Whither are Drifting?: Migration of African Intellectuals in the Age of Globalization

• In Event: Developing Education in a Global World

Abstract

Equity and social justice issues exist and demonstrate in the migration of the African college-educated and highly skilled workforce to developed countries. According to McAuliffe and Kitimbo (2018), between 2015 and 2017 the number of African international migrants living in Europe, North America, Oceana, Asia, and the Caribbean was estimated at 19 million. Brain drain in Africa is severe and present. The loss of a skilled workforce introduces many problems for a developing nation. Using a systematic literature review approach, the paper analyzes the underlying causal factors behind brain drain in Africa and the fundamental effects of these factors on educational planning and delivery. The article further discusses issues of equity, social justice, identity, integration, and acceptance in both countries of origin and recipient countries. This paper proposes proactive and pragmatic approaches to reconceptualize the brain drain phenomenon in Africa.

Authors

• Francis E Godwyll, University of West Florida

• Yohanna Agyei, University of West Florida