Africa, and Nigeria in particular, must begin to confront the underlying conditions driving skilled young people out of the continent, rather than focusing only on the consequences of migration.
A Senior Finance Business Partner based in Nairobi, Kenya, Brian Muloni, has identified Africa’s weak economy and shortage of formal employment as major forces behind the growing migration of young Africans to the United States, Europe and other Western countries.
Muloni said the continent’s economies are struggling to create enough opportunities for the expanding population of educated young people, leaving many with limited prospects for career growth and financial stability.
He noted that while the informal sector continues to absorb millions of workers, it often provides little job security, structured career progression or long-term economic stability.
According to him, the growing attraction of Western countries is therefore not simply about the desire to relocate, but is increasingly linked to the search for better opportunities and a more sustainable future.
He said, “The economy across the continent simply cannot absorb the wave of young jobseekers. Formal employment remains scarce. The informal sector absorbs many, but it offers little security and less advancement.”
Muloni added that Africa’s economic weaknesses were pushing increasing numbers of young people towards the United States and other Western countries.
The finance expert called on African leaders to take urgent steps toward stabilising the continent’s economy, stressing that a stronger economic base is key to ending the rising rate of youth migration to America and Europe.
The development raises a broader question for African governments: what will it take to make staying, building and succeeding at home as attractive as leaving?
