Brain Drain Equals Modern Day Colonization – Asantehene
The King of the Asante Kingdom, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has called for all hands to be on deck in addressing perilous brain drain that is threatening to wipe out the country’s labour force in critical sectors.
Speaking at the climax of the 57th Congregation of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on November 24, 2023, Otumfuo equated brain drain to modern day colonization.
“This exodus at its core resembles modern form of colonization where the very brains and mind that ought to nurture and lead our nation are choosing to depart driven by their seemingly more fertile grounds elsewhere.”
Though he said migration was not bad, the substantial departure in search for promising opportunities abroad threatens the country’s future.
“The departure of our potential leaders and talents who should be actively contributing to the growth and the development of our country raise the formidable challenge.”
He is of the view that collective efforts must be made to transform Ghana into an enticing and compelling destination for the youth, adding that it must be developed into “a place where they have unshaken faith in their capacity to succeed”.
He therefore proffered the creation of an enabling environment for entrepreneurship.
This, he said, will facilitate job creation for the youth and graduates.
“To achieve this, I call upon government and all stakeholders in education to embark upon innovative strategies aimed at retaining and harnessing the potential of our young graduates, creating an enabling environment that forces entrepreneurship to facilitate job creation and stimulates investment in research in development is crucial.”
Brain Drain
Brain drain in Ghana is particular to the health and education sectors.
It was reported that some 10,209 nurses between January 1, and July 7, 2023, sought clearance with the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) Secretariat, to leave the country for greener pastures. Of these, approximately 4,000 were cleared and have travelled to work abroad as nurses.
The worrying situation prompted the National Health Service (NHS) Employers to add Ghana to 54 countries placed on the red list countries of the United Kingdom (UK) for health workers’ recruitment.
The move though intentioned to control brain drain, doesn’t prevent individual health and social care personnel from independently applying to health and social care employers for employment in the UK, of their own accord and without being targeted by a third party, such as a recruitment agency or employer (known as a direct application).
