Source : www.kyslife.com

The Chicken? Or the Egg?

“Health Minister Prof Christian Chukwu has called on Nigeria’s health professionals [in the diaspora] to ‘show more commitment and concern to the health of the nation.’”

-AllAfrica.com (http://allafrica.com/stories/201107251853.html)

As a medical student in the US, it is not uncommon to be involved in altruistic medical missions to to various nations with differing levels of destitution and disposition. The humanitarian spirit here is phenomenal. It has almost reached a point where humanitarianism is no longer voluntary, it is expected. After all, health professionals in the US can live a moderately comfortable to sub-lavish lifestyle. Its only right to give back. The case of nigeria is a special one. The cleverly coined “brain-drain” saps the nation of a great percentage of its most promising professionals, in health or otherwise. Nigerian’s are some of the most educated expatriates on the planet, yet the rate of infrastructural advancement at home does not reflect the image that a society of scholars ought to. For example, only very recently was progress made in establishing a minimum wage, in the signing of the new Minimum Wage Act. This act mandates the payment of at least 18,000 Naira per month, which is meager at best. That translates to $118 dollars. This is a great step in the right direction but it is also a baby step. A country with over 50 years of independence under its belt should at least be walking by now. Even in physics the flow of current may take all paths but will more likely take the path of less resistance. Why would an established comfortable professional want to deal with fighting to earn money they have already worked for? The facts are indisputable…there must be a mass migration of minds back to Nigeria in order to see adequate infrastructural development because despite our wealth of resources, our progress is poor.

For example, the United Nations has for a long time laid out a set of goals that its members should try to achieve by 2015, goals which are unfortunately out of reach for Nigeria. Who knows if they would have been more within reach with the home-coming of its travelling talent? The healthcare goals which are 66% reduction of under 5 child mortality rate, 75% reduction in maternal mortality rate, universal access to reproductive healthcare, stabilization and reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDs and malaria, and unviersal access to HIV/AIDs treatment seems very daunting and very unattainable by the deadline. However, that is not to say that the goals are pointless. Any progress towards achieving these goals is still progress, even if the goals are not achieved. Nigeria is the embodiment of the puzzle of the chicken and the egg. Which should come first, an improvement of infrastructure to attract more diasporans? Or should disasporans spark the development of infrastructure by returning home?