President Muhammadu Buhari has moved to stop the mass migration of Nigerian youth as he laments that the trend is ‘draining Africa’s talent pool’.
The president who spoke in Brussels, Belgium, at the 6th EU-AFRICA summit, is seeking partnership with European countries to stop the trend.
According to an article published on the Politico, an online/offline magazine, Buhari said, “By 2050, Africa’s population of 1.3 billion is set to double, making up a quarter of the world’s total. My country, Nigeria, is set to double its population to 400 million by then, surpassing the United States to become the third-largest nation in the world.
This means a huge youthful market right on Europe’s doorstep and — with increased trade — a growing middle class with money to spend.
However, despite burgeoning possibility, irregular northward migration from my continent drains Africa’s talent pool, while provoking political cr!ses in the EU. Despite its best efforts, Europe will not find a sustainable remedy to this problem by further reinforcing its Fortress Europe approach.
Instead, more opportunities must be created for Africans at home, providing alternatives to the decision to take a life-threatening boat journey in order to seek them elsewhere. The relationship between the EU and Africa must be rebalanced to power job creation. Unfortunately, today’s arrangements do just the opposite.”
