Tahir Mamman: Education sector most affected by ‘japa’ syndrome

Tahir Mamman, minister of education, says the sector has suffered the most from brain drain in the country.

Mamman spoke on Thursday during the inauguration of the governing councils of federal tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The minister said the education sector is the most affected by the “Japa syndrome,” citing the mass exodus of lecturers and teachers seeking greener pastures abroad.

He said tertiary institutions in the country are facing challenges, including insufficient infrastructure and funding, inadequate academic and non-academic staff, and an unstable academic calendar.

The minister urged the councils to collaborate with other stakeholders to tackle challenges affecting the administration of universities.

“The education sector has actually suffered the most from the Japa syndrome than any other sector in Nigeria,” he said.

“We have lost even teachers in primary and secondary schools because of this. They have left for Europe and other places.

“A lot of times we talk about the medical personnel. But I can confirm to you that we have lost more teachers in Nigeria than in any other sector. Especially teachers in tertiary institutions.

“It takes at least 15 years to have somebody with a Ph.D. So if you lose one, it is a very major loss to the country.

“Although tertiary institutions have produced graduates with skills to compete favourably across the globe, our education sector is still grappling with many challenges.”

There have been growing concerns over the relocation of many professionals in Nigeria to foreign countries.

In 2022, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) warned of a “total collapse” of the health sector if measures were not taken to address the brain drain in the system.

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in its 2023 report, revealed that over 3.6 million Nigerians migrated in two years to other countries.