A Nigerian Industrialist, Celestine Ebubeogu, has raised concerns over what he described as a “lost opportunity” for reverse brain drain, warning that many Igbo professionals abroad who desire to return home are being discouraged by insecurity, corruption and poor infrastructure in Nigeria.
Ebubeogu expressed the concern in a post shared on his Facebook page, where he said several skilled Nigerians in the United Kingdom, United States and other countries were increasingly abandoning plans to return home despite their willingness to contribute to national development.
According to him, many professionals of Igbo extraction who had built successful careers abroad were “dying inside in frustration” due to the unfavourable conditions in the country.
“Mourning the needed reverse brain drain: so many Igbo abroadians academics and professionals who want to return home or wish they could after some time abroad to contribute in nation building are dying inside in frustration because of the security, corruption and infrastructure situation,” he wrote.
He cited the example of medical doctors in the United Kingdom who, despite owning retirement homes in the South-East, remain hesitant to relocate to Nigeria due to safety concerns.
“Doctors in the UK who have retirement houses in Igboland are afraid to return,” he stated.
Ebubeogu also pointed to legal practitioners in the United States who, according to him, had hoped to return home to mentor younger lawyers but have since abandoned such plans.
“Sixty-year-old lawyers in New York who wish to return to contribute to training our young future lawyers have resigned to dismay,” he wrote.
He further noted that engineers who still had productive years ahead were instead opting to retire in the Caribbean and other African countries where they feel more secure and better supported.
“Engineers who still have at least 10 years to impart their knowledge to our children are retiring to the Caribbean and other African countries,” he added.
Describing the situation as regrettable, Ebubeogu lamented what he termed the continued loss of valuable expertise that could have contributed to national development.
“The shame,” he wrote, expressing frustration over the inability of Nigeria to attract back skilled professionals willing to contribute to nation-building.
Many Nigerians also took to the comment section of the post to express divergent views on the issue, with some lamenting the worsening security situation, while others shared personal experiences of life abroad and the desire to return home.
A user, Kelechi Deca, said the development reflects a deeper structural challenge, warning that it threatens national progress.
“This is the biggest obstacle to the consolidation stage of our development in the land because the generation you mentioned is the torch bearer generation that is supposed to hand over the torch to the next generation.
“And at the age they are presently most of them especially the men have started feeling the ancestral itching that would ensure they’re restless outside the homeland. One of our foremost elder statesmen is 92 and in the US. I can’t judge him.
“But I can’t even imagine getting to 60 and living outside Mbaise. Few of my village people have started the reverse migration and they are setting in quite well.
“Those still outside may not say so, and some may pretend and shout that “Ala wụ otu”, but we also know that the duality of Igbo ideological concepts does not cancel one another.
“For men holding the human ends of the ancestral ropes who are supposed to go to bed with the sounds of Crickets and wake up every morning to the chippings of Eneke birds in Igboland, this inability to connect is a natural disaster.
“But I strongly believe we can change the narrative and make Igboland livable again.
“That’s the task before all of us.
“We are the ones we are waiting for.”
Another commentator, Chimezie Asiegbu, lamented the economic and social dynamics behind migration patterns, questioning the state of the economy.
“You wan make I cry?
The situation is terrible. We left our villages to dwell at Onitsha, Enugu, Aba, Benin, Lagos etc is to go out and earn and bring it home, and they brought it home. A generation went abroad to gain knowledge to come and practice, they came back and did as they desired.
“Another generation went beyond Lagos, Cotounu Accra, Bamenda, Kano, they went to Europe not solely for knowledge because some have acquired the knowledge here, they went to Europe, Australia, Canada, USA to earn, they earned and built massive houses in their villages but are scared of coming home, there is a high chance that they children they sired with the women they brought from their villages may never come back to be Igbo people of Nigeria.”
He also raised concerns over economic inconsistencies affecting import prices despite exchange rate movements.
“I have one question which you might have insight to it’s answer based on some of your posts. How come when $1 (USD) went for N1,630 Cement was even N8,000 per bag. Imported medications were cheaper then compared with now Naira was said to have improved. I hoped that prices of imported goods would come down as Naira improved, what is happening? Is the government taxing importers from various corners which makes the gain from exchange rate meaningless to the importers? Comparing the prices of pharmaceutical products when Dollar was above N1,500 and now they claim it is below N1,400 the price now is much higher.”
Another user, Bethel Ebubeogu, blamed the trend on leadership failure, saying even elites are losing confidence in the country.
“Even our so called leaders are retiring to abroad after their bad governance, so who is left out, they knew that they hv nothing to show for this country and nothing is left for us to continue”
Also reacting, Obinna Onuoha recounted a personal story linking insecurity to permanent relocation abroad.
“I remembered around 2009, my uncle and a very wealthy doctor from Isu, were discussing about setting up a massive hospital around the Orlu area. They were debating whether to use USP( US phamacopia) or BP ( British phamacopia), since they plan to recruit a lot of retiring doctors from the US or Britain.
“A few years ago, the doctor’s brother in Nigeria was kidnapped and despite all the money that was paid, the man was killed. The doctor severed relationship with Nigeria.
He was recently buried in Atlanta, where his grandchildren live.”
Similarly, Benedict Onyedibe said the reality resonates deeply with him, adding that insecurity remains a major push factor.
“I know and feel this to my bones, because i am involved…i count days living in the abroad. I visit home atleast twice a year, and still the minute i leave, i start counting down to when next i could go back home. The truth is that if security improves, most of us will just pack our bags and come home, because even though you have business plans, without security you cannot function.”
Okey Nzekwe, however, expressed optimism that the situation could still improve despite current challenges.
“This is the sad reality of our chequered country, all hope is not lost am optimistic that one day it will be better.”
Another user, Samuel Chinoso, described the situation as painful, citing relocation trends among retirees.
“It’s really sad… I know one who just bought retirement home in one of the African country and willing to abandon the one he already owns in Igbo land… he’s unhappy but that’s the only option available for him.
He pray everyday for our country to work !”
Also reacting, Abraham Chkwuebuka blamed societal values, saying materialism has worsened the situation.
“AlaIgbo is messed up?we worship money and can do anything to make it. It saddens mi heart when I see how we place so much value on money than ourselves.”
