By Kolawole Temitope *
The College of Health Sciences OAU had its faculty week sometime last month. They invited Professor Adeseye Akintunde , one of the best cardiologists in Osun State, to be the guest speaker, who happens to be one of my mentors.
On our way down to Ife, we had several conversations. He told me how he was trained in Germany post-OAU and how he could have chosen to stay and build a career there.
He has saved many lives today. One notable one has gone to several hospitals and ran several tests before finding him. She now leads an NGO dedicated to awareness of the illness that would have taken her life.
My mind began to ask questions again. How many of these Profs, scientists, and sports people have gone out of the country? How many more lives could we have saved? What if he had decided to stay in Germany?
According to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Africa loses about $2 billion annually through brain drain in the health sector alone. In Ghana, 50% of nurses and 90% of doctors leave for abroad. In Nigeria, over 5,600 Nigerian doctors moved to the UK between 2015 and 2021—and these are just the official numbers.
While thinking about this, I came back home. Oh, home isn’t inviting, either. Probably, that was several years back when things were still a little better. The harsh reality is that we can’t blame these professionals for seeking better opportunities. I will, too. They deserve decent salaries, good working conditions and a chance to advance their careers—basic things many African countries struggle to provide.
It really became a dilemma for me. What can we do?
The world wants our best brains. Our best brains wish to leave. Whose fault?
I saw the data of countries where we expect the next 1000 births and population growth of the most populous countries. Among these two, Nigeria seems to be top-ranking. Someone jokingly commented, « It seems we have something to export. Human resources… »
Our ship is in troubled waters, yet we are sending our best sailors to ships on apparently calm waters. Countries like Rwanda and Kenya have shown us it’s possible to reverse brain drain through diaspora engagement programs and improved working conditions. Rwanda’s « Come and See, Go and Tell » program has attracted professionals back home.
The simple solution could have been better governance, improved infrastructure, and competitive salaries. Brain drain can become brain gain if we create the right environment for our professionals to return and contribute.
Doing a little further analysis…
I spoke with some young diasporans about their plans. Many would love to return to help build our healthcare system, but most say they need support—better equipment, regular power supply, and decent salaries.
That’s not something individuals may achieve. And we can’t wait for the Government anymore.
What’s the way forward?
Maybe it’s time we stopped seeing brain drain as just a loss. Could we transform it into a network of knowledge and resources? Many African professionals abroad are setting up initiatives back home, mentoring young ones, and investing in projects. Perhaps that’s where our solution lies, in building bridges rather than barriers.
The solution to Africa’s problems will come from Africa, but maybe not in the way we expect.
What do you think? Should we focus on keeping our talents or building systems that allow them to contribute from anywhere? Maybe it’s not about stopping the drain but creating a cycle that enriches both sides.
Thank you for reading through!
*Kolawole Temitope is a bioinformatician, international writer, and advocate for SDGs. Currently a postgraduate student at the Institute of Genomics and Global Health, he analyzes datasets to discover cancer biomarkers. As Director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in Nigeria, he advances digital health and precision medicine in Africa. He is also the author of The Force Within, a book about self-awareness and achieving dreams.
