Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Egbosa Osaghae, yesterday, said brain drain should be encouraged.
They stated this while speaking at the valedictory and 70th birthday in honour of a former Chief Medical Director (CMD) of University College Hospital (UCH), Prof. Abiodun Ilesanmi, held at the Emeritus Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, opposite UCH, Ibadan.
Obasanjo was the distinguished chairman of the event while Osaghae delivered a lecture titled: “Impact of Brain-Drain on an Emerging Economy.”
The former president said scheduled movement into where the brain could be enriched should be encouraged for any economy and particularly an emerging economy, adding that intellectual property could be acquired by interacting, meeting and really through outreaching.
Obasanjo said: Unscheduled, unplanned brain drain for an emerging economy is like taking away the blood from that economy. But planned and scheduled brain movement into where the brain can be enriched should be encouraged for any economy and particularly an emerging economy because we need to have that property that anybody cannot take from you – intellectual property.”
In his lecture, the NIIA DG, who said that people were being pushed by market forces, said: ”Brain drain is the opposite of brain retention. Anything that is of value is a traceable commodity and it has a price. Let us have programmes that will incentivise this movement. The ones in high demand are the best of the best. We lose our very best to bigger partners that place more value on them. We are still going to lose more because globalisation is there and incentives are even more. In past years, people were into slavery. Today, there is voluntary enslavement.
The time has come to build a Diaspora Pool for all African countries. Brain drain is not bad but a global phenomenon.”
The NIIA DG said Ilesanmi is a man of all seasons and a good man with milk of human kindness.
The CMD of UCH, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, said Ilesanmi is a kind hearted man to the core and committed to excellence and groundbreaking research and innovation.
The Provost of the College of Medicine, UI, Prof. Olayinka Omigbodun, who was represented by Deputy Provost, Prof. Fatai Adeniyi, said Ilesanmi had made a lot of impacts on many institutions and people.
The Vice Chancellor of UI, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, who was represented by DVC (Innovation, Research, Strategic Partnerships), Prof. Aderonke Baiyeroju, described Ilesanmi as a quintessential personality.
The Asiwaju of Ijeshaland, Yinka Fasuyi, Prof. Isaac Adewole and others were present.
