UK Intensifies Efforts to Curtail Brain Drain in Nigeria
Omolabake Fasogbon
The United Kingdom (UK) has pledged to continue to support Nigeria’s growth by investing in talents expected to inspire positive changes across the board.
British Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, Jonny Baxter, said this recently at the Study UK alumni awards organised by the British Council in Lagos.
The award initiative aims to recognise exceptional exploits of beneficiaries of British Council’s scholarship programme that support Nigerians to learn in the UK.
Speaking, Baxter acknowledged the impact of rising brain drain in the country, stressing the council’s commitment to reverse the trend through the Study UK platform that has been sustained since 2016.
According to him, the idea was to let Nigerians tap from the rich arsenal of UK’s learning resources which would then enable them to bring the knowledge back to Nigeria to develop the country either by working for themselves, government or private sector.
In line with the vision of the Council, THISDAY gathered that a number of the programme’s beneficiaries from across different disciplines were not only making waves back home, but are also driving innovations useful to local endeavours and spreading knowledge from their wealth of experience in the UK.
This was evident in the strides of the overall winners presented during the ceremony, said to be blazing the trail in areas as business/ innovation, social enterprise, science and sustainability as well as Culture and Creativity.
The winning quartet namely: Chidumaga Unachukwu, Jennifer Uchendu, Faith Agboola and Cassandra Akinde, who also got grant support of £3000, having proven their expertise back home and quite instrumental to body of knowledge in their respective fields of endeavour.
Commenting further, Country Director, British Council Nigeria & Director, West Africa, Lucy Pearson, averred that Nigerians have been fantastic at the global stage.
“Many of them have been recognised at the global Alumni Awards in several categories. We are not just celebrating their accomplishments but also to encourage them to return home and harness their skills to make a difference in Nigeria for greater good,” she said.
