Many Nigerians get asked abroad, ‘Are you a doctor?’

As Nigerians celebrate the 64th anniversary of the country’s independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, one striking issue is how Nigeria has been losing its human resources to other countries.  The loss of Nigeria has become the gain of many countries in terms of skills and human capital.

One question educated Nigerians in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc, get asked is: “Are you a doctor?” It is usually followed by: “I have been treated by Nigerian doctors. They are amazing.” These people also talk glowingly about Nigerian nurses, caregivers, engineers, IT professionals, project managers, financial services professionals, etc.

For decades, Nigerian professionals have been emigrating to other countries for better opportunities. But in the past ten years, many have chosen to leave Nigeria mainly because of insecurity. The unpredictability in the economy has also been a strong factor for relocation in recent years. Interestingly, Western countries have smartly created programmes that attract Nigerians with good education and skills to their countries.

Sadly, the exploits Nigerian professionals and entrepreneurs are making globally are not getting the deserved attention. These milestones are usually overshadowed by the bad politics and governance at home and other negative news from outliers. Because people prefer to tell negative stories about others, these achievements made by Nigerians abroad will not get huge media and word-of-mouth attention. It is only Nigerians that can continue to highlight them until they become mainstream and are taken up by others. Therefore, it is time for Nigerians to start telling their stories in newspapers, on YouTube, social media, and anywhere an opportunity presents itself.

The positive reports about Nigerian health professionals in different countries, for example, happen despite the path Nigerians go through to be certified to practise in many countries. For instance, Nigerian doctors who enter Canada directly from Nigeria go through some rigours of studies and examinations with heavy financial demands before they can be licensed to practise. While waiting to complete their certification, many drive cabs, work as cashiers, clear snow, etc. A classmate who had practised as a doctor in Nigeria for 20 years is undergoing that process now. That is the persevering spirit of the Nigerian. She stoops to conquer. No hurdle is too high to scale. No valley is too deep to waddle through. It is just a matter of time.

That spirit is captured in the Nigerian saying: “It is well, even in the well”. The Nigerian believes that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

No wonder that in 2014, the World Value Survey ranked Nigerians as the happiest people on earth. Explaining the factors that put Nigerians in the number one position, Rod Dreher pointed at Nigerians’ “super religious” disposition and having an unusual level of optimism even in the face of daunting odds. It is not surprising that Nigerians give their children names like Ndubuisi (once there is life, there is hope), Nkeiruka (the future is more important), Onyemaechi (who knows what tomorrow will bring?), Iretiola (hope for wealth/tomorrow), Durojaiye (wait and enjoy life), etc.

That unusual level of optimism imbues in Nigerians the ‘’can-do’’, ‘’never-say-die’’ spirit. The Nigerian usually thinks of “how can it be done?”, not why it cannot be done. It comes from years of always being told: “Results, not excuses.”

It also comes from a system where 9 to 5 only exists in theory. In Nigeria, you are not expected to close from work and shut down completely until the next working day. If there are emails that demand urgent responses at night or over the weekend or public holiday, you are expected to attend to them. Sometimes, even on your sick bed or during your vacation, there are emails and tasks you may have to attend to. The principle is to go above and beyond and deliver results to the clients or customers and save the organisation any embarrassment or displeasure.

The other trait that marks the Nigerian out is having a backup plan or Option B for virtually everything. Almost everybody in Nigeria has at least two phone lines. If one network experiences hiccups, you switch over to the other line. Sometimes one network offers some freebies on data while the other is cheaper on calls. If public electricity fails, we switch over to a generator. Even the generator has a smaller alternative that can power only the light bulbs and electronic devices. We have overhead water tanks in case the public water supply fails. We save documents on email, external drive, cloud, etc in case our laptop crashes. We have cash in our wallet or purse in case the bank card or ATM malfunctions or is not close by. This Plan B mentality drives our management and official engagements. We always have a second plan in the background in case the main one we are banking on fails.

Another trait is the quest for knowledge and degrees. The love Nigerians have for degrees is hard to explain. A first degree is rarely considered good enough. It is just seen as a foundation. Having two master’s degrees is common: one master’s in one field and then an MBA. Then there is the icing on the cake, which is a PhD. For many Nigerians, education is not complete if it does not end with a PhD. Even for people who have no business in the world of academia, a PhD is an ambition. Many acquire it, not to use it in their field, but to fulfil that desire of getting to the apogee of knowledge. Another point that fuels this quest for knowledge is to make one’s parents proud. Mummy and Daddy need to boast in the community that their children have so and so degrees and accomplishments.

The Financial Times of October 29, 2020, wrote as follows: “In the US, Nigerians are the most highly educated of all groups, with 61 per cent holding at least a bachelor’s degree compared, with 31 per cent of the total foreign-born population and 32 per cent of the US-born population, according to 2017 data from the Migration Policy Institute.

“More than half of Nigerian immigrants; 54 per cent, were most likely to occupy management positions, compared with 32 per cent of the total foreign-born population and 39 per cent of the US-born population.”

Then there is the spirit of volunteerism and community. From childhood, Nigerians build their community and help one another. Government and institutions do not provide scholarships and grants for individuals to go to the university. Parents pay their school fees. For those whose parents cannot afford their school fees, communities or individuals come to the rescue. Similarly, the government and banks don’t provide loans for mortgages. People save to build or buy their houses. Relatives also help with loans and gifts. Only those who have big assets can get loans from the banks to buy a house or a car. Nigerians buy their phones, clothes, groceries, home needs, etc, with cash or a debit card.

They help one another to buy things and get things done. If there are no schools or clinics or roads in a neighbourhood, Nigerians raise money to provide such. These things are so ingrained in the system that nobody sees it as anything special to put in a resume.

When Nigerians relocate to other countries, these traits give them an advantage. What they saw as ordinary in their home country became an extraordinary asset. That is why Nigerians abroad are excelling in different fields of endeavour. However, nobody will give Nigerians their flowers if they don’t place their achievements before the public.

– X: @BrandAzuka