Japa: Expert raises concern over imminent economic downturn for Africa

A finance expert, Brian Muloni, has raised concerns over the impending economic and manpower downturn some African countries could face following the mass exodus of their citizens to the United States of America and other European countries.

In a paper entitled “Exodus Generation: Why Are Africa’s Young People Heading West?”, and made available to journalists, Muloni regretted that some African governments have resorted to turning migration into a “development instrument” rather than treating it solely as a loss of human capital.

He mentioned some African countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia and Togo, among others, which have begun this migration arrangement with European countries, warning that such attempts pose a serious policy dilemma for their governments.

“Kenya has entered migration arrangements with Germany to train workers for specific jobs, while Ethiopia has explored sending nurses to European countries. The trend nevertheless poses a serious policy dilemma for African governments,” he said.

However, Muloni admitted that Africa’s weak economy has driven many youths out of their countries in search of greener pastures.

He, therefore, called on African leaders to take urgent steps towards stabilising the continent’s economy through investment in agriculture, industry and technology, stressing that a stronger economic base is key to ending the rising rate of youth migration to America and Europe.