Posted by Chester Morton / Monday, 22 August 2016 / No comments
The reasons for the brain drain in Ghana
Introduction
The term brain drain is used for the
exodus of a country’s professionals or intellectuals to foreign lands mainly
for greener pastures. These professionals include teachers, lecturers, lawyers,
doctors, engineers, etc. After the independence of South Africa, many Ghanaians
left for the republic of South Africa. Many Ghanaians have also left for better
jobs in other African countries, Europe, America and now Asia.
SOME CAUSES
OF THE BRAIN DRAIN
Economic factors
Ghana has gone through many economic
difficulties due to poor domestic economic policies, corruption in high places,
political instability, and externally-imposed factors such as the rise in the
prices of important imports. This makes life unbearable for citizens, especially
those earning very meager salaries and allowances. This difficult situation
compels professionals to leave the country for greener pastures elsewhere.
Moral reasons
The economic hardships described
earlier, create situations where people ignore principles and virtues and
engage in morally unacceptable conduct. They take bribes, charge illegal fees,
sell state property to enrich their pocket or embezzle state funds, etc. To
avoid compromising their integrity, many intellectuals left the country for
fear of entering personal disgrace.
Political reasons
Ghana has been noted for military
adventurers until about twenty years ago. It has been the same for many African
countries. Most professionals and intellectuals who dislike the government in
power in their country have deserted their countries to Europe and America.
This was done to avoid arbitrary arrests and detentions and other forms of
human-rights abuses.
Lack of job satisfaction
Some Doctors and nurses, for example,
complain they do not have the right tools to ply their trade. This may be so
because governments are unable to provide them. This can be frustrating. Even
for those who are willing to work, their individual promotions are intentionally
delayed.
The top of the work hierarchy, there
is choked. A young professional is therefore not sure how far he/she would
reach in the hierarchy before reaches the retirement age. Such people think it
is better to go outside the country and develop their career there.
Prestigious reasons
Some professionals just leave for
jobs outside for the international prestige and fame that comes with such
decisions. Some Doctors work in prestigious international hospitals, some
lecturers go to lecture in institutions like Harvard, Yale, Oxford or Cambridge.
These moves expose them to international fame, more prestige and fame than to lecture
at University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast or the University of Education,
Winneba.
Social factors
Economic difficulties result in pressures
from family relations for financial assistance, employment, etc. In Ghana and
many African countries, such requests are not uncommon. These requests cannot be
easily brushed aside. At village and town fund-raising rallies, one is expected
to make huge donations. It is the same at funerals. If one is not well placed
in society to meet all these expectations, it can result in embarrassment. Some
just get out of the country to avoid “disgrace”.
International
Some professionals have become
international commodities, wanted for their skills in many foreign countries. Under
such circumstances, some of them consider it as an honour to their country to
be serving outside. A professional like Kenneth Dadzie, was considered
indispensable by the former U.N. Secretary-General of the time, Perez de
Cuellar but he was needed by his country too. Finally, he had to shuttle
between serving his country and the international community. He was Ghana’s
High Commissioner to the U.K., and heading the United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development, (UNCTAD).
EFFECTS OF
THE BRAIN DRAIN
The brain drain has both positive and
negative effects.
POSITIVE
EFFECTS
Promotes the image of Ghana
The brain drain helps to promote the
image of the country in the eyes of the international community. The exploits
of some of the intellectuals abroad do hit the headlines in the international
media, thereby promoting the country’s international prestige. Ghanaian
teachers, doctors, etc., raised the image of Ghana in various parts of the
world. Ghanaian teachers, doctors, and doctors are on demand in many places in
the world.
Foreign cash remittances
While Ghanaians work abroad, they
send money home in the form of remittances. These remittances have become a
major source of convertible cash for the state. These monies are sent through
foreign commercial banks in London, New York, and through Western Union.
NEGATIVE
EFFECTS
It lowers administrative performance
This is the case if many of those who
leave work in the administrative sectors of the economy. These people are
trained to do their job so when they leave they leave a vacuum that may take a
long time to fill.
It affects the economy
Important sectors of the economy
might not have the appropriate personnel to handle it. There are certain
specialized professions that take a long time for people to be trained in. These
include medical doctors, nurses, architects and many types of engineers. When
such people leave the country in droves, the economy is bound to suffer.
Affects the growth of the economy
Trained and qualified personnel
of a country are its most important resource. Where people with the necessary
developmental skills leave the country in thousands, there can be no proper
development or socio-economic growth for the nation.
