cover of episode Can West Africa Curb Its Brain Drain?

Can West Africa Curb Its Brain Drain?

2024/6/20
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Why It Matters

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The emigration of skilled professionals from West Africa is a growing concern. This "brain drain" encompasses various sectors, impacting the region's development and future. The sheer number of young people leaving, coupled with the "brown drain" of less-skilled workers, paints a concerning picture.
  • Significant outflow of skilled professionals (doctors, engineers, etc.) from West Africa.
  • Emergence of "brown drain" affecting less-skilled workers.
  • Increased migration to US and Europe, some through irregular channels.
  • Severe impact on healthcare sector with doctor and nurse shortages.

Shownotes Transcript

West Africa is losing many of its best and brightest. Across the region, doctors, lawyers, and engineers are leaving, depriving some of the world’s youngest countries of the minds they need to develop sustainably. At the same time, coups have rocked the nearby Sahel, threatening to create a corrosive cycle of instability. Can West Africa quell the tide of emigration?

 

Featured Guests:

Aanu Adeoye) (West Africa correspondent, Financial Times)

Ebenezer Obadare) (Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies, CFR)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/can-west-africa-curb-its-brain-drain