Africa Must Fix Africa: Stop Running and Start Rebuilding.

George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

The greatest tragedy in Africa today is not just poverty, war, corruption or the incompetence of leadership. It is the mass exodus of the very people Africa needs most ie. teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, thinkers, builders and reformers. The problem with Africa is not that it is irredeemable. The problem is that those who should redeem it are fleeing its shores in search of “GREENER PASTURES.” The question we must ask ourselves is brutally simple: if we all leave, who will stay to fix things?

In a report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2018, it was stated that Africa loses over $4 billion annually to brain drain, with skilled professionals migrating to Europe, North America and the Middle East in alarming numbers. This brain drain is not just a statistic, but a silent pandemic that has crippled our hospitals, collapsed our education systems and left our governments incapable of innovation or self-reliance.

A Continent of Runners, Not Reformers. Let’s face it: we are running. Running from bad leadership, from broken systems, from insecurity, from unemployment and from hopelessness. But we are also running from responsibility. The teachers who leave for Dubai, the doctors who relocate to Canada, the politicians who embezzle and escape to London; all of them are part of the same moral collapse. We must ask ourselves: what is our duty to the continent that gave us our names, languages and roots?

Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba said, “Those who have the ability to think, but do not think are traitors to themselves and to their continent.” We cannot all be abroad and still pretend to CARE about the FATE of Africa. Patriotism is not posting our country (African) flags on social media during crises; but the willingness to stay behind, fight for justice, build institutions and inspire the next generation.

Europe’s Fence is a Message We Misread. It is not uncommon to hear Africans lament the “unwelcoming” attitude of Europe. From Hungary’s steel border wall to Spain’s militarized fences in Ceuta and Melilla, the signal is clear: YOU ARE NOT WELCOME. Or so we think.

But perhaps we are misreading the message. The wall is not just a deterrent; it is a challenge. It says: “SOLVE YOUR OWN PROBLEMS. FIX YOUR OWN HOUSE. BUILD YOUR OWN SYSTEMS.” Unfortunately, we see the wall and think of DISCRIMINATION. What we fail to see is the deeper truth; it is not their job to carry Africa’s burdens. Na our own palava bii dat.

The British-Sudanese author Zeinab Badawi puts it, “If Africans are truly proud of their heritage and history, they should not be fleeing it; they should be fighting for it.”

Who Go Teach the Children? In Nigeria alone, over 2,000 doctors leave the country every year according to a 2019 report by the Nigerian Medical Association. In South Africa, thousands of skilled nurses have migrated to the UK in the past decade. Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe we as Africans, all suffer from this same affliction. The result? HOSPITALS with no SPECIALISTS. SCHOOLS with UNTRAINED TEACHERS. NATIONS without the capacity to BUILD or GOVERN.

According to the World Bank, sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest ratio of doctors to population; about 0.2 doctors per 1,000 people, compared to the global average of 1.6. If we continue exporting our best minds, who will remain to help the sick, educate the youth and guide the nation?

The Politics of Escape. Let’s not deceive ourselves. Our politicians are the architects of this disaster. They loot national wealth and store in Swiss banks. Their children attend Ivy LEAGUE schools while public universities at home remain shut for months due to strikes. Yet, we imitate them. We dream not of building Africa but of escaping it.

This culture of escape has created a toxic cycle: bad governance pushes citizens away; the exit of skilled minds weakens the system further; weakened systems produce worse governance. “The cycle repeats.”

Our own Chinua Achebe rightly said “The problem is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Today, it is not just a failure of leadership; but a failure of followership, of responsibility and of vision.

Where Are the Patriots?
Africa needs patriots. Not the flag-waving, anthem-singing kind, but real builders. People who stay when it’s HARD, speak when it’s DANGEROUS and work when it’s THANKLESS. Our continent needs thinkers who will teach in OUR universities, NOT at Harvard. We need engineers who will design OUR cities, NOT Dubai’s skyline. We need journalists who will speak TRUTH to POWER, not flee from it.

Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, former AU Ambassador to the US, said:
“The young people of Africa are fleeing their continent. But I say to them: you are running from yourselves. Africa NEEDS you more than Europe WANTS you.”

A Call to Build, Not Blame. Yes, Europe COLONIZED major of Africa. Yes, they ROBBED, EXPLOITED and DIVIDED. That was then. Today, we are governed by our own people. We must stop blaming the PAST and start building the FUTURE. The fences they build are not chains. They are mirrors; showing us what we have FAILED to become.

It is time for African nations to invest in their people. Governments must create environments that make staying worthwhile: competitive salaries, functional healthcare, quality education and security. Even more urgently, the people must develop a sense of duty to their homeland. Running away may save you, it will not save your nation.

The Diaspora Must Return. To those in the diaspora: Africa needs you back. You are needed not just for remittances but for reform. Bring your skills, your discipline, your exposure. Help build institutions, mentor young minds and hold corrupt systems accountable. Your success abroad should not be your escape from home, but your preparation to fix it.

In 2018, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched the “Return of Qualified African Nationals” program to encourage skilled diaspora professionals to return. The results were promising, but it will take more than programs; it will take patriotism.

Next Steps for Africa: The Wall is a Mirror
Africa will not change until we stop fleeing and start fighting for justice, for reform and dignity. The walls Europe builds are not prisons; they are challenges. Until we take ownership of our destiny, no foreign aid, visa or migration policy will save us.

As the Quran says in Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:11):
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”

Africa is BLEEDING, but not BROKEN. The question is: who among us will stop RUNNING and start REBUILDING?

About the Author:
George Omagbemi Sylvester is a political analyst, columnist, and advocate for African self-reliance and democratic accountability. He writes regularly for SaharaWeeklyNG.com.