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Each year, Nigeria loses some of its brightest minds to developed countries. Our universities, once vibrant centers of innovation and scholarship, now struggle with depleted faculty strength, over­stretched academics, poor pay, and minimal research funding. Many who leave have no intention of returning, leaving behind insti­tutions struggling to keep pace in an increasingly knowledge driven world.

This exodus has a cost far be­yond the classrooms. When aca­demic departments are left with too few hands, the quality of teach­ing and research suffers. Labora­tories go unused, mentorship op­portunities vanish, and students are denied the rigorous academic guidance they deserve. The result is a vicious cycle: universities slip further down the global rankings, making them even less attractive to the scholars we desperately need to retain.

Yet, Nigeria can reverse this trend. Rather than viewing brain drain solely as a loss, we can re­frame it as an opportunity for brain gain. Our scholars abroad are not lost to us forever—they re­main Nigerians, deeply connected to the future of this country. With today’s communication technology, geographical barriers are no lon­ger insurmountable.

Here are some practical steps:

Virtual Engagement: Mandate every university department to en­gage Nigerian academics abroad through structured pro bono ser­vice. This could take the form of co-supervising graduate students, offering virtual seminars, or co-teaching specialized courses. Departments should actively reach out, extending honorary faculty positions that recognize their con­tributions while easing the bureau­cratic hurdles of participation.

Sabbaticals in Nigeria: Create opportunities for Nigerian schol­ars abroad to spend sabbatical periods teaching and conducting research in Nigerian universities. Incentivizing such short-term re­turns through visiting professor­ships, funded residencies, or re­search collaborations will directly transfer expertise to students and junior faculty.

Collaboration with Home-based Scholars: Encourage joint projects where foreign-based scholars work hand in hand with local academics. Such partnerships would build re­search capacity, expose Nigerian universities to global best practic­es, and open doors for joint publi­cations, grants, and international recognition.

China offers a powerful ex­ample. In China’s case, many overseas trained scholars did not immediately return perma­nently. Instead, they contributed while still based abroad, through mechanisms such as short-term visits and sabbaticals in Chinese universities, remote collabora­tions (co-authoring papers, joint grant applications, supervising PhD students), and participa­tion in national programs like the “Thousand Talents Plan” and “Changjiang Scholars Pro­gram.” These allowed Chinese di­aspora academics to retain their overseas jobs while holding part-time or visiting professorships in China. Virtual teaching and research collaboration, especial­ly after digital platforms became widespread, further deepened these ties.

During the 1990s and 2000s, China shifted its strategy from demanding permanent return to embracing flexible return policies. This approach allowed diaspora academics to contribute without uprooting their families or careers abroad. Studies have shown that this knowledge circulation model helped China rapidly expand its re­search capacity and rise in global science and technology rankings.

Nigeria can follow a similar path, leveraging its global aca­demic diaspora as an engine of progress. By turning brain drain into brain gain through sabbati­cals, virtual collaborations, and meaningful engagement between diaspora and home-based schol­ars, we can transform our higher education system into one that competes globally, inspires locally, and delivers the future our young people deserve.

*Dasho writes from Lagos via [email protected]