Memorandum submitted by CBCAfricaRecruit
This submission will focus on the main on "brain
drain versus brain gain".OVERVIEW
CBCAfricaRecruit is a product of the Commonwealth
Business Council. It consists of FindaJobinAfrica.com (www.findajobinafrica.com)
the online job search engine its network of recruitment associates
inside and outside Africa and AfricaRecruit (www.africarecruit.com)
Africa Recruit is an innovative service delivery vehicle with
its focus on Africa's Human capital resource requirements, critical
skills redirection and transfers required to build robust and
enduring productive capacity throughout the continent.
"AfricaRecruit provides an opportunity
for dialogue among relevant stakeholders on issues of concern
to Africans living outside the continent. I am delighted to express
my support for this initiative and urge Africans in the Diaspora
as well as leaders of the private and public sector to do all
they can to support it."
President Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman, NEPAD Implementation
committee.
On the 12-13 March CBCAfricarecruit organised
a successful Africa Career/Recruitment fair in London United Kingdom
(see website www.africarecruit.com). Over 3,000 jobseekers and
over 20 recruiting organisations attended the high profile event.
The event was covered by international and national media organisations
such as CNN inside Africa, BBC World, Financial times and many
others.
BACKGROUND
Brain drain can be described as a situation
where educated and skilled personnel loss is greater than the
ability to replace or produce these personnel resulting in a shortage
of skills. Few would dispute that shortage of skills is a critical
constraint on investment, job creation and improved public services.
This problem is most acute in Africa. Approximately 40% of all
African professionals have left the continent's shores over the
decades since decolonisation. This means that upwards of 5 million
doctors, teachers, engineers, technicians and mangers are living
and working elsewhere. African immigrants to the United States,
for example, boast some of the highest educational attainments
of any immigrant group.
THE FACTS
SPEAK
— Between 1985 and 1990 Africa lost
over 60,000 middle-level and high-level managers to Western economies.
— About 23,000 lecturers from African
universities also continue to emigrate each year.
— Every year 23,000 graduates leave
Africa for opportunities overseas, mainly in Europe.
— The emigration of technically skilled
people has left 20,000 scientists and engineers in Africa, servicing
a population of about 600 million.
In many ways, the loss of skills could be counted
as Africa's foreign assistance to the developed world!
These communities retain strong ties back home,
and their skills and talents are vital ingredients of the NEPAD.
Africans in Diaspora already account for 85% of structured Foreign
Direct Investment in Africa. In some constituent republics of
the African Union remittances account for half of the Nations
Gross Domestic Product.
It is estimated that Africa receives approximately
$3 billion in remittances from Africans in the Diaspora each year
through the official or formal channels. This accounts for no
more than 50% as much more goes through the informal channels
such as person to person.
PRACTICAL RESPONSE
In order to take practical steps to address
this, the Commonwealth Business Council and NEPAD Secretariat
have established AfricaRecruit to provide a platform for debate
with the African Diaspora on how to contribute to an Africa-wide
human resources/skills strategy, and ensure that governments and
employers work together to make skill transfer and employment
opportunities easier to match. The African Union (AU) has expressed
its appreciation for the initiative, which supports the AU's policies
on the role and contribution of the Diaspora.
The initiative aims to develop:
— A global data base of skilled African
professionals/technocrats in and outside Africa.
— Strategic alliances with various
global organisations such labour advisers, head-hunters, recruitment
agencies, professional bodies and education institutions in mobilising
skills for Africa.
— To portalise jobs in Africa using
a global platform (www.findajobinafrica.com).
— To facilitate and manage employers
recruitment process through www.findajobinafrica.com by matching
employers with the most appropriate recruitment agency.
— To work in partnership with organised
business in mobilising human resources for Africa.
— To create a platform to engage citizens
of African in the formation of human resources policy.
AfricaRecruit has thus set a number of key objectives.
First, to enable private and public sector African
employers, and global companies with footprint in Africa, to work
together to boost skills inflow into key managerial and technical
areas.
Second, to create the largest interactive database
of job seekers and job opportunities for Africa as a resource
for companies and governments.
Third to foster debate in Africa and internationally
with the African Diaspora on how to contribute to an Africa-wide
skills strategy—to change attitudes and perspectives, and
to ensure that governments and employers work together to make
skill transfer easier including opportunities to self employed
Africans
The aim is to find ways to turn the historic
phenomenon of the "brain drain" into a "brain
gain"—utilising the experience and knowledge of
the Diaspora in the revitalisation of Africa.
AfricaRecruit was launched by the Chairman of
the NEPAD Steering Committee, Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu in London
in March 2003. More than 3,000 African professional attended the
first event. Some of the practical outcomes include:
— Recruitment and relocation of Africans—over
60 job placements have been achieved as a direct result of the
event.
— Awareness of job opportunities and
employment in Africa by skilled personnel.
— Recruiters sourcing from the large
untapped "talent pool".
— Obstacles and challenges to employment
in Africa highlighted with some practical and innovative solutions
put forward.
— Development of the African Diaspora
market place—to date AfricaRecruit has 758 African Diaspora
organizations on its database. The organizations vary widely and
centre on various capital such as financial; intellectual; political
and intellectual capital.
The huge number of Africa's professionals now
living outside the continent naturally makes an engagement with
the Diaspora a key NEPAD objective. This requires fresh ideas
on how to energise the relationship between Diaspora communities,
employers and governments. These professionals are some of Africa's
greatest but least recognized resources. These communities retain
strong ties back home, and their skills and talents are vital
ingredients of the AU and the New Partnership for African Development
(NEPAD).
It is estimated that Africa receives approximately
$3 billion annually in remittances from Africans in the Diaspora
through official or formal channels; with as much again through
informal person to person transfers. In some countries remittances
account for half of the national income, a recent survey of the
African Diaspora carried out has shown the following:
— 75-80% of those surveyed did majority
of their schooling in Africa.
— Most had very little work experience
in Africa before leaving the continent.
— A majority intend to return back
to Africa in the 0-7years.
— Those who do not intend to return
left because of insecurity and political reasons.
— A majority of those surveyed live
in Europe and North America.
— A majority of those surveyed send
money home to family averaging at US$200 a month.
— The money sent to family was mainly
for consumption and personal responsibilities, and usually sent
by hand or international money transfer.
But while it is possible to talk about numbers
of African professionals, in the many millions, who live outside
their country of birth each number, of course, represents a person,
with a family, in a community—and there are many Diaspora
communities not one. Numbers are huge and it would be wrong to
try to simplify how people can assist the continent's renewal:
Skills is one area, investment another, creating partnership business
development yet another. It is important to listen to how best
to access this resource, and provide practical ways in which people
can contribute.
CONCLUSION
The mobility of skills and capital between Africa
and Europe does contribute towards building skills capacity, transfer
of knowledge and capital to Africa. This can acts as a developmental
strategy if a cohesive strategy is adopted between "donor"
and "host" country.
November 2003
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