BRAIN-DRAIN ANALYSIS, ASSESSMENT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON STUDENTS LEARNING OUTCOME

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BRAIN-DRAIN ANALYSIS, ASSESSMENT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON STUDENTS LEARNING OUTCOME

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW

Given the present rate of economic growth in the country, and the plans for further economic development there should be great concern about “brain drain” in Nigerian Universities. The problems resulting from brain drain are often noticeable by the increasing demand for high level manpower in both public and private sectors and in the employment market generally. The point is often made that at a stage when there was an ever growing need for skills and expert of highly trained personnel, but there are large number of Nigerian Nationals abroad, especially in Europe and North America who have completed their training in various disciplines and prefer to remain and work in foreign countries.

It is for this reason that the problems of brain drain in the Nigerian Universities had become a trusting bane in the Nigerian policy. This however has necessitated the study on this topic in order to attempt to identify the causes and consequences of the migration of highly skilled academicians as it affects Nigeria and the possible steps which can be taken, as a matter of national policy, for curbing its intensity.

The conventional exception of loss of skills and talents should be from developed countries and the beneficiaries should logically be to developed

nations that need such skills and talents to enhance their development and not the other way as it is the case in Nigeria.

We view also as loss, the transfer of skills and talents by Nigerian academicians to other developing nations outside the context of technical assistance, except of course where such skills and talents are not required for the effective management of planned change in Nigeria.

Whether or not brain drain is a problem to Nigeria is no longer an issue. Public attitude has gradually shifted from passivity on the subject to that of national concern – a concern generated by the realization that the country does not have adequate skilled manpower (specially in our Universities) to bear the awesome burden for a massive indegenization efforts. There has also been United Nations resolutions calling for specific information on and solutions to the outflow of talents and skills which has now been largely restricted from the developing to the developed nations. These resolutions might have re-established official interest in the subject since Nigeria participated in the debates preceding the adoptions of such resolutions.

While brain drain is at present generally accepted as a problem, an aspect of it which remains undetermined is the precise number of Nigerian academicians abroad who are part of the phenomenon under consideration.

Fortunately, it is not necessary to wait for the exact statistics on magnitude to determine the consequences of brain drain for Nigeria. There

are hundreds of Nigerians resident in developed nations with middle and high

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level skills while at the same time, progress, on the second national development plan is being slowed down as a result of lack of these skilled manpower. With the continuous expansion of Nigerian Economic horizon, there is now the pressing need to demand for highly skilled academicians in our Universities to boost the intellectual prospects and performance of the students, as well as for the rapid development of the nation’s economic system in general.

1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

As with many social ills that have their origin elsewhere, the wave of brain drain, which describes large-scale movement of one nationality to other nations in pursuit of greater personal benefit, has caught up with Nigeria in the early eighties.

It became sufficiently worrisome to the federal government, that a presidential committee was set up in October 1988, to study the causes of brain drain in Nigeria.

The Federal governments subvention to higher education in Nigeria and especially University education has effectively shrinked as a result of the glut in the international oil market and the consequent dwindling in its oil revenue. Oil revenue accounts for over 90% of the National income in Nigeria. Meanwhile, Nigeria has over burdened with debt and its credit facilities with its allies in Europe and America have narrowed considerably.

The national economy was apparently collapsing.

Paradoxically, there were mounting pressures to open more Universities to cater for the teaming secondary school graduates who were initially admitted into the school system in the hey days of the economy through the Universal Primary Education programme (UPE).

The Federal Government conceded and opened more Universities. In 1979, there were only 13 Federal Universities in Nigeria. By 1985, there were 13 federal Universities. The problem of spreading competed academics was compounded by an increasing and steady depletion of the most skilled and experiences ones through emigration. The exodus of academics from Nigerian Universities started in 1965 during the Lagos Universities Crisis. The appointment of Professor Saburi- Biobaku to replace the incumbent Vice chancellor Professor Eni – Njoku, which led to some protest which resulted in the mass emigration of Igbo lecturers and expatriates to Zambia, Europe, United States of America etc.

Prior to 1965, Nigerian Universities were relatively isolated from national partisan politics. More importantly, staff remuneration’s were comparable (at par) to those of their counterparts in Britain. Not only were University lecturers better paid then their civil service counterparts, fringe benefits such as housing, allowances, social status, and working conditions were very attractive.

Adequate funding of Universities, attending overseas conferences every three years and such other fringe benefits were the order of the day.

The prevailing economic situations in Nigeria were that annual salary of a

lecturer was sufficient to buy a car, and so the liquidation of a car loan in five years not a strain. Because of the above, there was no urge for academicians to leave the Nigeria Universities for employment overseas, or to join the civil service or move into private sector. Also, postgraduate students rush back home after completing their studies abroad.

In 1973, the federal government set up a committee headed by Chief Jerome Udoji to review the salaries and conditions of service in the public sector, the Universities inclusive. The harmonization of salaries into grade levels ranging from 1-15 effectively removed the differential between the salary of lecturers and civil servants, a move considered unacceptable by the academicians. Lecturers in the then six Nigerian Universities went on a national strike. Government retaliated by asking all lecturers to go back to work or quit their official quarters within 48 hours. The lecturers, capitulated since hardly any of them owned a house. This humiliation was an eye opener, that their jobs were not as secured as they formally thought.

The oil boom years saw the proliferation of Universities in Nigeria with the establishment in 1975 of the second generation Universities. The job opportunities thus created, and the favourable economic climate attracted many foreigners into the Nigerian University system.

The oil boom era ended in the late seventies with a decline in oil revenues.

In 1986, the continued decline of the revenues from the oil sector led the Babangida administration to introduce the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP).

With SAP, the lecturers found it difficult to make ends meet. Moreover, the unbearable bank interest rates made it impossible to liquidate mortgage loans they obtained after the 1973 face-off with government. Lecturers especially those approaching retirement age were forced to seek foreign employment to save their houses from the auctioneer’s hammer.

More so, during the Abachas administration, attempts were made to improve the standard of living of the low income earners by stimulating appropriate economic activities in the various wards of each local government area in the country through the introduction of the Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) in 1997. Despite the implementation of the programme, its impact was not quiet felt by the University system in the country. As such there was still a great deal of exodus of lecturers from institutions to other private organizations during this period.

At present, the Obasanjos administration has also tried to satisfy its workforce (lecturers inclusive) in the country by introducing the Basic Salary scheme (i.e 50 percent increase in basic salaries of civil servant) which 25% has been implemented. But since the inception of the programme there has been instability and inconsistency of academic sessions in the University

system in Nigeria. The Academic staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has

embarked on different strikes due to the fact that the federal government have not been able to meet up with the increase in salaries. This is turn has endangered the University education and also the search for better educational career abroad by students, as well as greener pasture by lecturers.

Brain drain threatens University Educational System with total, collapse because there is a growing difficulty in inducing brilliant and able students to come back to the system.

This study intends to consider the effects of brain drain on the Nigerian University education and the nations, economic development in general. Thus considering the factors affecting brain retention and their effect on University education is part of the focus of this research study.

1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Over the last few years, the Nigerian University system has emaciated seriously from a consistent brain drain of its experienced staff. These have brought so much harm to the academia in the Nigerian Universities that many of our academic departments are headed by staff of senior lecturers grade. Similarly, the quality of University Teaching and research has suffered.

The Universities in Nigeria have been unable to retain sufficient academic staff which constitutes the back bone of development and expansion of any academic institution and which makes it difficult to attain maximum efficiency

and effectiveness in the field of teaching, research and public services.

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Consequently, this study seeks to determine the causes and the effects an the magnitude pattern and possible responses to staff retention problems in Nigerian Universities using Ahmadu Bello University Zaria as a case study.

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this research is to critically examine the causes of brain drain in Nigerian Universities using Ahmadu Bello University Zaria as a case study. Specifically, the objectives include:

Examine factors that cause brain drain in Nigeria Universities.

Assessing the effects of brain drain on the Nigerian University educational system.
Examine how brain drain affects the lecturers and student in the Universities.
To examine other factors that may have direct or indirect relationships with brain drain in Nigerian Universities.
To suggest and recommend, practical measures for curbing the continuous brain drain in our educational and national developmental systems in Nigeria.

1.5 HYPOTHESIS FORMULATION

Hypothesis refers to an experimental statement tentative in nature, showing the relationship between two or more variables. It is open to tests

and can be accepted or rejected depending on whether it agrees or disagrees with the statistical test.

This study seeks to confirm or refute: The assertion that brain drain has caused untold hardships to both students and lecturers in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and therefore, it seeks to consider the social, political and economic effects of brain drain at ABU Zaria.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

A comprehensive study on the concept of brain drain should include: all academic staff moving out of the University system not as retiring staff or as a result of sickness or secondment, but permanently and intentionally leaving the services of the University to areas referred to as the “GREENER PASTURES”. The reason and the effects for such movement are examined.

The study being a case study is limited to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The study does not seek to know from those who left, why they left the University but from the University system itself. However, it seeks to know from those still serving in the University the reasons for brain drain and its consequences on the University system as a whole.

Imitations are those factors inherent in the research study that might have affected the process of data collection for this research work.

One of the major limitations is the organization’s unwillingness to give out necessary data that will have assisted in the conduct of this research

work effectively.

Another limitation is the current harsh economic conditions in the country. Also, time constraint was another factor that limited the coverage of the scope of this study adequately.

The findings therefore, from this study is based on information that is obtained from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, as a representative of Nigeria’s University system. The findings have been generalized on all University system in the country.

1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is significant in the sense that only through such a study that the ills created by this unwholesome development will made manifest and corrected to enhance effective improvement in our Universities and the economy.

It has equally revealed the extent to which brain drain is irretrievable and unfrighteningly crippling to the Nigerian University education in terms of academic quality. It suffices to say that it is only through such a study that those concerned will be compelled to understand and take appropriate measures to curtail the situation.

The study is also significant because it has shed light on some of the major causes of brain drain in Nigerian Universities and possible solutions and recommendation have already been made for minimization of adverse consequences to the entire nations.

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