By Oluseyi Eleta.
Nigerian-born Economist, Victor Alexander Okhuese, has raised concern over the growing number of tertiary institutions in Africa.
He made this known during an interview with BBC’s Maya Hayakawa.
The host, Maya Hayama, laid much emphasis on the severity of brain drain in Africa; accessing the myths, concerns, and benefits and realities of the African human capital flight phenomenon.
According to Maya, many countries in Africa are trying to increase the number of tertiary institution education center for capacity building.
In his response, the Economist maintained that such is not helping because a lot of Africans still believe that unless you school outside the continent, in places like Europe, you are not well accepted in your country.
He further stressed that many organizations will not employ people who do not get their first degrees, Masters degrees or PhD outside Africa. And for these reasons, the idea of schooling in Europe will still remain in the minds of Africans for a long time.
Maya raised concern about the recent comment by the Nigerian Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, who claimed Nigeria has surplus of medical doctors, insisting there is no problem in that sector.
Alexader Victor Okhuese, an erstwhile associate at Lagos Business School, told the BBC program host that it is a fact that the medical sub-sector in most African countries are not stable and below global standards.
He stressed that a lot of of Nigerians and Africans who are well to do still travel abroad for medical treatment.
“If the Minister’s claim is true it means we can look inward and get these treatment from Nigerian doctors.
“Africa can retain it talents by using economic and political stability as tool to attract to Africa, the talented Africans abroad and retaining them at home afterwards,” he explained.
