Dr Aloy Chife, a famous Nigerian entrepreneur and philosopher, has lamented over the number of young Nigerians leaving the country in droves for greener pastures.
Dr Chife, who also identifies as a humanist, said the mass emigration of young citizens would affect Nigeria’s brain trust.
He called on authorities in the country to initiate an open discussion about the issue, warning that it could potentially cause havoc to Nigeria’s growth.
His words:
“I’m deeply worried about the number of young people – Nigeria’s best talents – leaving in droves.
“It takes generations to replenish the stock/recover from a mass emigration that culls a nation’s brain trust, even in the best of circumstances (good schools, security, etc.)
“But I just wonder if we as a nation are capable of having an open discussion about this extreme misfortune and potential ruin.
“Are we just going to ignore it and pretend it will not negatively affect our fortunes as a nation? It’s not a bad thing. What we need to talk about is how to have our cake and eat it.”
The emigration of young Nigerians, usually for economic opportunities, has reached an alarming stage in the last few years.
Desperate youths in the country have been emigrating to developed countries in search of better-paying jobs or other life-supporting means.
For instance, three years ago, there were 20,000 Nigerian students in British higher education institutions, and last year, the number increased to 127,000 after authorities in the United Kingdom allowed students to bring their dependents.
Migrating to Europe or the Americas is almost like a plague across the country, especially as economic reforms by the Bola Tinubu-led administration have kicked off.
