Free to Roam, Reserved to Tend

As I reminisce on the brain drain Nigeria has suffered during the last five years, I am reminded of the  ancient Yoruba proverb that says "ewúré ilé k'òmo iyì ode, ajogún èwù k'òmo iyì agbádá nla". 

The proverb literally means that the household-owned goat does not appreciate the kindness of the hunter and the one who inherited an expensive festival cloak on a platter does not appreciate its worth. Its English alternative would be: familiarity breeds contempt.

A nation's stock of human resources is its most valuable capital, not necessarily its mineral resources. From resource curse arguments, we can observe how abundance of natural and mineral resources may translate to little or no economic development whenever underlying institutional frameworks are growth-inhibiting.

This can be clearly seen in the dilapidated economies of resource-rich countries that pay limited attention to human capital development and living standards improvement. 

While natural resources may remain location-bound, human resources are very mobile. Even though capital embedded in humans may be cultivated as little acorns that soon become oak trees, they are transplantable.

For privileged persons from developing regions, where governments and firms demonstrate lack of priority focus on sustainable human capital growth and/or family-friendliness, migration seems like a common route to expanded opportunities.

However, we must think about that majority class of people who may not have livelihoods and income levels to finance relocation costs. 

We must cater to the developmental needs of the poor and vulnerable in our communities. So doing, we can promote social cohesion, narrow intergenerational inequality gaps, and reduce insecurity fueled by the marginalised.

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Photo credit: Oluyomi Ola-David