have benefited Africa or not has raged for many years in varied disciplines and forums. For many centuries, Africa has been the supplier that receives little, but high-cost returns. 

 

On one side of the debate is the argument that, after all, brain drain is a blessing in disguise. Proponents of this school of thought opine that these experts gain additional knowledge on current trends in their various disciplines. Some of them return to establish specialized departments. The argument therefore of massive remittances by such experts to Africa to support development programmes could well be valid. 

 

On the other side of the issue is the bane of the brain drain syndrome which has been identified as one of the underlying factors to Africa’s under-development. Within certain circles, brain drain is synonymous with the infamous Slave Trade. Whereas slave trade tapped the brawn of Africa, brain drain is tapping the wits of Africa. If slave trade was considered inhuman and condemned, so should brain drain. In a world where knowledge capital reigns supreme in any development effort, one may readily think of it as inconceivable that Africa continues to lose its brains to a sufficiently established regions.    

 

Poor taxpayers’ money is used to subsidize the education of such professionals as doctors, engineers, teachers and lawyers who leave the the continent to better the lives of citizens in already developed countries. The most affected area is the health sector where, every day, doctors, nurses and other paramedics leave for Europe and America. This has gradually affected the delivery of medical and social services in most parts of Africa.

 

It costs around US40, 000 to train a doctor in Kenya, and US15, 000 for a University student. In 1998, an estimated 700 Ghanaian physicians were reportedly practicing in the United States of America alone, which makes a very significant percentage of doctors in the country. Ethiopians have around 300 physicians in Chicago, USA alone. Africa loss of  a third of its skilled professionals in recent decades is costing the continent US$ 4 billion a year in replacing them with expatriates from the West, according to a BBC recent report.

 

One factor that makes our professionals migrate is the political instability on the continent. Most African countries have experienced one military coup or the other. In addition, African leaders perceive the intellectual class as a bunch of miscreants whose only duty is to criticize their development effort. Insecurity and human rights abuses are another phenomenon that force most professionals to leave. A renowned Ghanaian Banker who returned home from abroad to take a position of Deputy Bank Director in a reputable firm in Ghana was shot dead in his own house by unknown assailants. If this goes on,  how many people would prefer to stay in their country? Economic uncertainty is also a problem. Corrupt leaders have affected the economic status of their country. Citizens are highly taxed taxes while they earn peanuts.

 

Africa’s educational system does not place much attention on applied skills and technology which would breed employable people. In some countries, institutions are specially established to offer courses for top level workers both at the Civic and Public Service. In France for example, the Ecole National d Administration is specifically meant to produce experts or the labour sector. The Germans also offer an extensive period of apprenticeship for those engaging as senior officers in the civic and public service. Ghana has the Institute of Management and Public Administration. There is need to scout for expertise and talents and bring it to national attention. People who satisfactorily execute their roles need to be openly rewarded.

 

If brain drain benefits the developing economies, why do they promote such policies as Millennium Challenge Account and African Commission, among others, to stop migration to Europe and the Americas?  Why the several emancipation programmes such as the Joseph Project in Ghana to attract our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora to return home to help in Africa’s development? There is more brain drain than gain.


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