Many Nigerians in the United States find themselves working in the health care sector. They are nurses, surgeons, primary care physicians, opthamologists and dentists. The list is endless, but Nigerians are finding their niche in such sectors. Since many of our people have an affinity for the health care business, could this be our comparative advantage?

As many people already know, Indians around the world have found their comparative advantage in Information systems. Many Western companies such as Microsoft and Dell has outsourced many of their jobs to India, because of their focus in computer science and information systems. It also helps that their standard of living is much cheaper than in the West.

I feel that if Nigerians focus on health care, we can not only improve health care in Nigeria, we could have Nigerian health care providers around the world. The West and Asia is becoming grayer and will be in need for health care providers.

Here are some facts from the United States about their need for health care workers:

-By 2030, 70 million people will be over the age of 65, and 10 million will be over the age of 85 (source: U.S. Census Bureau).
-By 2030, the population of elderly U.S. citizens will have doubled; meanwhile, the number of students entering medical school (per 100,000) declines each year (source: Prevention.com).
-Approximately 55 percent of nurses intend to retire between 2011 and 2020 (source: Nursing Management, July 2006).

Quite an interesting angle, Nebeuwa.
So, do you suggest we try to reach out to our professional doctors in the diaspora, with the aim of getting them to set base in Nigeria?

This is good news. There are many Nigerians in American ad Europe who are doctors who want to go back but their pay and lifestyle is better in the west. Also many Nigerians in Nigeria leave for the west because of more money. We should be paying our doctors well and fix our hospitals, too many of them are not too well. We need to build more state of the art hospitals and fix the healthcare and education sectors. Millions of jobs will be created doing this.

Ejiné: Quite an interesting angle, Nebeuwa.
So, do you suggest we try to reach out to our professional doctors in the diaspora, with the aim of getting them to set base in Nigeria?

Exactly the point in my own opinion. We should get those in the diaspora to come set bases here in motherland Nigeria.

Exactly the point in my own opinion. We should get those in the diaspora to come set bases here in motherland Nigeria.

Why would those of us working in the diaspora ever come back to work in a country filled with so much violence, hatred and governmental nuisance? No right thinking health professional would want to work under such conditions, until Nigeria gets its acts together.

The only reason you find Nigerians in this field is because of the fast pay!

Our comparative advantage is the darkness we experience via NEPA outage; could be used as some sort of tourist attraction.

The only comparative advantage we have in healthcare is the money doctors who live and work abroad send back home to their families every year. That's it. Doctors based abroad have no reason to invest their brains in Nigeria. Nigerian doctors abroad are trained to work wonders with the best tools that money can buy, but those tools are not available in Nigeria because patients can't afford to pay for them. They are used to earning a lot of money for their work, but they can't earn such money here because patients can't pay for it. If they are lured back to Nigeria en-masse, most of them simply will not prosper here.

So if healthcare is to become big business in Nigeria, we would need to have excellent local doctors. If our local doctors were very good, like doctors in India, Americans and Europeans would visit Nigeria on 'medical pilgrimage' to get more affordable healthcare. But our local doctors are not that good. Unlike Indians, our medical industry does not provide a comparable quality of healthcare at a much lower cost. So I disagree with the notion that Nigeria is going to make a lot of money from healthcare. It would require the consistent efforts of lots of business-minded doctors over a very long period of time to change this situation. I'm not holding my breath.

,For a failure,there are alway reasons.u guys can give a thousand reasons why they should nt come home,but indian was oncf like u,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The only comparative advantage we have in healthcare is the money doctors who live and work abroad send back home to their families every year. That's it. Doctors based abroad have no reason to invest their brains in Nigeria. Nigerian doctors abroad are trained to work wonders with the best tools that money can buy, but those tools are not available in Nigeria because patients can't afford to pay for them. They are used to earning a lot of money for their work, but they can't earn such money here because patients can't pay for it. If they are lured back to Nigeria en-masse, most of them simply will not prosper here.

So if healthcare is to become big business in Nigeria, we would need to have excellent local doctors. If our local doctors were very good, like doctors in India, Americans and Europeans would visit Nigeria on 'medical pilgrimage' to get more affordable healthcare. But our local doctors are not that good. Unlike Indians, our medical industry does not provide a comparable quality of healthcare at a much lower cost. So I disagree with the notion that Nigeria is going to make a lot of money from healthcare. It would require the concentrated efforts of lots of business-minded doctors to change this situation. I'm not holding my breath.

I would think he's suggesting a "medical pilgrimage" as you put it but the patients will be cared for by diasporan (if that's a word) trained healthcare specialists. Keep in mind that the real comparative advantage that we hold is having skilled practitioners that can be pooled to give service in a relatively cheap environment.

In order words, if we bring foreign trained practitioners en masse, we can provide quality care at an affordable rate.

However, I doubt it would work except for elective procedures not covered by an insurance company like cosmetic surgery. People with health insurance don’t really care how much is being charged since they’re not paying for it directly.

The latest installment of my weekly column 'This Week in Nigeria:South Africa apologises over deportations, Nigerian unity extolled by Northern figureheads, Hostages killed in failed rescue mission & much more!

http://thinkafricapress.com/nigeria/blog/week-nigeria-south-africa-apologises-over-deportations

Computer is the future. India, China, Korea, Japan and others are busy pursuing computer with anger and here we are turning into nurse and house helps. Do you think the same Indians cannot do nursing ? Oh they can do it even better than us. If you want to be on the global map by 2030, start learning computer. Nursing wont take you to the moon or mars.

Maybe this something to grow here^^

[img]http://s01.flagcounter.com/count/H9Y2/bg=FFFFFF/txt=FFFFFF/border=FFFFFF/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/.png[/img][img]http://2.s01.flagcounter.com/count/H9Y2/bg=FFFFFF/txt=FFFFFF/border=FFFFFF/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/.png[/img][img]http://s06.flagcounter.com/count/pII1/bg=FFFFFF/txt=FFFFFF/border=FFFFFF/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/.png[/img]

talking about comparative advantage and healthcare, I think this thread may benefit from learning a bit about Cuba.
Cuba developed their healthcare system to attain one of the highest standard in the world but the US tried to destroy it because it felt threatened.
even India currently is facing trouble from the US because India produces medicine more cheaply and therefore poses a threat to the US pharmaceutical industry.

yea we can develop our "comparative advantage" but know that other more developed countries will destroy you if they see you as a threat to their own industries and developments. I think we should worry more about serving our people first before thinking of exporting our services.

Let's try to reach a level of self sustenance first. ie provide good quality health care to Nigerians first before thinking of trying to go provide health care for more developed countries.

Our comparative advantage is boko haram, tribalism, corruption. No other like us.

I am still a firm believer that Nigeria's comparative advantage can be found in health care. With the rate of Nigerians in the United States working in the health care sector, you would think that Nigerians back home, would be interested in the health care sector. We live in a more globalized world, in which each nation has to find its comparative advantage in order to thrive and advance. Nigeria's future is in health care.

As I look at some of your comments, I see people remain skeptical about such a topic. Some of you even say that computer science is the wave of the future. I agree with you, computers will play a role in the future, but BIOTECHNOLOGY as well. That is related to health care. As people around the world live longer, they will need medicine, they will need low cost medical procedures, and they will need experts in specialized fields. Nigeria can be that destination for medical tourism. Nigerians individually are smart, in which that can be seen in many U.S. and UK universities, but we need to learn how to come together. Once we are able to come together, then we will know PROGRESS.

having a silicon valley in nigeria wouldnt hurt, would it?

technological advancement is the way to go.

Makes a lot of sense.

our comparative advantage lies in mining, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. we can have some focus on computer science, information technology and information systems at some point for self reliance. Our comparative advantage also lies in skilled labour and professional manpower or low cost and home grown service provision for other african countries.

Nebeuwa: I am still a firm believer that Nigeria's comparative advantage can be found in health care. With the rate of Nigerians in the United States working in the health care sector, you would think that Nigerians back home, would be interested in the health care sector. We live in a more globalized world, in which each nation has to find its comparative advantage in order to thrive and advance. Nigeria's future is in health care.

As I look at some of your comments, I see people remain skeptical about such a topic. Some of you even say that computer science is the wave of the future. I agree with you, computers will play a role in the future, but BIOTECHNOLOGY as well. That is related to health care. As people around the world live longer, they will need medicine, they will need low cost medical procedures, and they will need experts in specialized fields. Nigeria can be that destination for medical tourism. Nigerians individually are smart, in which that can be seen in many U.S. and UK universities, but we need to learn how to come together. Once we are able to come together, then we will know PROGRESS.

Let first understand what "Comparative Advantage" denotes. You have comparative advantage, because owing to some circumstances, in most cases nature or acquired technology, you can produce some goods or services better than others. So you can key into such areas.

The question now is, Is Nigeria or Nigerians have some natural gifts, or skills that makes us better medical personnel than people from other country? I admit I have not been in American and can not tell the ratio of other countries' medical personnel to that of Nigerians. But in Britain that I know, the Asians have it. And I know the Asians are becoming more medical professionals not because they have any comparative advantage, but because they are motivated by "denials". The Europeans have enough opportunity to have a good life without going through the difficult process of qualifying as a medical personnel. Most will not even fancy working as one.

So it is because they do not fancy it, that made Asians take over and not because of any comparative advantage. The only justification is lack of better options.

I take it also that those Nigerians in US, just like their Asian counter parts in UK are in it for survival sack. The motivation is pure denial and this cannot be called "Comparative advantage".

I have to note that this tread is borne out a certain wrong conception. We have comparative advantages of the Western countries. We have variety of vegetation (our fruits, vegetables, tubers, cereals), we have a climatic condition that can grow a great number of crops; we have a youthful population, we have so many untapped resources. These are our comparative advantage which we have failed to us as a consequence of bad government. I will consider the so many Nigerian medical personnel overseas as a product of a "Comparative disadvantage", if there is one.

We need in our country, but we lack the resource and the decency required to attract them home. So their services are being rendered to other. In fact so many of them have either taken, or are in the process of seeking another countries citizenship. So that is "Brain Drain" which should count as a disadvantage.

Let forget textbook economics and copycatting; let be real. The whole concept of comparative advantage is used wrongly to device "Free World Trade" which is destroying Africa, by denying us the opportunity to develop our industrial base, before opening the little existing ones up to "Competition" to better organised, technologically advanced companies abroad who has better infrastructure, better financing from their home economy with economy of scale, among others in the favour.

If there can be free movement of goods and services, why not free movement of labour? Is labour not treated as goods than can by bought and sold in economics? Why the discrimination in the two when it comes to world affairs? Because the makers of our international laws, including our Economic text books are are unfortunately our competitor who constantly redefines the rules to suit themselves.

Get these fundamentals right and every other thing will add up.

Our solution will come from originality and copying.

Sam Milla: Computer is the future. India, China, Korea, Japan and others are busy pursuing computer with anger and here we are turning into nurse and house helps. Do you think the same Indians cannot do nursing ? Oh they can do it even better than us. If you want to be on the global map by 2030, start learning computer. Nursing wont take you to the moon or mars.

Dude, your post doesn't really make much sense. So if your computer knowledge takes you to Mars, and you suddenly develop a Viral infection out there, won't you come back to earth to be taken care off by a medical practitioner?

Many Nigerians in the United States find themselves working in the health care sector. They are nurses, surgeons, primary care physicians, opthamologists and dentists. The list is endless, but Nigerians are finding their niche in such sectors. Since many of our people have an affinity for the health care business, could this be our comparative advantage?

As many people already know, Indians around the world have found their comparative advantage in Information systems. Many Western companies such as Microsoft and Dell has outsourced many of their jobs to India, because of their focus in computer science and information systems. It also helps that their standard of living is much cheaper than in the West.

I feel that if Nigerians focus on health care, we can not only improve health care in Nigeria, we could have Nigerian health care providers around the world. The West and Asia is becoming grayer and will be in need for health care providers.

Here are some facts from the United States about their need for health care workers:

-By 2030, 70 million people will be over the age of 65, and 10 million will be over the age of 85 (source: U.S. Census Bureau).
-By 2030, the population of elderly U.S. citizens will have doubled; meanwhile, the number of students entering medical school (per 100,000) declines each year (source: Prevention.com).
-Approximately 55 percent of nurses intend to retire between 2011 and 2020 (source: Nursing Management, July 2006).

I don't understand how the above implies a comparative advantage for Nigeria, and Nigerians in Nigeria.

Much of what you have above does not deal with Nigeria, or Nigerians in Nigeria. I agree that there are Nigerian doctors/nurses in the US, but they are a minority. As you mentioned there are people of other nationalities in the same system, and they make up the majority still. So, if you are suggesting Nigerians invade/take over the American healthCare sector, then I don't believe that is going to happen, even in the next 50 years. I would also not see how that helps Nigeria considering many of those who practice here do not eventually go back to Nigeria to continue. I have not read of any such trend.

Having Nigerian-born healthcare providers around the world is not what I would consider a major issue for the country, Nigeria. Even in places like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, you have teams of Nigerian Nurses and Doctors, from as far back as the 70's. I fail to see how that can change the reality of the HealthCare system in Nigeria itself given that the major problem we have is not necessarily a lack of doctors but a lack of a system that supports doctors, and other healthcare workers. The recent strikes, and the decay in our education system, should clue people into what the real problems experienced in our healthcare system really are.

nicee one, nebeuwa , the future can only get better for our healthcare as more nigerian health professionals acquire necessary business skills and knowledge. pls lets chat more.
thanks
email add is aesculapiusvn@gmail.com or our website at www.aesculapiusvn.com

There is some sense in what the OP is saying.
Rather than studying engineering, or trying to become investment bankers or web developers, maybe more Nigerians should consider getting healthcare-related qualifications. That might brighten their chances for immigration to developed markets like the UK or USA. I know people who studied engineering in Nigeria, and went back to study nursing or dentistry/pharmacy in the US. You will probably get more value with those qualifications, than trying to sell US/UK employers on your engineering degree from Nigeria.
It will definitely pay off in the long term, as it is now doing in India and the Phillipines.

Oh yes o!
Thank God I found my niche in healthcare too OUTSIDE NIGERIA/AFRICA.
But it has no bearing in Africa, not to mention Nigeria.
My services will never be rendered in Nigeria.
Nigeria has not developed the concept of 'health' not to mention 'healthcare'.
In other words, it is never going to be a comparative advantage when Nigeria has no regulatory organizations to monitor, implement and account for governmental interference and vice versa. Nigerians are lost professional ethical codes of conducts.

I feel that if Nigerians focus on health care, we can not only improve health care in Nigeria, we could have Nigerian health care providers around the world. The West and Asia is becoming grayer and will be in need for health care providers

Hell to the no!
Not even if Jesus comes down to be president of Nigeria.
Nigerian health care providers are all over the Middle East and the Western world.
Let Indians go and work in Nigeria. I will go and work in India.
Shikena!

^^
We are talking long term, not tomorrow.
Let's revisit the topic in 15-20 years. Right now, you're most likely still young in your field, so your views aren't surprising.
In 20 years you will most likely be asking what you can do within the sector in Nigeria, since that remains your primary constituency of advantage.

^^^
You mean if we are all alive tomorrow?
What make you think we have 15-20 years with Boko Haram around? lol
I think I retire in 5 years maximum.
Goodluck 15-20 years from now.
Boy! It is good to be young and have all the time in the world.

Even in 20 years from now. . . Nigeria will ALWAYS remain behind. Never to catch up.
That is the problem.
Not my portion. . .following 'agbekpos'!
If you are satisfied with taking the 'last' postion for life just because you want to be a 'Nigerian Patriot'. . .then all the best.
I repeat, not my portion in the grand sckeme of things.

Bottom line? YOU CAN NEVER HAVE A COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE WHEN YOU ARE THE MOST UNDERDEVELOPED AMONG THE WORLD'S WORST!

Callotti: ^^^
You mean if we are all alive tomorrow?
What make you think we have 15-20 years with Boko Haram around? lol
I think I retire in 5 years maximum.
Goodluck 15-20 years from now.
Boy! It is good to be young and have all the time in the world.

Even in 20 years from now. . . Nigeria will ALWAYS remain behind. Never to catch up.
That is the problem.
Not my portion. . .following 'agbekpos'!
If you are satisfied with taking the 'last' postion for life just because you want to be a 'Nigerian Patriot'. . .then all the best.
I repeat, not my portion in the grand sckeme of things.

Bottom line? YOU CAN NEVER HAVE A COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE WHEN YOU ARE THE MOST UNDERDEVELOPED AMONG THE WORLD'S WORST!

Who said anything about patriotism?
Anyway, like I said, wait till the next 20 years. It's not as far off as you might think.

A huge majority of those working in healthcare, especially here in America, do so, not because they have a passion for the industry but, majorly because healthcare offers them an easier way to employment, in much the same way that banking industry does in Nigeria.

There is really no evidence that those who enter these fields are the best, all we have is that they find healthcare to be more attractive opportunitywise, and that seems to apply to those in developed countries, and not in un-developed/developing countries.

I don't see people talking of Nigerians in abundance in places like China or india, in much the same way. Those have the highest populations world-wide and certain would need more healthcare workers than many of the developed countries these reports keep coming from.

Kobojunkie: A huge majority of those working in healthcare, especially here in America, do so, not because they have a passion for the industry but, majorly because healthcare offers them an easier way to employment, in much the same way that banking industry does in Nigeria.

There is really no evidence that those who enter these fields are the best, all we have is that they find healthcare to be more attractive opportunitywise, and that seems to apply to those in developed countries, and not in un-developed/developing countries.

I don't see people talking of Nigerians in abundance in places like China or india, in much the same way. Those have the highest populations world-wide and certain would need more healthcare workers than many of the developed countries these reports keep coming from.

I strongly disagree with you. How is health care an easier way to employment? For your information, you need to have higher education in order to be in the prestige positions found in the health care sector. Do you think it is easier for people to become primary care physicians, dentist and cardiologist? It takes many years of schooling, before people who study in those fields can join their profession. I do not think it is an easier way to employment. If it was indeed an easier way to employment, there would not be a dire need for such professionals in the West. Especially as the Baby Boomer generation in the United States is getting older.

And people who enter those fields, especially the medical field are indeed the best. Do you know how hard it is to get into medical school in the United States? The competition is fierce, in which medical schools around the country only allow a select few to enter their universities. The American Medical Association (AMA) only accredits a few medical schools in the United States. Therefore, there are not many accredited medical schools in the United States making the demand for physicians very high.

Nigerians in the United States and I am sure in the United Kingdom as well are being seen more often in the medical field as nurses, primary care physicians and surgeons. This may be our competitive advantage, if we place an emphasis on such profession. It was a matter of state policy for India, in which the Indian government placed an emphasis on training young Indians in Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science. Now Indians are becoming synonymous with information technology. I went to an American university where an overwhelming majority of those who were studying IT and Computer Science were Indians.

AjanleKoko: There is some sense in what the OP is saying.
Rather than studying engineering, or trying to become investment bankers or web developers, maybe more Nigerians should consider getting healthcare-related qualifications. That might brighten their chances for immigration to developed markets like the UK or USA. I know people who studied engineering in Nigeria, and went back to study nursing or dentistry/pharmacy in the US. You will probably get more value with those qualifications, than trying to sell US/UK employers on your engineering degree from Nigeria.
It will definitely pay off in the long term, as it is now doing in India and the Phillipines.

That is exactly what I was trying to convey in my initial post. Nigerians should consider health care related career paths. The United States is in dire need for medical practitioners as the Baby Boomers become older. I have also notice that Nigerians who have chosen the medical path have better chances of coming to the United States than people who major in fields such as finance and engineering.

Nebeuwa:

I strongly disagree with you. How is health care an easier way to employment? For your information, you need to have higher education in order to be in the prestige positions found in the health care sector. Do you think it is easier for people to become primary care physicians, dentist and cardiologist? It takes many years of schooling, before people who study in those fields can join their profession. I do not think it is an easier way to employment. If it was indeed an easier way to employment, there would not be a dire need for such professionals in the West. Especially as the Baby Boomer generation in the United States is getting older.

Not true here in America. A couple of months to a year in the CNA/LPN program and you become a semi-nurse. A 4 year degree and you become an RN. The vast majority of Nigerians in healthcare in America, are not doctors but nurses. And a majority of those are not RN's but CNAs or LPNs. No college degree necessary for those, so yes, it is an easier way to employment as the healthcare industry highers more people year round, and is projected to experience an increase of about 55% over the next 20 years.

Those of them who work as primary care physicians, dentists etc make up a minority here even when you consider the total number of physicians in the country. And there are no indicators pointing to them being more exceptional than their peers from other countries.

Nebeuwa:
And people who enter those fields, especially the medical field are indeed the best. Do you know how hard it is to get into medical school in the United States? The competition is fierce, in which medical schools around the country only allow a select few to enter their universities. The American Medical Association (AMA) only accredits a few medical schools in the United States. Therefore, there are not many accredited medical schools in the United States making the demand for physicians very high.

Again, your claim is not based on facts, sorry. People who enter the medical field are not necessarily the best but those who have a passion for or feel it is worth their time to endure that. Sorry but I think you should try consulting facts before jumping to many of these conclusions of yours. There are so many physicians practising in the united states who never saw the four walls of any american university . . . some of them where trained even in Nigerian universities.

Also attending a medical school here in the states does not then proffer on one the status of genius or put one above those who chose not to or had dreams of pursuing other careers.

Nebeuwa:
Nigerians in the United States and I am sure in the United Kingdom as well are being seen more often in the medical field as nurses, primary care physicians and surgeons. This may be our competitive advantage, if we place an emphasis on such profession. It was a matter of state policy for India, in which the Indian government placed an emphasis on training young Indians in Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science. Now Indians are becoming synonymous with information technology. I went to an American university where an overwhelming majority of those who were studying IT and Computer Science were Indians.

It is no competitive advantage when much of your claims are not even based on facts. There is no information currently available that puts Nigerian healthcare workers above their peers.

On your statement suggesting that indians are synonymous with IT, I ask you if you understand what that even means? That means the Indian society and government has had to invest tremendous amounts of money into developing their IT infrastructure, their IT education system and also in infrastructural development to attract IT investors from all over the world. Nigerian HealthCare System is so inadequate that even ordinary Nigerians can not boast to access to basic healthcare, let alone what even measures to international standards. Terrorists in our country still get budgetted more money than our entirely healthcare system, and you suggest that HealthCare can be our competitive edge? To What people? Nigerians or what?

Also, there are about1.3 billion indians on the planet, ofcourse they will be everywhere . . . . I mean think. The Chinese, about .2 of them in the world, and Indians are everywhere, and rightly appear to be everywhere, not simply because Indian or chinese governments send a handful their people each year abroad for higher education, on special training, but majorly because for every 7 people on the planet, about 3 of them are either Indian or Chinese. ROFLMAO!!

If either India or China where to try to educate all of their own at home, it would be TOO EXPENSIVE a feat for the government. That it why they take advantage of the numerous exchange programs out there, and available to them, so they can get the skillset they need for their development. It is 1+1.