Brain-drain involuntary, taking ‘blood’ from Nigeria’s health system —OBJ

FORMER president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has said brain drain in the health sector in itself is good, but a misfortune for Nigeria, because the movement is involuntary and can be equated to taking away ‘blood’ from the nation’s economy.

Chief Obasanjo, who was the chairman of the valedictory programme and birthday celebration of Professor Abiodun Ilesanmi, a former Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said an unscheduled, unplanned brain drain is like taking away the blood from an emerging economy.

The theme for the celebration was ‘Impact of brain drain on an emerging economy.’

According to him, “planned and scheduled brain movement into areas where the brain can be enriched should be encouraged for any economy, and particularly for an emerging economy, because we need to have that property that anybody cannot take from you; that is intellectual property.

“And you get a better idea of it by interacting, mixing, and really through outreach with others. Our own misfortune is that our brain drain is involuntary.”

Chief Obasanjo said universities and educational institutions need to generate more revenue for their sustenance and urged Professor Ilesanmi to remain active in service, even as he changes his assignment to remain healthy.

Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, stated in his lecture that the major driving forces behind brain drain were material considerations, a dysfunctional health system and the fulfillment of professional aspirations.

While saying that brain drain needs to be considered more closely, he refuted the claim that overproduction of doctors and nurses in Nigeria caused the brain drain but added, “When you relate the figure of people that had gone abroad to what is left, there is something that has been given from our brain.”

Professor Osaghae said although brain drain is a modern-day migration, a human phenomenon that dates back to the beginning of mankind, African countries and all blacks should have a planned programme that also incentivises these movements for their benefits as source countries for these brains.

“Even though we lament and regret that we have lost a great deal because of brain drain, we are still going to lose a lot more because of globalisation and neoliberalism is not going to change; instead, they are even creating greater incentives for people to move out.

“Brain drain is not bad; it is a global phenomenon, and it has come to stay with us. Our brightest and best must remain competitive, but the way to bring that drain back is to begin to build infrastructure that will encourage people to come from their own countries and be part of the pool, and that pool has to be enlarged to have Africa and diaspora content, which can then be fully negotiated with all of these countries. We have to be in charge.”

At the event, which had in attendance among others the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale; CMDs of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and UCH, Ibadan, Professor Wasiu Adeyemo and Professor Jese Otegbayo, respectively; Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Professor Adewale Musa-Olomu; past heads of department of obstetrics and gynaecology; Provost of the College of Medicine, Professor Yinka Omigbodun, among others, Professor Ilesanmi was described as a mentor, kind and good doctor who has blazed the trail in leadership with a pragmatic approach to healthcare administration.

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