Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called on Nigerians to prioritize their love for the country over financial gains as the nation grapples with the mass exodus of skilled professionals.
Akpabio made this appeal during a Senate session on Tuesday while addressing a motion aimed at tackling the increasing migration of Nigerians abroad.
Akpabio lamented the loss of expertise and its detrimental effects on key sectors, particularly health and education.
“The country is losing its expertise,” he said. “If they acquired those expertise and returned to Nigeria, it would have been better.”
He acknowledged that poor working conditions have played a significant role in driving many professionals abroad but emphasized the importance of patriotism.
“I also think the conditions of service are quite responsible. I believe people should place love for their country above financial gains. That is why many of us choose to remain here.”
Akpabio highlighted the severe impact of brain drain on Nigeria’s health sector, noting that the mass migration of health workers has left the country vulnerable.
“The brain drain is a big problem, not just in the educational sector, particularly in the health sector – it is affecting us a lot,” he said.
He cited reports that indicate a significant number of Nigerian professionals are excelling abroad, particularly in the United States.
“The greatest professionals in medicine in the USA, from what I read, some people say we have almost 22,000 health workers there who are Nigerians, and they are doing extremely well.”
The Senate President also drew attention to the challenges in the educational sector, where the shortage of qualified staff has hindered academic progress.
“In the educational sector, the disadvantages are too numerous because some of the departments do not have even up to 50 percent staff strength,” he said.
“So what then are you teaching our children? It’s like a computer – garbage in, garbage out.”
Akpabio assured that the National Assembly is committed to improving the working conditions of teachers and other professionals in order to retain talent and secure the future of Nigeria’s younger generations.