‘ Nigeria needs educated, skilled workforce for economic prosperity’
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Valuechain Academy in the U. S., Dr Imoh Okon, in an interview with GLORIA NWAFOR, reckons that critical skills migration is a global phenomenon. But contrary to the brain drain perspective alone, therein also abound opportunities for Nigerians to acquire global exposure in education and experience for the development of the home country, if the environment would be accommodating for critical skills importation.
Skills migration is one of the trends of globalisation, but it seems to be an exodus codenamed japa in developing countries like Nigeria. Why is that so?
AS you rightly noted, migration is not a new phenomenon as it has existed for centuries. People migrate due to several reasons, including for example war and insecurity, famine, or to seek economic, education or career opportunities.
Africa is blessed with both human and natural resources, however in several instances, its vibrant and hardworking youthful population lacks sufficient opportunities to meet their educational and career aspirations. We know that innovation can come from anywhere and I have witnessed some amazing, innovative solutions coming out of resourceconstrained African communities in recent years.
However, without an enabling environment and support system, like access to capital, technology, electricity, and so on, several novel endeavours have failed to meet or reach the desired potential. It is therefore not surprising that ambitious individuals would naturally gravitate towards opportunities that support the expression of their talents, including educational growth and professional development.
While it is brain drain in this part of the world, it is brain gain for others. With similar experiences in advanced countries, what lesson can the Nigerian State learn to reverse the trend?
In my opinion this trend, again, is not entirely new and relates to the quest for opportunities. People will always gravitate towards areas of “perceived” better opportunities. With the UK, several factors have contributed to the pressure on its healthcare system, including Brexit, inability to graduate adequate numbers of medical professionals to meet the increasing needs of its population, inadequate healthcare investments and funding, excessive workload plus poor remuneration of doctors and nurses. Additionally, the British healthcare delivery model may become unsustainable without significant policy changes. A major benefit of a “free” healthcare system is that it guarantees access to every citizen and qualified residents, however, it may be prone to long waitlists for certain medical procedures, plus inherent abuse, and waste within the system. In the United States, there are also challenges with optimal delivery of healthcare services. Issues such as access, health insurance, equity and costs remain significant challenges within the U. S. healthcare system. To focus doctors’ effort on areas of pressing needs, other trained medical professionals, such as Physician Assistants and Nursing Practitioners are tasked with handling routine medical issues or providing first- line contact with patients prior to seeing a physician. Additionally, a focus towards preventive rather than reactive medicine is being promoted. For example, some health insurance companies offer financial rewards or incentives to members that undertake yearly preventive medical screenings, while penalising smokers or the use of tobacco products.
Additional health initiatives have banned cigarette smoking in certain public places, while physical activities and healthy diets are strongly encouraged. No doubt, countries need to adapt to ensure equitable delivery and distribution of healthcare resources.
One of those sectors worst- hit is healthcare. As a medical expert in the U. S., how can this be addressed?
The short answer to the question is that Nigeria needs increased investment and funding within the health sector. Healthcare is both a business and a service and therefore, the government cannot do it alone. In addition to increased funding, the government ( local, state, and federal) needs to provide leadership, encourage private investments and partnerships, plus policy guidance that address root causes of current healthcare challenges. We often equate health to the actual presence or manifestation of disease or illness, but it encompasses much more. Several factors directly impact health, including housing, transportation, education, environment, income, and much more. Together, these factors constitute “social determinants of health”. Additionally, there are commercial determinants of health.
Given the abysmally poor doctor- to- patient ratio, are there opportunities to increase the number of graduating medical professionals ( doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory technicians, etc.)? Can tangible improvements be effected to enhance medical and scientific research, improve the numbers and quality of community health centres, and eradicate fake and counterfeit medicines?
Additional areas that can yield tangible benefits include support for continuing medical and professional education, targeting University Teaching Hospitals as hubs for best practice and innovation, regulation of health facilities and diagnostics labs, secure health record systems, accredited and well- staffed pharmacies as hubs for routine services such as, vaccinations, equipment purchase and maintenance, and adequate training of medical and technical personnel. These require significant investments but are a snapshot of achievable solutions. Importantly, technology can enable better coordination, accountability, and meaningful outcomes of these initiatives.
How is your Academy helping to dimension the Japa paradox?
Valuechain Academy operates globally and addresses specific gaps that impinge on educational growth, professional development, and career opportunities. Given the abundance of natural resources and human capital across Africa, we hope that by increasing educational and training opportunities of the vibrant youthful population, we can stem and even reverse the Japa paradox. China, Russia, and several European countries are in Africa for a reason. The natural resources, youthful population and consumer market can be found here which forms a magnet and attractive combination for businesses!
Therefore, a highly educated and skilled workforce can power the continent into an era of sustainable development and economic prosperity. We believe that it takes a village or community to raise a child! We believe that classrooms are not the “start- to- end” of learning. Therefore, we bring a combinatorial and coordinated blend of unique learning opportunities and resources that challenge, inspire, and maximise student’s educational growth and long- term career success. We cater to high school, undergraduate and graduate students by building tailored programs and highly competitive portfolios to support their career aspirations. Don’t forget, I obtained my doctorate degree from Imperial College London, and with over 23 years of educational and career experiences in both the United States and the UK, I understand first- hand that knowledge transfer is greatly amplified when coupled to real- world utility and mentorship opportunities.
In addition to supporting students’ academic activities, we provide additional resources, such as STEM projects, internship opportunities and industry visits, summer camps, career fairs, and much more. The goal is to ensure that our students remain competitive relative to their peers in North America, Europe, South Korea, Japan, China, and other parts of the world.
Why is this important? We believe that strong academic grades, together with a solid and well- rounded portfolio present several benefits. For example, such students are better positioned for admission into competitive programs across top- tier universities, become attractive candidates for competitive scholarships, develop a high level of self- awareness and critical thinking skills, gain confidence, and are well- conditioned for global career opportunities. We also enjoy strategic partnerships with several stakeholders in the international and career ecosystems, including Colleges, Universities, and multi- national organisations, to expand internship opportunities for our students, company executives and professionals that provide mentorship and career advice, and much more. In addition, remaining relevant in a dynamic and highly competitive jobs market requires a continuous learning mindset. Therefore, we provide training to obtain certifications in several on- demand job areas, such as Project/ Program Management, Regulatory Science ( clinical trials), Healthcare Informatics, Climate and Environmental Health, and Healthcare Finance.