[Music] one third of African professionals have
one third of African professionals have
one third of African professionals have left the continent and this amounts to
left the continent and this amounts to
left the continent and this amounts to about 10 million African mini dollars in
about 10 million African mini dollars in
about 10 million African mini dollars in the past decade alone I will this this
the past decade alone I will this this
the past decade alone I will this this information is actually from the
information is actually from the
information is actually from the International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration there is an African statesman that spoke
there is an African statesman that spoke
there is an African statesman that spoke about this issue and I will quote him
about this issue and I will quote him
about this issue and I will quote him this was in 2015 and he said in Africa
this was in 2015 and he said in Africa
this was in 2015 and he said in Africa we spend four billion dollars recruiting
we spend four billion dollars recruiting
we spend four billion dollars recruiting expats to work on our projects on
expats to work on our projects on
expats to work on our projects on projects that are funded by the financed
projects that are funded by the financed
projects that are funded by the financed by foreign aid and we still spend in
by foreign aid and we still spend in
by foreign aid and we still spend in Africa 3.6 billion educating people in a
Africa 3.6 billion educating people in a
Africa 3.6 billion educating people in a total per year so the 3.6 billion is
total per year so the 3.6 billion is
total per year so the 3.6 billion is very close to the 4 billion that we
very close to the 4 billion that we
very close to the 4 billion that we spend and we spend three point six
spend and we spend three point six
spend and we spend three point six billion educating people and we lose a
billion educating people and we lose a
billion educating people and we lose a big percentage of them they leave so
big percentage of them they leave so
big percentage of them they leave so something has to be done because when
something has to be done because when
something has to be done because when you look at the numbers spending four
you look at the numbers spending four
you look at the numbers spending four billion to hire roughly 150,000 expats
billion to hire roughly 150,000 expats
billion to hire roughly 150,000 expats versus the ones that we actually lose it
versus the ones that we actually lose it
versus the ones that we actually lose it is challenging I would put it this way
is challenging I would put it this way
is challenging I would put it this way to avoid using the word worrying and
to avoid using the word worrying and
to avoid using the word worrying and because it is the challenge and in
because it is the challenge and in
because it is the challenge and in Africa we have reached a time where we
Africa we have reached a time where we
Africa we have reached a time where we need to grab our challenges and we
need to grab our challenges and we
need to grab our challenges and we actually need to face the realities
actually need to face the realities
actually need to face the realities because the loss of African intellectual
because the loss of African intellectual
because the loss of African intellectual property is actually a big challenge for
property is actually a big challenge for
property is actually a big challenge for the development of our country so we
the development of our country so we
the development of our country so we need to work on something that will
need to work on something that will
need to work on something that will inspire people to actually think of
inspire people to actually think of
inspire people to actually think of coming back and the good news for the
coming back and the good news for the
coming back and the good news for the continent is that 70 percent of the
continent is that 70 percent of the
continent is that 70 percent of the African professionals who work outside
African professionals who work outside
African professionals who work outside the continent want to come back
the continent want to come back
the continent want to come back 70% of them actually want to come back
70% of them actually want to come back
70% of them actually want to come back and work on the continent so this is a
and work on the continent so this is a
and work on the continent so this is a great opportunity now this is a good
great opportunity now this is a good
great opportunity now this is a good news that we need to actually work on
news that we need to actually work on
news that we need to actually work on and we need to inspire them not only to
and we need to inspire them not only to
and we need to inspire them not only to come back but we need to create the
come back but we need to create the
come back but we need to create the conditions for them to come back and
conditions for them to come back and
conditions for them to come back and speaking of that this is where I want to
speaking of that this is where I want to
speaking of that this is where I want to say that when we look at how much we pay
say that when we look at how much we pay
say that when we look at how much we pay we usually do pay a Western consultant a
we usually do pay a Western consultant a
we usually do pay a Western consultant a thousand euros or sometimes even more
thousand euros or sometimes even more
thousand euros or sometimes even more per day for him to come and support the
per day for him to come and support the
per day for him to come and support the project implementations and I can assure
project implementations and I can assure
project implementations and I can assure you that if only we had a way to take
you that if only we had a way to take
you that if only we had a way to take that take that information and inform
that take that information and inform
that take that information and inform the Diaspora about the terms of
the Diaspora about the terms of
the Diaspora about the terms of references about the conditions that we
references about the conditions that we
references about the conditions that we will you will be surprised how many
will you will be surprised how many
will you will be surprised how many Africans highly qualified can actually
Africans highly qualified can actually
Africans highly qualified can actually fulfill the needs of those resources so
fulfill the needs of those resources so
fulfill the needs of those resources so basically I think that it is time that
basically I think that it is time that
basically I think that it is time that we look at what needs to be done we need
we look at what needs to be done we need
we look at what needs to be done we need to take advantage of this the technology
to take advantage of this the technology
to take advantage of this the technology today supports this the technology helps
today supports this the technology helps
today supports this the technology helps us we need to look at a different
us we need to look at a different
us we need to look at a different business model the world is changing the
business model the world is changing the
business model the world is changing the way we do business is changing we are
way we do business is changing we are
way we do business is changing we are sometimes seen as arrogant invader
sometimes seen as arrogant invader
sometimes seen as arrogant invader because we were exposed to foreign
because we were exposed to foreign
because we were exposed to foreign cultures and foreign realities so yes we
cultures and foreign realities so yes we
cultures and foreign realities so yes we do have a challenge with and we need to
do have a challenge with and we need to
do have a challenge with and we need to get ourselves ready and prepared before
get ourselves ready and prepared before
get ourselves ready and prepared before we come so I love to say this about
we come so I love to say this about
we come so I love to say this about Africa there is a proverb in Africa that
Africa there is a proverb in Africa that
Africa there is a proverb in Africa that says that when you go to a place a new
says that when you go to a place a new
says that when you go to a place a new place first thing you must do is first
place first thing you must do is first
place first thing you must do is first pay respect to the elders then you must
pay respect to the elders then you must
pay respect to the elders then you must listen to the beat of the songs and how
listen to the beat of the songs and how
listen to the beat of the songs and how the dance goes because you can’t go and
the dance goes because you can’t go and
the dance goes because you can’t go and think that you’re going to
think that you’re going to
think that you’re going to stop dancing immediately no you first
stop dancing immediately no you first
stop dancing immediately no you first you listen then slowly you start getting
you listen then slowly you start getting
you listen then slowly you start getting into it the African way okay because
into it the African way okay because
into it the African way okay because it’s very important only then will you
it’s very important only then will you
it’s very important only then will you create the conditions to be accepted to
create the conditions to be accepted to
create the conditions to be accepted to be received you have to communicate in a
be received you have to communicate in a
be received you have to communicate in a way that the communities can relate to
way that the communities can relate to
way that the communities can relate to you you cannot come with all those very
you you cannot come with all those very
you you cannot come with all those very sophisticated terminologies excuse
sophisticated terminologies excuse
sophisticated terminologies excuse anymore no you will have to find a way
anymore no you will have to find a way
anymore no you will have to find a way to communicate so that they can relate
to communicate so that they can relate
to communicate so that they can relate to you and once you do that you will be
to you and once you do that you will be
to you and once you do that you will be more accepted the transfer the knowledge
more accepted the transfer the knowledge
more accepted the transfer the knowledge transfer has to be a mutual thing you
transfer has to be a mutual thing you
transfer has to be a mutual thing you will actually end up learning because
will actually end up learning because
will actually end up learning because every trip that I take in Africa I
every trip that I take in Africa I
every trip that I take in Africa I learned every country I always learn
learned every country I always learn
learned every country I always learn there is so much to be done and but to
there is so much to be done and but to
there is so much to be done and but to also to be to be grabbed from their own
also to be to be grabbed from their own
also to be to be grabbed from their own experience I’ll tell you a very quick
experience I’ll tell you a very quick
experience I’ll tell you a very quick story when I what happened to me when I
story when I what happened to me when I
story when I what happened to me when I was in Burkina Faso and I the network
was in Burkina Faso and I the network
was in Burkina Faso and I the network expansion was what’s going on but then
expansion was what’s going on but then
expansion was what’s going on but then we faced a delay a 60-day delay because
we faced a delay a 60-day delay because
we faced a delay a 60-day delay because of a community resistance of the site
of a community resistance of the site
of a community resistance of the site where they were going to actually put
where they were going to actually put
where they were going to actually put the station the site and I could not
the station the site and I could not
the station the site and I could not understand so I decided to pay a visit
understand so I decided to pay a visit
understand so I decided to pay a visit to the the chief of that village and as
to the the chief of that village and as
to the the chief of that village and as I got there I said to him papa
I got there I said to him papa
I got there I said to him papa I came to pay respect to the elders
I came to pay respect to the elders
I came to pay respect to the elders that’s what we came to do and you know
that’s what we came to do and you know
that’s what we came to do and you know this site is going to bring meant much
this site is going to bring meant much
this site is going to bring meant much benefits to the community you will be
benefits to the community you will be
benefits to the community you will be able to speak to your children in the
able to speak to your children in the
able to speak to your children in the country overseas and we cannot do this
country overseas and we cannot do this
country overseas and we cannot do this without you and typical African the man
without you and typical African the man
without you and typical African the man says aha my daughter my child thank you
says aha my daughter my child thank you
says aha my daughter my child thank you at least you came you have respected us
at least you came you have respected us
at least you came you have respected us that land is sacred land we need to
that land is sacred land we need to
that land is sacred land we need to perform some ceremonies and we will take
perform some ceremonies and we will take
perform some ceremonies and we will take care of it and then you will you will be
care of it and then you will you will be
care of it and then you will you will be able to put the site basically only that
able to put the site basically only that
able to put the site basically only that engaging directly with the communic with
engaging directly with the communic with
engaging directly with the communic with the community resolve the issue but I
the community resolve the issue but I
the community resolve the issue but I can assure you that
can assure you that
can assure you that executive Western executive would have
executive Western executive would have
executive Western executive would have gone to the government the government
gone to the government the government
gone to the government the government would have come they would have actually
would have come they would have actually
would have come they would have actually imposed by law that this site was
imposed by law that this site was
imposed by law that this site was granted for telecoms development and it
granted for telecoms development and it
granted for telecoms development and it will be here and you will then create a
will be here and you will then create a
will be here and you will then create a perception and negative corporate
perception and negative corporate
perception and negative corporate perception within that community and you
perception within that community and you
perception within that community and you will be rejected by the community so yes
will be rejected by the community so yes
will be rejected by the community so yes let us respect our elders these are the
let us respect our elders these are the
let us respect our elders these are the communities that the dyes where I
communities that the dyes where I
communities that the dyes where I supposedly coming in to support and
supposedly coming in to support and
supposedly coming in to support and share knowledge but then we have to come
share knowledge but then we have to come
share knowledge but then we have to come in also prepared it’s very important
in also prepared it’s very important
in also prepared it’s very important that we come in prepared I would like to
that we come in prepared I would like to
that we come in prepared I would like to say that this experience has been ever
say that this experience has been ever
say that this experience has been ever since I’ve taken this proverb with me in
since I’ve taken this proverb with me in
since I’ve taken this proverb with me in all the countries in Africa and this has
all the countries in Africa and this has
all the countries in Africa and this has helped me in my success and and really
helped me in my success and and really
helped me in my success and and really being able to communicate with that
being able to communicate with that
being able to communicate with that aspera is you learn you listen you pay
aspera is you learn you listen you pay
aspera is you learn you listen you pay your respect to the elders there is no
your respect to the elders there is no
your respect to the elders there is no way that we can really start getting
way that we can really start getting
way that we can really start getting fruits from the Brain Gain strategy that
fruits from the Brain Gain strategy that
fruits from the Brain Gain strategy that we need to put together so that we can
we need to put together so that we can
we need to put together so that we can all benefit from it those who are over
all benefit from it those who are over
all benefit from it those who are over there they’re dying they’re willing to
there they’re dying they’re willing to
there they’re dying they’re willing to come and those of us who are here we
come and those of us who are here we
come and those of us who are here we need their support so it’s a win-win
need their support so it’s a win-win
need their support so it’s a win-win situation let us take advantage of this
situation let us take advantage of this
situation let us take advantage of this connect sound because this is connect
connect sound because this is connect
connect sound because this is connect sound today so that we can leverage on
sound today so that we can leverage on
sound today so that we can leverage on promoting the Brain Gain for Africa for
promoting the Brain Gain for Africa for
promoting the Brain Gain for Africa for Cabo Verde we need to make sure that we
Cabo Verde we need to make sure that we
Cabo Verde we need to make sure that we ensure that we capitalize on social
ensure that we capitalize on social
ensure that we capitalize on social expertise on economic expertise on
expertise on economic expertise on
expertise on economic expertise on cultural exchange because this is where
cultural exchange because this is where
cultural exchange because this is where Africa is going to go this is what cape
Africa is going to go this is what cape
Africa is going to go this is what cape verde needs and we need to capitalize on
verde needs and we need to capitalize on
verde needs and we need to capitalize on the success of our country as well thank
the success of our country as well thank
the success of our country as well thank you very much
you very much
you very much [Applause]
”
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