XENOPHOBIA OR NO XENOPHOBIA: WHY IT MAKES SENSE TO MIGRATE AS A PROFESSIONAL

In the new spate of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and Somalians in Pretoria this week, intolerant (as we may call it) indigenous South Africans came out to fight against the immigration of these 2 nationals to South Africa. Strangely in the history of Xenophobia in South Africa, Nigerians fought back this time, not as criminals but as law-abiding legal immigrants who has broken no law.  Perhaps unknown to South Africans, the agitations going on in Nigeria is more than all xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in the last 30 years put together.  To avoid needless digression, I would narrow down my analysis to the entrance of one group of Nigerians into South Africa. That group is the conglomeration of medical doctors practising in South Africa.

Xenophobic attacks in South Africa

Nigeria has trained more than 90,000 doctors since 1948 when the premier University of Ibadan took off even though it needs 237,000 doctors currently.  Of the 90,000 Nigerian-trained medics, less than 40,000 works in Nigeria as at 2017 while the remaining 50,000 or more are scattered all over the globe.  The brain drain is so massive that despite training over 90,000 doctors already, the ratio of doctors to patient still stands at about 1:6000+  considering 170m as Nigerian population. This is not surprising though in a country that allocates only 1.5% of her budget to healthcare instead of 15% in line with WHO standards. This is not even the issue for now.

The issue is that of the 90,000 Nigerian-trained doctors scattered across the globe,  a few thousands of them are in south Africa. On arrival in Cape Town, Johannesburg or Pretoria, they settle alarmingly fast having gone through mad rigors at OAUTH, LUTH, UCH, UNNTH ABUTH etc. Statistics has shown above 85% excellent performance of Nigerian doctors who go write post graduate medical exams in South Africa.  Infact, the remaining 15% performance is shared by all other African nationals put together! Having survived in a country where the government is not even aware of all her first class graduates not to talk of awarding them scholarships, these young doctors arrive in a place where the government is ready to support you in planning your life. In such a circumstance, it will be extremely difficult for a young Nigerian professional not to succeed!

The world is looking for doctors, farmers, problem-solving scientists, leaders and planners. The world is not looking for illiterates who are not willing to go to school.  The world is looking for great parents that will raise good children who will make the world a better place. The world is not looking for militants, almajiris, area boys, omo oniles, 419ers or racists. The world is not looking for illiterates!!! It has enough of them! The world is looking for skilled artisans and professionals to meet critical societal needs, not religious vampires or baby machines. So if you are one of such professors or professionals, why stay in a country where the 40,000 underpaid doctors are at the mercy of tummy-bloating politicians who took only a short course after SSCE, keeps his kids in oxford or Yale and does not care about any WHO standards.  He could even use the doctors’ salaries as collateral for a loan and veto his point on you with an argument similar to that of a “constituted authority”. Don’t laugh please.

While I would have joined that resistance against xenophobia if I was there too, I will have loved to call my Nigerian friends thereafter and say “we are fighting South Africans that are killing Nigerians in South Africa. When are we Nigerians going to fight a Nigerian that stole the N195bn pensions fund of more than 4 million people? When are we going to fight those gambling with the Nigerian economy?  When are we going to fix our hospitals, pay our doctors well so that we can treat our ailing president? When are we Nigerians going to fight Nigerians killing Nigerians?” When are we going to fix our own country?

Doctors and most professionals will most likely continue to leave Nigeria in droves to the point that, if we are not careful, there will be less than 10,000 doctors nationwide. Infact, if those upcountry ever get to know the opportunities before them outside this country, they will never wait one day after graduation. Until we fight what is making our professionals disappear in droves and triggering brain drain, we are not ready for development.  South Africa today, is reaping the dividends of having a great leader. When will we get our Mandela that will stop these failures?