Nigeria, Other African Countries Arise to ‘Return’ Diaspora Graduates

In reality, when African citizens travel abroad to countries like the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Russia, China, India, and others in search of the golden opportunity, their primary goal is to acquire an education and specialization and eventually return to their native countries to practice what they have learned in school.

Paraphrased- “Any education acquired in foreign countries if not practiced in your home country is worthless”, opined by Late President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

These set of Africans that have the desire to return to their native countries believe that they can contribute to society while desirous to live a better life for themselves, immediate and extended families.

However, most of the time, this desire has never been easy to achieve because these thoughts are regarded as mere dreams since sojourned Africans continue to remain indefinitely in their adopted countries: they never return to their motherland or native countries.

How can the above narrative change?

Furthermore, this mind-bugling assertion has become a troubling concern that needs to be addressed by African leaders, the sole policymakers that are expected to change the narrative.

This author also considers himself a victim of these uncertainties that persist in almost all of the countries in Africa including his country, Nigeria.

To better illustrate the above concern that Africans have including this author who holds a terminal degree, Ph.D. with a Specialization in Organizational Leadership from a reputable higher institution of learning in the US, but is hesitant to return to Nigeria due to the overall absence of these enabling environments, such as, traits of open corruption, trends of tribalism, nepotism, resentment from local professional colleagues in the workplace towards foreign graduates/professionals returnees, absence of affordable housing, security/safety concerns, police brutality/killings of innocent citizens by law enforcement personnel.

Other forms of threats towards human lives include poor leadership, epileptic power supplies, bad drinking water, absence of affordable healthcare delivery system for all, unbearable/dire-hard hardships, interstate and intra-state travels challenges, high unemployment rate, misuse of, and lack of human capacity development, lack of business incentives from the State and Federal governments including banks, high cost of living, kidnapping for ransom, banditry, robberies, cultism, political disturbances, and thuggery.

Quite a number of Nigerians that were surveyed on this matter, shares these views outrightly, except that a few bitterly stated that they have given up on Nigeria because the leaders are not ready for any change that will move the country forward. This is a very embarrassing claim against a country that they once loved and admired. In fact, the lists of these concerns are inexhaustible.

All the problems listed above are either overlooked or unattended to by present and past successive governments in Nigeria who have turned their eyes the other way, but concerned about being in power.

Citizens, particularly the masses are getting more frustrated each day and year, because people feel being abandoned or neglected by the government that they elected into office. This nonchalant behaviour by our political office holders has left people with a high level of disillusionment and feeling of sense of nothingness or lack of sense of belonging.

Also, the masses feel that the situation in the country is so alarming and disturbing: this includes cases of medically and mentally ill-related deaths which are caused by undiagnosed sicknesses, starvations, increase of suicide cases that are unaccounted for or statistically reported.

The future of the citizens seems bleak and hapless. Vividly, I remembered back in the ’70s during my employment years at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lagos, things were quite good, overall.

We had an excellent work environment, great junior and senior cafeteria, availability of luxurious buses for staff members that provides transportation services on a weekly basis-Monday through Friday that conveyed employees to work and back to their assigned stops in different parts of Lagos.

CBN also provided medical insurance in reputable hospitals for all staff members. Additionally, the staff enjoys exceptional remunerations package (including overtime pay, paid vacation benefits, maternity leave allowances, travel, relocation allowances, housing and car allowances for senior staff from Grade level 8 and above.

During this time that CBN staff were enjoying these benefits, it is not an overstatement for me to state that private Banks (Commercial Banks, Insurance Companies, other related banks), government ministries, private companies were also providing their workers with similar benefits.

Unfortunately, the staff of today’s Nigeria does not enjoy these employment benefits and pride that were available to workers that were employed back in the days (70’s to 80’s).

While I am still dabbling with this thought in my mind as to what might have caused the general shift of things in Nigeria.

In some of my quiet moments, I found myself boldly, but have reluctantly asked myself this question, what has made Nigeria of today different from the Nigeria of yesteryears?

Unconsciously, I took a pause, and then I remembered that I have provided some assertions that caused these problems or concerns as discussed earlier in this article.

In summary, I would like to paint a clearer picture of this topic with this analogy. For example, when a house foundation falls or in the process of falling, the owner of the house will look for ways to rebuild the foundation or prevent the foundation from collapsing to the ground.

The above analogy can be compared to the current situation that Nigeria is faced with today.

This being said, these are some of my recommendations to address the topic title of this article: The government should endeavor to address all the listed problems as stated in this article; Ongoing job orientation/training is required from management to imbibe a better working relationship between local professionals and foreign-trained graduates and professionals returnees so as to enhance effective job performance, encourage and maintain job satisfaction, introduction of job enhancement programs in the workplace that will encourage steady growth and continued overall success of the business.

Government agencies and parastatal should resume recruitment of overseas graduates and professionals and ensure that the expected enabling functional and conducive environments are put in place for Diaspora Nigerian graduates and professionals who want to apply their acquired skills/talents in Nigeria, be communicated formally to in writing to the embassy offices abroad.

Should the Diasporan Nigerians agree to return to Nigeria to contribute to society’s growth while fostering their personal development, a clear Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, the document must be consented to by the potential returnee(s) and potential employer(s)

Publish a link where Diaspora Nigerian graduates/professional returnees in the country share their success stories or negative experiences that will attract other of their colleagues to return to their motherlands in the nation-building process that will witness economic growth or sustainability.

Boston Edogi, Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Leadership/Dissertation “Content Expert”, Public Opinion Contributor, wrote in from Phoenix Arizona (USA).

Vanguard News Nigeria

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