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Panelist Hetty ter Haar |
Migration and Institution Building in Africa: Time to revisit the Lagos Plan of Action Kenneth Kalu, School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, Ottawa
This paper draws from the institutional
theory of economic development to explore the links between recent
trends in the migration of highly skilled Africans to other continents
and Africa’s ability to achieve sustainable economic growth and
development. The paper argues that the loss of highly educated Africans
to Western countries has compounded the difficulties of institution
building in Africa. The difficulties in establishing effective and
sustainable institutions in the continent render most contemporary
development policies and programs ineffective, because development
policies can only be effective when supported by well-functioning institutions.
The implication is that no amount of financial remittances from African
professionals based abroad or other benefits accruing to the continent
from brain drain can compensate for the loss in institution building.
For Africa to achieve meaningful economic and social development, there
is an urgent need to revisit the recommendations of the Lagos Plan
of Action as it relates to human resource capacity and institution
building in the continent.
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