Tech talents - Afrikan Heroes

Brain Drain: How to Curb the Mass Migration of Tech Talents from Africa

April 18, 2022

By Emmanuel Otori

The search for commensurate rewards is one that drives the human pursuit in different sectors, from medicine, to tech, to artisanship and entrepreneurship is why tech talents leave the continent in search of greener pastures.

Due to the ongoing trend where the immediate environment does not facilitate the growth and expansion of talents, people are often forced to new a location which fuels their ability.

**Emmanuel Otori, CEO at Abuja Data School, Nigeria.**

An area like Silicon Valley encourages tech enthusiasts to build more and develop already existing technologies in order to improve the quality of lives.

In the quest of developing a region, the impact of human capital cannot be overlooked as it suffices to make the whole process work. Through human capital, values gained from experiences and skills are transferred as solutions to organizations, companies and establishments which in turn develop the country or regional economy.

Not only are tech employees migrating, start-ups are also migrating. It is no doubt the 4 M’s of business which are money, machine, manpower and material are key factors to sustaining business growth and achieving success in an industry.

In a scenario where there is money and material but no manpower to coordinate the working process or utilize available resources, productivity is hampered. Therefore, the constant migration of proactive minds can leave the continent stagnant up until degradation even if eventually the industries are set up, infrastructure put in place and all round support accorded to the society.

Four Common Problems that Cause Tech Talent to Migrate:

The issues can majorly be classified into 4 M’s which are lacking as seen in Africa. Sufficient are some of the M’s to few countries and lacking the rest.

Method

The nature of tech jobs differs amongst the various arms of technology and usually requires flexibility. Most tech jobs can be done remotely and so disrupts the conventional mode of technical jobs.

In Africa, not many countries have companies that accept working remotely as it is believed, distance might affect productivity.

Machine

Infrastructure is a great component in getting jobs done in the tech space. A tech operator would need his tech tools like computers and other gadgets to get his job done. These tools do not power themselves and obviously need power supply, internet connection, network configurations and the likes.

Not having electricity or power supply elements can be highly discouraging. Industries and organizations come under infrastructure as there are fewer companies to create opportunities, provide the suitable workspace and meet the needs of employees.

Money

Money is a big factor in brain drain in Africa where most tech employees are overworked and under-paid which is why they look to work with the western world where they get paid according to the value they offer and duration of tasks.

The salary of tech employees outside Africa can sum up $200,000+ per annum and those in Africa can’t earn up to that following the unfavorable conditions of the environment.

Manpower

The master of it all. With the numerous unfavorable situations, skilled individuals migrate, families move along, friends inspire skilled friends to leave also because everyone wants to make it.

Africa is left to worsen with already existing problems and more to come. In years to come, only few inhabitants would be skilled and Africa would be forced to invite home its people to provide solutions with their expertise.

A Few Solutions to Retaining Tech Abilities in Africa

Amidst the whole situations, possible solutions to minimize or stop brain drain in Africa include:

Good Working conditions for employees.

Favorable rules and regulations set up for startups.

Up-skilling staff through job training and workshops.

Start-up support in every aspect e.g. funding, advisory, mentoring and networking.

Building the tech sector as a separate industry to be budgeted for.

Increasing the remuneration of tech employees and modus operandi according to work functions.

Healthy start-up competitions.

Setting up Tech regulatory bodies to monitor and evaluate technological progress in the country/region.

Inculcating tech in educational curriculum.

Emmanuel Otori, CEO at Abuja Data School, Nigeria.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Foreign Tech Talents Favoured in New US, UK, Visa Policies

December 5, 2020

As the quest to attract top talents in the tech field heightens, the United States government spurred by earlier decisions by the governments of Canada and United Kingdom aimed at attracting and retaining foreign talents, launched its version with new policy changes aimed at skilled workers like programmers, engineers, doctors, and nurses from various parts of the globe to their countries.

The change in the United States policy became necessary with the overturning by a federal judge of two new rules for the H1-B visas made by the US Department of Labour and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which were meant to limit immigrants searching for skilled employment in the country.

H1-B visas are skilled-worker visas that are popular among multinational companies and tech companies looking to bring in quality engineering talent from all over the world. Recall that earlier in 2020, the Donald Trump administration implemented several changes to the requirements and the recent ones included: increasing the minimum wage levels for H1-B workers by an average of 40%, changing the definition of speciality occupation, employee-employer relationship, and reducing the validity of the visa from three years to just one.These changes, which were supposed to go into effect on December 7, 2020 effectively priced the majority of foreign skilled workers out of the reach of most companies.

Back then, the Trump-led US government argued that the regulations would keep as many as 525,000 foreigners from the country till the end of the year, and limit the negative effect on employment prospects for Americans. Organisations such as the US Chamber of Commerce, the Bay Area Council, argued that the changes which brought in the new restrictions were made without a proper review process. In response, the Trump administration sought to double down on the restrictions, blaming the unemployment crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

However, on December 1, the U.S. District Court for Northern California ruled that those reasons were not “good cause” for the DHS and the Department of Labour to bypass the administrative procedures. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, The UK government has launched a new look — post-Brexit Tier 2/skilled worker visa programme which will adopt a points-based system.

Points will be appointed for being awarded a job offer at a requisite skill level, level of English proficiency, and the minimum salary being paid. Non-UK nationals who score enough points will be awarded the skilled worker visa. The new immigration rules will ensure that businesses can recruit the most highly qualified from across the globe to drive the economy forwards and keep the UK at the frontier of innovation.

“It will also encourage employers to focus on training and investing in the UK workforce, driving productivity, and improving opportunities for individuals, especially those impacted by the coronavirus,” the statement added.

Besides the new skilled worker visa, the UK has opened other visa routes which include: The Global Talent visa which is meant for people that can display exceptional talent in science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology, or arts and culture. The Innovator visa is meant for people who want to establish an innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK.

The Start-up visa is meant for people who want to establish a business in the UK for the first time. The Intra-company Transfer visa is meant for seasoned and skilled workers who are being transferred by the company they work to the UK.

As of 2018, the US Census Bureau stated that immigrants to the US from Sub-Saharan Africa amounted to 2 million, up to 292% increase from the year 2000. In the UK, this number was at 1.47 million in 2017. However, the introduction of strict policies by both countries made getting a visa increasingly difficult for most foreigners. And this had made Canada, a country that uses a point-based system for permanent residency, an increasingly attractive destination.

The US court order and the introduction of the points-based system in the UK seem to be signalling a new era in immigration for African tech talent as well as other professions.Also, the business and Startup visa in the UK could be another pull for entrepreneurs looking to flex their muscles in more stable markets. It remains to be seen what the outcome will be for sure, but you can expect a deeper dive in the coming weeks.