To fight the mind drain affecting Nigeria’s training sector, the Rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, Professor Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, has advocated for aggressive incentives to retain native lecturers.
In accordance with the Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism, providing engaging packages to lecturers and elevated funding for the training sector is not going to solely encourage Nigerian lecturers to remain within the nation but additionally scale back the “Japa Syndrome.”
In an interview with The Guardian, the famend scholar recognized poor funding and remuneration as a number of the components contributing to mind drain within the sector.
Whereas acknowledging that mind drain is a common pattern, Prof. Ufuophu-Biri mentioned that it turns into a priority when a rustic’s most expert people are enticed to depart for higher prospects elsewhere.
He mentioned: “Once you depart your village on your state capital, you’re searching for greener pastures. Once you depart your state for Abuja, you’re searching for greener pastures.
“Japa is a worldwide factor. But it surely turns into harmful when your finest arms start to go since you can’t fulfill them. When there have been so many white individuals educating in our major, secondary, and universities, have been Nigerian lecturers operating away the best way they’re operating proper now?
“In 2009 to 2010, when the Nigerian professor’s wage was about $3,500 to $4,000, was he operating away? So if he has a suggestion of 5 occasions his wage exterior this nation, will you blame him for going?
“For those who go to South Africa proper now, you will note that many deans and heads of departments are Nigerians and Zimbabweans. So this challenge of Japa doesn’t come into play.
“In case your nation presents what is nice, it’ll entice others to you. Now we have the oil sector right here. You have got white guys coming as a result of they earn a lot from it.
“For those who make the training and medical sectors engaging, they can even come. It’s a pressure of gravity. When individuals get higher presents, they go there. So many Nigerian lecturers are getting higher presents, therefore they’re going there.
“For those who really feel it’s unhealthy, give provide and let others additionally come to you. Now we have the perfect of brains in Nigeria. However for me, no person’s navel is tied to a selected nation. You go to the place you assume is finest for you.”
Whereas inaugurating the Governing Councils of federal tertiary establishments final month, Schooling Minister, Professor Tahir Mamman, mentioned the training sector has suffered probably the most from mind drain within the nation.
Prof. Mamman argued that, opposite to the notion that the medical career has suffered probably the most from the mind drain syndrome, the training sector is the worst hit.
“Unknown to lots of people, the training sector has truly suffered probably the most within the Japa syndrome than some other sector in Nigeria. Now we have misplaced even lecturers in major and secondary faculties due to Japa.
“They’ve left for Europe, all over the place. Loads of occasions we speak about medical personnel. However I can verify to you that we’ve misplaced extra lecturers in Nigeria than in some other sector.
“And particularly for lecturers in tertiary establishments, it takes not less than 15 years to have anyone with a Ph.D. So when you lose one, it’s a really main loss to the nation,” he mentioned.
In accordance with a 2023 Nigerian Immigration Service report, over 3.6 million Nigerians migrated in two years to different international locations looking for higher alternatives.
