Growing up as a young agricultural student in Africa, studying Animal Science, one of my greatest motivations was from the research articles I read and pictures I saw in agriculture related journals and magazines of studies conducted in developed countries. As a resultant effect, I had a growing interest to remain in agriculture, having discovered how vast agriculture is and the mass of opportunities it presents for my future if I follow that career path. So I followed through to a Master’s degree in Animal Management, and some youth related and young scientists activities followed suite as well as a lecturing and research position with a University.

I began to feel frustrated that my dreams to become a world class agriculturist and animal scientist may not be realised due to unfavourable conditions of the agriculture and education sector in my country. I started my PhD back home for about one year. But then, my frustrations which were covered by the little successes I had experienced in previous years were beginning to become overwhelming. That was when my consideration for migration started becoming strong and irresistible.

As I write, I am currently on a study PhD in Australia and have come to see the reasons why migration is a major issue among young professionals in developing countries. The fact is that the governments of developing countries should be blamed for the recurring brain drain from “south to north” because they have failed to do the right things for many years now. 

Here, I want to share four points from my perspective of what are the key drivers of migration and the opportunities that youth are seeking abroad.

Young professionals want to be sure they can realise their dreams and experience progressive career development back home

The condition in most developing countries does not give room for young professionals to realise their dreams because of several limitations the system places on their potentials. A situation where young professionals have little or no say in policies affecting them and how they grow and develop in their career will frustrate them and drive them to seek migration opportunities to where “young blood and talent” is valued and encouraged.

Young professionals do not have access to funds to carry on their research dreams and there is hardly any kind of or just a few grants and financial support directed towards young professionals in developing countries. Where such exists, corruption does not let funds go round in an equitable way to the right and qualified people as those controlling the distribution of the funds will either embezzle the funds or share the funds at their “own discretion”.

Abroad, there are several funds supporting early career researchers from developing countries such as the Australian Government’s International Postgraduate Research Scholarships, the USA’s National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Research Program and the EU’s Marie Curie ITN. These are key attractions for migration for young professionals in developing countries, helping them to realise their dreams.

Young professionals want to have the conducive environment for their skills to thrive

As an early career researcher, I discovered that some of the research studies I would love to conduct are not possible because there are no laboratories at my institution equipped enough for such nor the man-power to provide technical support. With this kind of condition where there is little investment in research, young professionals would not have their research skills thrive effectively and be able to compete with their contemporaries across the developed world.

For example, can you imagine a dream in nano- and biotechnology and their role in improving animal and crop production and yet there is no way you can even attempt such study. Any young scientist in a developing country with such interest that sees an opportunity to achieve this abroad will definitely migrate. Within the short period I have spent into my PhD in Australia, I have learnt some research and laboratory skills that I couldn’t learn in one year I invested in my previous study before leaving for Australia.

This, as a matter of fact has become tempting because I am wondering how I would apply the new-gained skills back home because there are no such facilities to support the application of these skills. My only hope is that things will change before I return home (most probably).

Young professional want to be recognised and rewarded for their efforts and contribution to national development

Many young professionals from developing countries who flew or still flying high the flags of their nation on global stage (I have had this privilege too) have gone and still going unrecognised and unrewarded for the good work they are doing. Some of these people were rather recognised and rewarded by governments of other nations and by so doing attracted them to migrate to those countries.

After my participation in the Alltech Young Scientist Competition in 2011, I had offers from Alltech because they believed my work was good and wanted to give the opportunity to take it to the next level. This included a special award which was never given before and has not been given again. But I went back home and nobody talked about it. Young professionals cannot be continuously treated this way and be expected to feel good about it, and not take up the opportunity presented by the “north.”

Young professionals want to be valued by the key institutions in their countries

Key institutions involved in development including agricultural development see young professionals as inexperienced and so find it difficult to think that their views are valuable and so hardly put into consideration the role of young professionals in nation development. This is mostly obtainable in developing countries where corrupt leaders of institutions do not want to retire and or make room for young people. In most cases, they will set up years of experience as one of employment criteria when these young professionals have never been given any opportunity to gain this prerequisite experience. Those who are fortunate to be employed are not always part of the decision making body in these institutions.

These are just a few reasons why migration is attractive to young professionals including those in agricultural research for development. And until governments of developing countries begin to address these issues by providing environments where young professionals can realise their dreams, have their skills and talents thrive, have their efforts and contributions recognised and rewarded and have their views valued by key institutions, the ongoing brain drain will continue from developing countries to developed countries. In the agricultural sector, as well as others in developing countries, including mine, these have had a huge negative impact in the sense that young people no longer want to be involved in agriculture because it doesn’t seem to have any reward. Hence youths want to pursue faster means of making money and of course, migrating abroad is one of such means.

Blog post by Apeh Omede (Nigeria) for the blog series on youth and migration,organised by YPARD, the CTA ARDYIS project, IFAD and the e-Agriculture platform,on the occasion of the International Youth Day 2013.

Picture: Apeh with the other finalists of the Alltech: Alltech Young Scientist Competition 2011