Brain drain is certainly not a new phenomenon, migration has forever been a part of the dynamics of
human life; reading through History, you will recall that man has been migrating from way back. From
Africa to Asia, to Europe and even the farther Continents, migration is ‘routine’; I guess it is when the
numbers are seemingly high, that people notice and begin to make an issue out of it.
I recall back in the ‘80s when Nigeria witnessed the massive brain drain in the health Sector, at that
time, all roads seemed to lead to Saudi Arabia, even though there were Doctors and Nurses migrating
to Europe and America as well, that of Saudi Arabia was more obvious. Did the Health Sector collapse
at the time? No. It certainly created huge gaps, but it equally brought on new opportunities – openings
for other hands to rise into, and the home remittances that came through those who had gone and
had to send upkeep for relatives left behind.
As the Country battles another huge economic challenge, largely brought on by our own inactions and
irresponsibility, coupled with the global financial challenges, it appears we are at that point again. This
time though, the seeming mass exodus has been very well rebranded, it actually has a localized name.
It is not uncommon to hear people use the word ‘Japa’ (Yoruba translation for run/escape) in different
grammatical forms – Babatunde has japa’d, Nneka is japa’ing. Scrolling through social media, it is now
commonplace to find a ‘japa’er’ announcing their departure or arrival; only recently, I read a story
posted by a CEO of a Tech Company in Canada (a ‘japa’ee’), announcing the arrival of a new employee
from Nigeria, with a beautiful photo of the employee and his family sat in the aircraft.
Nigeria’s current population is approximately 218.5 million (source: Wikipedia), there is also a live
figure on nationalpopulation.gov.ng; with emigration rate at an estimated 0.29 per thousand, as at
2021 (source: www.statista.com), you will agree that the number of people emigrating is only a minute
proportion of the total population.
Why is there so much drama, particularly with the labour force? Did we miss something in the
past? Did we fail to plan?
I transited fully into HR in 2021, working mostly as a Recruiter, and it is from this perspective that I will
address this topic, coming through three critical parties in this discussion: the Government, the
Applicants, and the Employers.
The Government: our government, has over the years failed to provide an enabling environment to
address critical issues that go on to become ‘monsters’. The repeated and consistent strikes by our
university lecturers have automatically created an extended school period, where students end up
spending much longer for courses than expected and most of them already ahead of entry level
employment age before graduation. The dearth of quality lecturers also mostly due to poor conditions
of service, have seen students going through school and coming out mostly unprepared for
employment. The school curriculum that has remained unchanged, particularly in the Public
Universities, failing to adapt to the evolving expectations of the workplace. They, i.e., Government,
remain the least affected, whether people leave or stay, things remain the same, …unchanged.
The applicants: our students, graduates, most of whom just go through school, graduating and
entering the labour market largely unprepared. Please do not get me wrong, I am not generalizing, as
I do get to see extremely competent entry level candidates during interviews; but I must mention that
these are mostly very few and far between. I guess the qualified and prepared ones are hurriedly
taken. I typically say after most interview sessions, that more than an unemployed labour market,
what Nigeria has, are unemployable applicants – I do stand to be corrected, and I can explain my
position. For those in this category, some of them with good results have left (are leaving) for further
studies, a few with relevant skills and/or work experience have also left to secure jobs abroad.
The Employers: our drivers of the labour market. It is here we seem to be hearing the most noise from.
I heard recently that a particular Bank had an extended downtime because staff had resigned and had
either japa’ed or preparing to. It appears as though when one staff secures a job and relocates, they
tell their new employers that there are so many more capable hands from where they came and then
more are beckoned upon to join the relocation train. It suddenly seems as though the employers never
saw this coming – they sat high horsed, some believing they were the highest paying employers and
so their staff could go nowhere; there was no plan in place for succession, nor a pool. It has suddenly
dawned on most of them to quickly start to recruit, the once upon a time ‘rejects’ in the employment
market.
When we get briefs from some of these employers, they list all the ‘nice to haves’, clearly stating
barriers below which they would not accommodate. Today, we have briefs drag for over 2 months,
still seeking suitable candidates. Earlier in the year after a difficult and tiring search, we concluded a
brief with a client and offer letter was sent to the candidate; the candidate came back almost
immediately demanding a lower compensation package, with the option to work from home. Yes,
suddenly the tide is turning, and the applicants are having the upper hand especially if they have
prepared themselves.
So, for me, I do see this exodus, scary as it may appear, as a huge opportunity for us as a Nation and
for so many of us, as individuals. If we sit back and honestly look at the reasons why and how we got
here, see the gaps that have been created and how we can work to fill these gaps, and possibly avoid
them going forward. I will highlight a few critical ones that readily come to mind.
When the government and the university lecturers sort out their issues (matter for a separate
discussion), the ministry of education should work with these schools to revamp their curriculum
completely. The curriculum should be tailored to the needs of the evolving world of work; students
should not just go through school learning theory, there must be a tinge of real-life experience and
building of needed skills. Some of the private Universities are already going down this route, but there
are still plenty grounds to cover. Work experience and internships should be made compulsory for
every tertiary education study.
The applicants, students, graduates, must see the real reason for going through tertiary institutions.
Firstly, we must be mindful of the fact that attending a tertiary institution is not compulsory and
certainly not a prerequisite for getting employed. Whichever route an individual opts for, they must
be ready to put in their best and be prepared for the world of work. Going through school, and seeking
employment with neither knowledge, skill, nor experience, is a total disservice to self and all others
involved. It is no use sending out CVs and attending interviews, only to be unable to discuss the
contents of your CV, nor the expectations of the role.
Then the employers, the ones in whose hands the bigger expectations lie. We already notice that some
have begun lowering the existing entry barriers – suddenly the age limits are being extended, while
some others are willing to consider lower degree classes; reality is dawning. The truth is that most of
our organizations, particularly the larger ones with bigger commitments, should be stepping
backwards(some do already), to commence pipeline recruitments. Partner with the higher institutions
to search out students with potentials and start to groom them to be work ready. Internship slots
should be readily available and made competitive to attract students, who are then motivated to focus
their studies and come out ready to take on jobs. Train employed staff adequately, to guarantee that
there are people to pass on the batons to. That mentality of ‘what if we train them and they go’, which
some organizations have used to hold certain category of staff ‘hostage’, is turning around to hurt
them – staff are training themselves and japa’ing. The general conditions of work must be reviewed
and reworked.
The fact is that we have more than enough people to fill the vacancies created by the many exits, but
overtime, we sat not really thinking that this day will come, particularly in certain sectors; now the
days are upon us, and we must be creative in seeking out better ways to ensure that continuity is
assured, with seamless transitions that leave very minimal downtime along the way
Meanwhile, let me go and arrange myself quickly before I fall victim.
Have a good day, as we all faithfully look forward to our Nation rising again!
RITA UNUIGBOJE
Lagos, Nigeria
August 21, 2022
