A report, Decoding Global Talent 2024, has said two-thirds of Nigerian professionals are willing to abandon the country for greener pastures (japa).
It said out of 150,000 workers in 188 countries, younger professionals from fast-growing populations are more likely to seek better opportunities abroad.
The report stated that Nigeria ranked 67th and Ghana 72nd in terms of attractiveness to global workers, while Abuja and Lagos ranked 63rd and 103rd, respectively, in terms of desired cities.
“The world’s most important economies are facing a major challenge: the great shortage of people. This looming gap in the global labour market is primarily due to declining birth rates and mismatches between job supply and demand,” said the CEO of Stepstone Group, Sebastian Dettmers.
“Labour migration represents a prime opportunity to bridge this gap. We must adapt our job markets to be more versatile, enabling workers to move to where they are most needed and where they can find the best positions for their skills and aspirations.”
The top 10 countries Nigerians prefer to work abroad for are Canada, the UK, the USA, Australia, Germany, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and France.
In 2020, the Netherlands (8th), New Zealand (9th), and Ireland (10th) were the top destinations.
According to the report, global talent moves abroad primarily for professional progress, with those willing to do so citing financial and economic reasons (64 per cent of global and 60 per cent of Nigerian).
“For global respondents who listed a specific reason for choosing a particular country, the quality of job opportunities was the top decisive factor (65 per cent), with quality of life and climate ranking second (54 per cent).
“Other country-specific characteristics, such as opportunities for citizenship (18 per cent) and health care (15 per cent) also play a role but are secondary factors,” the report highlighted.
Reasons to relocate to Nigeria that were highlighted by respondents include the quality of job opportunities (52 per cent of respondents), a family-friendly environment (40 per cent), and a welcoming culture and inclusiveness (34 per cent).
“The biggest reasons highlighted by Nigerian and Ghanaian respondents, who are not willing to move overseas are the inability to bring family members or a life partner with them when they relocate (43 per cent and 50 per cent respectively) and the cost of relocation (39 per cent and 36 per cent respectively),” Banful stated.
