Journal Article

Human Capital Flight \Brain Drain\ and Academic Staff Job Performance in Selected Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Chijioke, Onah Celestine, Nneka, Obioji Josephine, Olorunfemi, Glory Chikaodi

2025

Overview

Purpose: The objectives of this study are to identify the drivers of human capital flight among the academic staff in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the impact of human capital flight on academic staff job performance, the extent of the occurrence of human capital flight among the academic staff -to find out the most affected categories of the academic staff embarking on human capital flight (brain drain), and the job perceptions and attitudes of academic staff towards human capital flight. The study also explores the implications of human capital flight on job performance; teaching and learning, and commitment of the academic staff of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Methods: This is a mixed-method survey research. Therefore, a quantitative field survey that leveraged both primary and secondary data was adopted in the study to descriptively content analyze data to arrive at the findings. Results and Conclusion: The poor salaries and other negative conditions of service prevalent in tertiary institutions in Nigeria resulted in the crisis of human capital flight, as the best academic staff emigrate overseas, where there are greener pastures. This, however, impacted negatively on the ranking, research outputs, innovations, quality of teaching and learning, and the job performance of the remaining academic staff in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Implications: This study raises the alarm for urgent policy action to stop the human capital flight and revamp public tertiary institutions in Nigeria to guarantee quality education of the citizens if national development is to be achieved and sustained. With the current trajectory of human capital flight, achieving any of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria is difficult. Even appreciable progress will be difficult to record because the workforce -professionals with expertise knowledge, education and skills are leaving the country. Thus, the critical sectors of the economy will stagnate and suffer more. Recommendations: This study recommends immediate upgrade of teaching and learning facilities in tertiary institutions, reasonable increment in employees' salaries, timely promotion, and improvement in welfare and other conditions of service, are suggested as the panacea to overcome the problem of human capital flight in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. By so doing, the push-pull factors leading to human capital flight among seasoned academics that migrate outside Nigeria, especially to Europe and North America in search of greener pastures will reduce drastically. Limitations: Poor administration of tertiary institutions, unstable economy, insecurity, inflation, and other negative trajectories prevalent in Nigeria might force many academic staff who might want to remain in Nigeria to embark on human capital flight even if their salaries, welfare and other conditions of service are improved. So, there is a need to stabilize the economy and provide security and infrastructural development, which depend on a good governance system that is currently lacking in Nigeria, as evident in the drivers of human capital flight.

• Publisher: جامعة النجاح الوطنية
• Subject: الأداء الوظيفي / التعليم العالي / المؤسسات التعليمية / نيجيريا