CONCERNED by the rising issue of brain drain in Nigeria, the Federal Government has sought partnership with British universities to ensure that sponsored scholars return home after completing their studies abroad.
Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, made this known when he received a delegation of the British universities vice chancellors in Abuja.
Echono said the Federal Government is concerned over the current trend where Nigerian scholars sponsored by the government to study abroad chose to remain overseas after completing their education.
He noted that this brain drain phenomenon had not only affected the development of the country but had also posed a significant loss of investment in the scholars’ education.
“The government has invested heavily in the education of these scholars and it is disheartening to see many of them choosing to stay abroad after their studies.
“Our goal is to foster collaboration with British universities to create a mechanism that encourages the return of these scholars to Nigeria,” said Echono
According to him, there could be a possibility, based on partnership, for scholars to return to complete their programmes in Nigerian universities after doing the major training overseas.
He said: “We are looking at institutional ways of doing that. For example, where we see that partnerships already exist between our institutions and those abroad, scholars can utilise the period of training to ensure that they complete their training back at home. These are some of the solutions that we are looking at in these engagements that we have.”
During the meeting, Sir Steven Murray Smith, the former vice chancellor of the University of Exeter, who led the delegation, expressed willingness to engage in such a partnership.
He acknowledged the importance of retaining highly skilled individuals in their home countries, noting that the brain drain issue affects both Nigeria and the international community.
“We understand the concerns of the Nigerian government and we share the vision of providing quality education to talented individuals. By working together, we can create opportunities for these scholars to contribute to the progress of Nigeria, while furthering their academic careers,” Smith said.
Echono also highlighted the need for capacity building and strengthening of the higher education sector within Nigeria, saying that the government aims to create an enabling environment that will attract scholars to return and contribute their expertise by improving the quality of education and research facilities.
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