The Move-Back Club
Each year, hundreds of African students and professionals leave the continent to study, or seek greener pastures abroad, especially in countries like the UK, US, Canada and Australia. This has been attributed to the many conflicts and the economic collapse that parts of the continent have been experiencing over the years. As a consequence of this migration of skilled labour to the west, Africa spends billions of dollars each year on salaries for "foreign experts" who provide technical assistance in areas such as health, education and science.
The MBC originated from one member's email to a colleague in the United States, talking of his experiences being back after a year, and his thoughts towards another Nigerian network's discussion board abroad about the "brain drain" in Nigeria and Africa. Unforeseen to him, his email was forwarded and circulated many times over. The response to this email was overwhelming because his reflections on "overstaying and getting locked into the American dream" and the need to recognize "your true exponential value in coming back home" were bitterly frank, truthful and candid. His story and others can be found on the MBC story pages.
The Move Back Club became not just a response to an email, but a moving force networking with other Nigerians already on ground. Its initial goal was to use the club as a vehicle to assist Nigerians abroad with real information about living and working in Nigeria through connecting and sharing of their own personal experiences.
Goals
The MBC's primary goal is to utilize the experiences of its members to assist other Nigerians in transition. It will provide useful information that will assist in making the transition process less difficult - access to information on the job market, negotiating your exponential value, settling into the general work and living environment. The club will prove to be useful in this effect by providing support to returnees where needed - job counseling, adaptation to living and working environment, a healthy stress outlet, communicating challenges, successes and general experiences. Succession in this effort will weigh heavily on formation of initiatives which the club will work on getting the support of the Nigerian government and other Diaspora initiatives in setting up a task force that will provide favourable working conditions, up to date working facilities, attractive pay packages, adequate social amenities and security to bring back our African professionals. To do this, African governments must relax their stifling, inflexible bureaucratic processes, which make it next to impossible for highly skilled professionals to enter the job market at home.
With the partnership of ESAfrica (Evaluation & Staffing Africa) Ltd., we will create a database of Nigerian and other African professionals on the continent and in the Diaspora, to begin building human capacity in Africa, turning this "brain drain" into "brain gain".
Ultimately, the club aims to network young, talented Nigerian professionals. Each member's role will be to use his or her skills to provide Nigerians in transition, and Nigerian youths, the opportunity to create an environment for support, discussion and partnership.
For more information, contact us, or send email to admin@movebackclub.com
