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President Bola Tinubu has urged African leaders to make more strategic and deliberate efforts to address the exodus of skilled and talented manpower from Africa.
These efforts, he said, should involve curbing tribalism, rewarding performance, and reforming outdated judicial systems.
Speaking at a dinner held in his honour at the People’s Palace in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Wednesday night, President Tinubu said leaders must encourage research and development with the provision of appropriate rewards.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed this in a statement he signed on Thursday titled, ‘President Tinubu: We can stop skills exodus by enhancing performance incentivisation in Africa.’
“Why are we complaining about healthcare problems if our doctors cannot have a home on our continent? If our nurses are faced with destitution, and if our judicial system is archaic?” Tinubu queried.
The Nigerian President, who is on a three-day official visit to Equatorial Guinea, said development in Africa would begin when the continent started to look inward for solutions.
He argued, “Tribalism has no place in our nation or region. We have to strengthen the continent, cultivate and maintain peace together and help one another.
"We must develop our resources for progress. We need to find solutions among ourselves, focus intently on research and development, and reward those programmes. We must produce the results ourselves. We cannot outsource or sell them.
"To international organisations, we are partners. We will continue to be partners, but we must implement more than half of the research results established here. We have many youths to support, millions yearning for progress.
"Africa must solve its own problems. Peace, stability, and democracy are the way forward for our collective and progressive development. We have agreed on that with President Mbasogo."
"We will continue to promote peace and stability across the continent. Some of our other brothers are still in conflict. We will work together to promote peace.
"The long-standing conflicts in the Congo and the Sahel require urgent collective action for sustainable peace.
"What we see in parts of the continent and the Sahel is not good for today or promising for tomorrow. We have to make peace the focus of our development. Without peace, there can be no development. Our problem is not understanding what to do, but how and when to do it. The time is now. We must act decisively to bring peace and stability to our continent."
The President of Equatorial Guinea expressed gratitude for President Tinubu's visit and called for more collaboration and solidarity between the two countries.
He highlighted Nigeria's potential and experience as the largest economy in Africa since 2015, considering it one of the great global emerging markets.
