This presentation explains how “brain drain” which has resulted from migration of highly skilled and talented African professionals, especially in this case Nigerians is changing the social-psychology of the people in coping with new realities. 

By Emmanuel Folarin Ero-Phillips, Chairman, Ero-Phillips Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria

In recent year, there has been an increase in the number of African immigrants interested in gaining permanent residence in U.K, Europe and the United States. Migration by itself is a practical and functional phenomenon among people across the globe. However, it is the massive migration of skills and talents from communities that need those resources most that are puzzling. For example, highly skilled professionals are leaving Africa-particularly Nigerian and other African nationals to seek economic fortunes outside of Africa. 

This has led to severe “brain drain” with significant impact on the economy and infrastructure of many African countries. According to report on migration of African immigrants, one of the major reasons why educated Africans are migrating in large numbers to Europe and the Americas is because educational systems in many African countries are modeled along the pattern of developed nations. Most of the education in engineering, medicine, architecture and other physical sciences are not accommodating of local African realities. In many cases, advance education in Africa seem to prepare many for specialized training that are too technical and not applicable within the African environment due to inadequate financing and other social infrastructures that are needed to actualize those education. Therefore, it has been relatively easy for many educated Africans to enter international labor market. 

Today, one in three African university graduate lives or works outside Africa. Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ethiopians, South Africans and other African professionals are opting to reside outside of Africa and raise their family. It is estimated that over 20million people of Nigerian descent reside outside Nigeria with majority living in the UK, Europe and the United States. According to recent reports, there are more Sierra-Leonean medical doctors in the city of Chicago than the entire nation of Sierra-Leone. United Nation Development Program (2009) report indicates that “brain drain” is the greatest threat to development in Africa. Other reports have it that Africa.s most important export to Europe and the United States is TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, not petroleum, gold or diamond. 

A study report from the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (JBHE) reveals that African immigrants in the United States have the greatest educational attainment of any group apart from Asians. In addition, “Nigerian immigrants have the highest educational attainment of any immigrants in the United States with higher levels of completed education than East Asian immigrants.” Additional narrative from (wikipedia.org) indicates that academic growth is not only limited to fresh African immigrants, but “a disproportionate percentage of Black students at elite universities are immigrants or children of African immigrants. Harvard University for example, has estimated that one-third of its Black student body consist of recent immigrants or their children, or mixed race. Other top universities like Yale, Princeton, Penn, Colombia, Duke and Berkley report a
similar pattern.” 

Nigerian Professionals in America
The exodus of Nigerian professional to the United States remains a major puzzle for social scientists and community development experts. Using some data from the United Nation Development Program (2009) report on human development index (HDI) and socio-economic conditions around the world, Nigeria ranked number 158th out of 182countries measured, while the United States ranked 13th. Life expectancy in Nigeria is 48years, and the USA is 79years. Adult literacy rate in Nigeria is 72%, while the USA is 92%. The point being made here is that people migrate across the globe for various reasons. However, in a country like Nigeria where education is high, but life expectancy is low, yet large number of academic and medical professionals are opting to migrate out from that country. Between 1985 and 1990, it was estimated that over 10,000 Nigerian professionals migrated annually. 

However, recent reports indicate the number has multiplied. Migration Information Policy Study (2007) on African immigrants, academic journals and policy papers revealed that over 60,000 Nigerian medical doctors are practicing in the United States. For example, Nigeria has many notable individuals like Nobel Laureate, Deputy President of the World Bank including thousands of accomplished medical doctors, academics, journalists, engineers, accountants, architects, scientists, IT experts, economists, political scientists, pharmacists, but most of them are residing outside Nigeria. Official US Census (2000) data on African immigrants indicate there are about one million Nigerians, but other sources are claiming that over two million Nigerian residents and their families are in the United States. The presence of Nigerian professionals in the health sector of America remains a food for thought. Practically, most hospitals in the United States have Nigerian Registered Nurse (RN) on their staff. In major hospital and medical centers around the country, one is likely to find at least a Nigerian attending physician. 

Comments received from various sources within Nigerian communities in America indicates that for every licensed and practicing Nigerian medical doctor in the US, there are at least three new Nigerian immigrants working on passing through the American Medical certification process. There are Nigerian pharmacists in drug stores, hospitals and research institutions all around the United States. 

Within the younger generation, practically every medical school in America has a Nigeria student in enrolment. In a study of “Knowledge Flow and Health in Low-income Countries”, McAuliffe, Eilish and Machlan, Malcom (2005) “…. estimated that the United States has saved over USD3.86 billion as a consequence of importing 21,000 doctors from Nigeria alone”
Another major challenge impacting on Nigerian communities due to “brain drain” is the massive migration within the academia, especially those who have withdrawn their service and interest from Nigerian public universities and opted for positions in the United States. Nigerian professors and scholars in various academic institutions are advancing the course of knowledge within international communities but not in Nigeria. Nigerian immigrants are employed in various positions in the federal state and local governments of the United States. Multinational corporations, private organizations and other establishments in the US have Nigerian professional who are actively engaged in key positions. Based on education, skills level and roles at which Nigerians are engaged in international communities, it seem obvious that the Nigerian model of education produces highly-skilled and talented individuals, but the operating mechanism within Nigeria lack the necessary social infrastructures to absorb and engage them locally. 

HOW COMMUNITIES COPE IN NIGERIA
“GOD DEY”… meaning the Almighty will pave a way; is the average Nigerian.s response to any challenging situation. Faced with the challenges of intellectual flight, dwindling revenue, the effects of global warming, economic melt-down and budget cuts, the resilience and coping skills of Nigerians have been awoken to an un-imaginable level. Nigerians have become more adaptable to prevailing social conditions with great sense of HOPE and OPTIMISM.
Dignity of Labor 

Post Nigeria.s independence especially between 1960 and 1990, many people in the community believed in white-collar jobs. Various schools of thought believe that such attitude is hold-over from British colonial rule. However, in the past 10years, the thinking and expectations of Nigerian people and communities have been radically transformed.
For example,
1. People with college education and other advanced qualifications are no longer looking for non-existing white collar jobs. They now seek ways to create jobs for themselves.
2. The current economic situation within Nigerian communities has broken gender barrier in employment practices. Nigerians are becoming more comfortable at seeing female mechanics, bus drivers, taxi drivers and garbage evacuators. More females are going into active politics advocating for social change. On the other hand, there are increasing numbers of males doing what were hitherto termed female jobs like hairstylist, cooks, day-care assistants and other social service employments.
3. Creative self-employment like fast food outlets, internet cafés, individually owned city and long distance transport businesses, and fee-for-service hauling operations are all new innovations within communities in Nigeria.
4. Family ascribed gender roles have been broken because communities are seeing more women with better paying jobs, while husbands with limited opportunities have become more comfortable at driving a spouse.s car, take care of domestic chores like cooking and child care at home. 

Education in Nigeria
Post Nigeria.s independence in 1960, there were less than fifteen (15) Universities in the country and were all owned by government. But following the oil boom of early 1970.s the government granted license to individuals, corporate entities and religious bodies to establish universities. Currently, Nigeria has over one hundred universities and colleges of technology. Due to massive intellectual flight from Nigeria, many institutions (particularly public owned), are being run with limited lecturers and researchers. Community leaders and parents believe that standards have fallen within the public education systems because of inadequate government funding and the growing intellectual flight within the Nigerian academia. Consequently, individuals, communities and religious groupings rely more on private primary, secondary (high school) and university education for their children. 

Practically, all the major religious denominations in Nigeria own full range of educational institutions from pre-school to University level. Some parents with resources sometimes opt to send their children to schools in foreign countries.
Medical Services and Health-Care 

There are full range of government owned and operated medical services that includes community health-centers, rural and urban clinics, maternities and general hospitals. Many Nigerians believe that the quality of service and dedication of health providers have gone down in many of these establishments, while prices charged have gone up. It is widely believed that massive migration of Nigerian nurses, pharmacists and doctors have dragged down standards at government owned health care institutions and as such, are no longer preferred first choice destination for the average person in need of health care. 

As immediate solution, most people in the community utilize various means of health service depending on the health need, self-preference, educational level and financial capability. For example, there are store-front privately owned clinics, and medium to large sized privately-run hospitals. Individual and family financial capability has become a major determinant of access to health service in most communities. Moreover, some elites within Nigerian community often go for routine medical check-ups in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, India and the United States because they believe services at home are inadequate.

Within the past ten years, there began a renewed interest in the use of “alternative medicine” among a broad spectrum of the Nigerian society. These are medical treatments being administered by individuals who claim knowledge of human physiology and the type of locally obtainable herbs that cures any ailment. These multi-purpose medications are made from leaves, roots, vegetable and various forms of local spices. They are called “Traditional Medical Practitioners” (TMP). There are various schools of thought within communities, academia and medical professionals about the abilities, skills and reliability of the services of TMP. Some doctors within the Nigeria Medical Association remain adamant and uncomfortable with the claim of knowledge that has no verifiable scientific empiricism.

However, some community leaders, oral historians and academics believe TMP was reliable and effective within the African society in past years and as such should allow its use in the health sector. TMP has been popular in China, India and some Asian countries, and still being practiced In the attempt to offer some support and control of its use, the government of Nigeria has empowered the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria to work with TMP and its medications, and seek effective ways of measuring, calibrating and controlling products thereof. In the year 2000, the Traditional Medical Council Act was proposed by the government of Nigeria to facilitate the practice and development of traditional medical practice, and protect the population from quackery, fraud and incompetence. Nonetheless, other unresolved challenges are still confronting TMP community options in Nigeria. For example some people within various communities around the country are known to have consumed medication from TMP (either prescribed or bought on the road from street vendors). They developed intestinal complications and died within 24hours or less after its consumption. Other worrying stories have been told in various communities about medications and treatments from TMP.

Depending on whom one discusses with about TMP, several people in various communities believe certain products and practice of TMP are natural, pure and effective; however, there are many who also believe that fakes and quakes have joined the ranks to make quick money from innocent community members. Despite all the fears and skepticism around TMP, an increasing number of people within communities are still using such treatments and medications with increasing regularity.

 CONCLUSION
Considering the circumstances that are surrounding education policies and practices in Nigeria which consist of inadequate funding, lack of enabling environment and the lack of opportunity for internal intellectual growth, educated Nigerians will continue to seek opportunities in foreign countries. On health care services, the challenges of cost and quality of services rendered at government operated facilities in the urban and rural areas are real issues that communities are coping with but hoping will improve in future. For now, due to some deeply entrenched social, cultural and religious believes; a sizeable majority of Nigerians are combining the use of western medication and traditional medicine. Finally, as long as political elites and economically well-offs in the society take pride in going to Europe, Middle East, and India for medical check-ups and treatments wish unfortunately boosts medical tourism in the countries they visit at the expense of improving medical education, it.s research and services in Nigeria, communities will continue to cope and struggle with multiple challenges in health care services.

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By Emmanuel Folarin Ero-Phillips, Chairman, Ero-Phillips Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria At the The Settlement Summit: Inclusion, Innovation, Impact. Joint Conference Organized By  International Federation of Settlement and Neighborhood Centers (IFS) United Neighborhood Centers of America (UNCA) United Neighborhood Houses of New York (UNH),  New York City, October 4-9, 2010