He packed his bags and left.
Not because he didn’t believe in Africa but because Africa made it hard for him to believe.
I remember the day Dominic called me from the airport. He was whispering like someone about to cry.
Deborah I’m leaving tonight he said to me like I have a right options to give.
Dominic was one of the brightest guy I know. Tech-savvy, creative, full of energy. He once told me he wanted to build a startup that would solve payment problems for rural farmers.
He had plans, bold ones but after two years of struggling, no funding, no opportunities, and no support, he gave up.
He got a remote job with a company abroad, then applied for a visa. Just like that, Nigeria lost another builder.
And guess what? Dominic is now thriving in Canada and earning well, working on real world projects, and finally living the life he once dreamed of here.
This is not just about Dominic story. It’s a pattern.
Our best talents are leaving.
Our sharpest minds are being exported.
And we are here, clapping for them as they go, a story of many young talents on this continent.
We have turned talent export into a success story. And don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with going abroad. In fact, it’s a big deal. But when leaving becomes the goal, and staying becomes a punishment, we need to pause and rethink. What happens to the dreams that were meant to build Africa?
Yes, talent mobility is great. Yes, global exposure matters. But if every sharp mind sees leaving as the only way forward, then we must pause and ask ourselves some hard questions.
✓ Are we truly winning if our best minds feel like they have to leave to thrive?
✓ Are we really progressing if the builders of tomorrow no longer want to build here?
This isn’t just brain drain. This is heart, soul and vision drain.
What if we stopped clapping only when people leave and start building systems that made them want to stay?
What if we created environments where tech talents, creatives, medical professionals, and innovators didn’t feel like they were wasting their lives by staying back?
What if we shifted the narrative from escape to build?
Because exporting talent should not mean exporting hope. We are losing the very people who should be building this continent.
Africa’s development cannot continue to be outsourced we need more exported potential and fulfilled purpose here at home.
So here’s my opinion:
- We must rethink this narrative.
- We must stop clapping for every exit and start creating reasons to stay.
- We must build systems, platforms, and communities that make our talents want to plant roots here.
- We need our thinkers and builders here.
- We need our dreamers here not just to survive, but to thrive.
So yes, celebrate Dominic. He deserves it but let’s also build for the next dominic so that when he gets that global offer, he doesn’t have to choose between purpose and progress. He will choose to do both here at home.
Let’s stop romanticizing escape and start rewarding those who are choosing to:
✓ Stay and fight
✓ Stay and build
✓ Stay and hope.
Because for every talent that leaves, a gap is left behind. So we must all pay attention so that one day we wouldn’t look around and no one will be left to carry the dream.
The real flex shouldn’t just be getting out but sticking around to make a difference right where you are.
The real win is not when our young people leave. The real win is when they choose to stay because the system works, the opportunities are real, and their dreams feel possible right where they are.
