As discussed in another unit concerning New Zealand (Chapter 11), economic and social incentives draw the best and brightest workers from one region or nation to another. The brain drain is especially visible and problematic in Africa, where the loss of the region's brightest people contributes to the continent's continued woes. Without professional and intellectual leaders to help solve the region's problems, Africa must depend on outside assistance and forever lag behind those destination nations that experience "brain gain."
With the brain drain Africa loses economic potential. This means that potential investors shy away from nations whose best teachers, doctors, students, and business professionals relocate, perpetuating the poverty that led to the brain drain in the first place. One U.S.-based Nigerian refers to this as "a slow death for Africa".
Besides the loss of economic potential is the loss incurred when expatriates are hired to replace top-notch workers.
Usually companies have to pay higher salaries and offer more perks to expatriates, increasing the overall economic loss
due to brain drain.
According to the BBC, a South African research group now claims that Africa's monetary loss due to
hiring expatriates to make up for the brain drain stands at over $4 billion a year.
The problem:
First, read more about the problem of brain drain from a variety of perspectives. These stories will show you the
many players and the variety of push and pull factors in Africa's brain drain.
Crime Propels Brain Drain of Top Executives
Potential solutions:
First, read this story on how the tide may be turning for the African brain drain: "The Turning Tide of Africa's Brain Drain."
Next, read about solutions that may help relieve the brain drain:
"Reversing Africa's 'brain drain'."Finally, a relevant site that also suggests a potential solution: http://www.africasbraingain.org