21 September, 2008

'brain gain'

Oil-rich Nigeria enjoys 'brain gain' as expats take advantage of boom

LAGOS, Nigeria — They speak in the clipped tones of the British upper class or the soft drawl of southern California. They boast degrees and work experience from elite overseas institutions. And now they're coming home.

Nigerians who left their homeland to seek riches abroad are increasingly returning as Africa's biggest oil producer rides an energy bonanza that is opening up unprecedented opportunities.

Abiola Lawal, 41, is part of this "brain gain."

He was earning a six-figure salary with business software giant SAP AG in southern California before he returned to Nigeria in 2005 after 17 years abroad, joining a major Nigerian energy firm, Oando PLC, as chief strategy officer.

"There are lots of 30-and 40-something-year-olds who are CEOs in this country, and that would never be in the States or the U.K. because the experience pool is much deeper there," said Lawal. "In the States I will have opportunities, but not at the level we are getting them in Nigeria, and that's the reality."

While most of Nigeria's 140 million citizens are deeply impoverished, some parts of the waterfront commercial capital of Lagos are becoming mini boomtowns.

With petro dollars strengthening the economy and the government deregulating key industries, Nigeria's telecommunications, banking and energy sectors are growing at double and sometimes triple digit rates, with stock prices to match. The overall economy is forecast to grow at about nine per cent in 2008.

This growth has created a growing appetite for internationally business savvy recruits. Many companies now organize career fairs in major cities in the U.S. and Europe, seeking to personally woo Africans with overseas training and work experience.

For many Nigerian expatriates, it's a tempting proposal: the chance to contribute to the development of their country while enjoying compensation packages that often include fast-track promotion, housing, a maid, a car and a driver.

No firm figures exist for how many Nigerians educated or working overseas are coming home. But recruitment companies report hundreds of applications for each job they advertise and up to 85 per cent of the applicants are Nigerians working in the West.

Shola Ajani, who runs recruitment company Maximise Potentials, says that in the last three years the company has placed 700 Nigerian expatriates in professional jobs in their homeland. Their portal, nigeriajobsonline.com, has a database of some 10,000 Nigerians living overseas who have registered their interest in repatriating, he says.

Nigeria has always seen some of its diaspora return home, a process kick-started by the end of three decades of military rule in the country in 1999. But brain gain "has taken a new dimension in the past year," as the economy booms, says Ade Odutola of another recruitment site wazobiajobs.com, which has grown nearly threefold in the past year. "We are seeing greater awareness of the opportunities in Africa by Africans in the diaspora."

Word is spreading fast. Internet communities such as the Move Back Club put new "repats" in touch with those hoping to make the move.

Recruitment companies say brain gain is running at the highest levels in Nigeria. But they say flagging western economies are pushing more young professionals toward other fast-growing, if sometimes volatile, markets such as South Africa and, more recently, Ghana.

The contrast between the often high-living ways of repats and other rich elite - such as politicians and oil tycoons - and the circumstances of ordinary Nigerians can be jarring.

Misuse of government funds and widespread corruption has left Nigeria's infrastructure crumbling. Few people have access to reliable electricity, decent schools and health clinics or flushing toilets.

In the few comparatively posh sections of Lagos, high-security gated compounds have sprung up, roads have been resurfaced and glistening shopping malls opened. The elite can be seen quaffing champagne and dining on sushi in air-conditioned restaurants while outside, beggars and street children guard their immaculate SUVs.

Nigeria's government isn't complaining. It has set up groups such as the "Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation" to encourage Nigerians living and working overseas to come back and share their skills.

"These people are interested in staying and rebuilding their homeland, not just seizing the opportunity and then leaving back for overseas," says John Ejinaka, a senior consular official involved in the multimillion-dollar effort. "It's a great opportunity for all of us."

Erabor Okogun, a 34-year old business consultant, studied in Britain and held a job with Transport for London, the government body that runs London transport system. He returned to Nigeria in 2003 to work for the Transnational Corporation of Nigeria PLC - a vast conglomerate with interests across the hospitality, energy, telecommunications and trade sectors.

He said salaries are high in Nigeria, but that companies get what they pay for.

"Yes, we command above and beyond what is normally expected for employees in Nigeria," he said, swirling a glass of cognac. "But in terms of work output, ethics, ideas and concepts the company gets a lot of value. The economy gets a lot of value."

Of course, he said, there are drawbacks to moving back to a deeply corrupt country that receives only a couple of hours of state-provided power each day. Roads are filled with potholes and snarled with traffic. Rates of gun crime are high in the disorderly city.

"In the U.K. everything has its place, there's an order to things: That's what I miss most," says Okugun. "And that's what I want to create here."

For some Nigerian repats being able to watch, and participate in, the development of their nation is sufficient reward. But for most there's another message that trumps all: "You can write your name in gold in Nigeria," says Okogun with a smile.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ii1UZuDOlyHI0iMVH8GYA9OwVGnQ

"THE NIGERIAN MAFIA...........?"

The recent happenings in Castelvolturno (massacre of 7 Africans) by people suspected to be members of the CAMORRA (the Naples mafia) has seen fingers being pointed to the CASALESSI family. In this havoc there are many things that people in the Nigerian community in Italy may be worrying about.

The first report that hit the press was of the killing of 6 Nigerians by the mafia because of non payment of drug royalties. The killings had every indication that would make anyone point to an organized group like the Camorra; hundreds of bullets form automatic Kalashnikovs by 6 people on 'fake' police jackets and cars……….

Later in the day the news came out clearer and the identities of those killed were known; 4 Ghanaians, a Togolese, and a Liberian. There was no Nigerian involved. The poor Africans were all working in their textile and tailoring shop where they sew and mend cloths for Italians and foreigners.

The story changed and some press reports had it that since they were non Nigerians it would have been a mistake by the commando that carried out the operation, insinuating that the Napoli mafia (Camorra) was really annoyed with the Nigerian mafia which has an alliance with them but in the recent past started to disobey and have their own (Nigerian) bosses thereby stopping to pay royalties from drug proceeds. It was also reported that the Nigerian group that had signed pacts of alliance many years ago with the main mafia for the indirect control of drugs, prostitution, illegal labor, illegal immigration etc were gathering too much powers ;therefore should be thought a lesson or re-dimensioned. http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2008/settembre/19/Camorra_strage_extracomunitari_co_8_080919002.shtml

http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2008/settembre/19/Roberti_Una_pulizia_etnica__co_8_080919003.shtml

The police still insist that those killed were involved in drug movement in the area (they are Africans after all) notwithstanding that no drug was found in their workshop or in their residences.

The Nigerian mafia had their first clash with the Italian mafia 22 years ago (1986) when 6 Nigerians were 'kneecapped' . There was apparent peace and cooperation with the two mafias until the night between 23rd and 24th April 1990 when the camorra organized a commando that hit a group of their Nigerian allies in bar Centro di Pescopagano- leaving two deed and many who were not even connected with drugs wounded. In the month of January this yare 3 persons were charged with the death of those Nigerians.

These are just little bits of the 'Black mafia' which has in the past 17 years gained a lot of powers and is peculiar for the its tribal based set-up and the sort of impunity it has amongst other organized criminal groups.

According to the report it is hard to believe that among the numerous drug pushers none of the Nigerians has ever collaborated with the justice to reveal what happens within the group and they have continued to propel their activities from Italy to all over Europe growing from the sells of heroine to the control and wholesale of the cocaine and the control of prostitution.

The recycling of the black mafia money is through money transfer and other complicated connections that are difficult for the Italian central bank or the European Central Bank (ECB) to discover and dismantle. The report claims that the Nigerian Mafia in this form has shown a great competitiveness that makes it the 5th Mafia in Italy.

http://www.positanonews.it/dettaglio.php?id=16812

Some question I would ask members of the community who read all the press reports , analysis and tv reports on Nigeria and her nationals in Italy:

· Are we all prostitutes, mafians, and drug pushers?

· What is the population Nigerian in Italy and what is the percentage involved in these vices?

· Who speaks or will speak for the community and defend her and the Nation for all the exaggerations and accusations that has been going on these days in the press?

· what is our mission (embassy) doing to see that the numerous Nigerians that are resident in Italy and are highly law abiding do not face unnecessary harassments and molests from Italians and the serotypes of the Italian law enforcement agencies? many African ambassadors went or sent their representatives to Castel Volturno some days ago; did anyone from the Nigerian mission travel to that area to ascertain the security of law Abiding Nigerians living in that region?

There are more questions to be asked and to be answered on this issue Do you have any?

Okey. Chukwubike C


-----PHOTO THOUGHTS----: 7 AFRICANS EXECUTED.... CAMORRA?#links

-----PHOTO THOUGHTS----: 7 AFRICANS EXECUTED.... CAMORRA?#links

AFRICAN WOMEN

Women to rule Rwanda parliament

Women voters in Rwanda
Rwanda already holds the world record for highest proportion of female MPs

Rwanda will be the first country where women will outnumber men in parliament, preliminary election results show.

Women have taken 44 out of 80 seats so far and the number could rise if three seats reserved for the disabled and youth representatives go to females.

Rwanda, whose post-genocide constitution ensures a 30% quota for female MPs, already held the record for the most women in parliament.

The ruling party coalition won 78% of seats in Monday's vote.

Indirect elections for women's quota seats took place on Tuesday and votes for two youth representatives and a disabled quota seat are taking place on Wednesday and Thursday.

It is the second parliamentary elections since the genocide of 1994 when some 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by Hutu militias in just 100 days.

80-SEAT PARLIAMENT
Elected seats: 53
* RPF: 42 seats, 78.76% of the vote
* Social Democratic Party: 7 seats, 13.12% of the vote
* Liberal Party: 4 seats, 7.5% of the vote
Quota seats: 27 (women 24, youth 2, disabled 1)
Women total: 44 seats, 55% of parliament
Preliminary results Rwanda National Electoral Commission

President Paul Kagame was instrumental in establishing the Tutsi-led 's Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) - the rebel force which took power and ended the genocide.

The BBC's Geoffrey Mutagoma in the capital, Kigali, says the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party have conceded defeat.

In the outgoing parliament, 48.8% of MPs were women - the world's highest rate. It is now set to be at least 55%.

Women who stood in seats reserved for female candidates were not allowed to represent a party.

"The problems of women are understood much better, much better by women themselves," voter Anne Kayitesi told the BBC's Focus on Africa.

"You see men, especially in our culture, men used to think that women are there to be in the house, cook food, look after the children... but the real problems of a family are known by a woman and when they do it, they help a country to get much better."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7620816.stm