According to Chimaobi Ezeibe, a Partner (Technology Risk Consulting) at KPMG Canada, the emigration of Nigerian Information Technology (IT) professionals is a positive development for the country.
According to him, by emigrating professionals, Nigeria is exporting one of its most valuable human capital.
Ezeibe believes that those who leave the country are also creating opportunities for many unemployed Nigerians to find work because companies in Nigeria must fill the gaps they leave. In particular, he stated that now is the time for young Nigerians to channel their energy into cybersecurity as current professionals leave the country.
What Ezeibe is saying
Speaking on the possible impacts of the exit of IT professionals, especially cybersecurity experts on organisations in Nigeria, Ezeibe said:
- “We should not see the fact that cybersecurity experts or IT professionals are leaving the country as a problem. One thing I will want us to look at is that this is how India became a technology powerhouse. This is how China became the manufacturing hub centre for the world today. It’s a great opportunity for Nigeria because they are going to places where there are opportunities. When they get there, as long as they won’t forget home, they also create opportunities for people at home.
- “This is how we grow because if you think about it, what will Nigeria do in the next 20, 15, 10 years? The exit of IT professionals is good for the country because this will encourage others to focus more on these areas. We want to see young people do less of Yahoo Yahoo and more of cybersecurity because it is more profitable and it is more respected.”
Ezeibe, who spoke at the ‘ThinkNnovation Cybersecurity Conference 2022’ organised by FITC in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS), argued that the current japa trend would lead to positive development for Nigeria.
He said:
- “One of Nigeria’s greatest assets is our people. We have a higher population than several countries of the world. The question is, what are we doing with these resources? Will it not be a dream come true if Nigeria becomes the nerve centre or the base of tech geniuses and cyber geniuses in Africa? So, I see it (japa) as a way of development despite the government, not necessarily because of the government.
- This is because people are saying there are no jobs, there are no jobs, and the people that are leaving the country are leaving their jobs, thus creating opportunities for people that are in the country. If you have applied to a company as an IT Engineer and they rejected you, by the time their current IT Engineer leaves, they will consider you as the next option. So, I see it as an advantage for Nigeria to utilize its resources.”
