Why More Young Africans Are Leaving To Study And Work Abroad

A new study indicates that more than a third 35 of African students plan to leave Africa after completing their education, with many seeking higher education and job opportunities in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe.

Other popular destinations among African students include wealthier countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD, such as Australia. Job scarcity in their home countries is a major reason why numerous young Africans are looking to build their futures abroad rather than on the continent, the study reveals.

Commissioned by the African Leadership University ALU, the study examined the educational aspirations of young Africans and the perspectives of employers on the future of work in Africa. The surveys were conducted between March and June last year and covered 3,927 employers and 3,953 school leavers across nine African countries - Cte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The students were aged 15-22 and in their final year of study.

The study showed that African employers are increasingly concerned about the negative impact of emigration on the availability of talent. They are worried that if more African youth relocate to foreign countries to work and study, the continent will face a surge in 'brain drain', which is where the sustained emigration of skilled nationals leads to a progressive depletion of human capital in the countries of origin.

The study found that 64 of African employers expressed concerns about the impact of brain drain, with multinationals 72 citing this as a more significant issue for them compared with local large enterprises 62 and SMEs 65.