Muhammadu Sanusi, former Emir of Kano, has asked presidential candidates to prioritise health and education sectors to reverse the brain drain.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made the call at an event held by the Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi Foundation (MAMF) in collaboration with St Nicholas Hospital in Lagos on Wednesday.
He said Nigeria must reverse the brain drain in the health and education sectors by prioritising the welfare of doctors and teachers.
“Education and health are the foundation of the economy, if we don’t prioritize these sectors, then we are finished. The rate of brain drain is high because prepared budgets in the health and education sectors have been embezzled and mismanaged,” he said.
“You can’t treat your teachers and doctors as if they are nothing. That is the reason they are leaving the country in droves. We must reverse brain drain by respecting the demands of teachers and health practitioners.
“As a people and most especially as governments, we have lost our respect for the professions that should be respected. Teachers and doctors are not looking for money but the amount of money we invest in training our children in becoming doctors and teachers can never be earned in salaries in this country but people deserve a decent life and also respect.
“People want to serve but they also want to eat. They are humans who have basic responsibility, they want to educate their children. We have created an economy where everybody on a narrow salary is being impoverished.”
