If you are a good Naija teacher, dust that CV and head for Liberia

When Liberian President George Weah visited President Buhari on Monday, March 5, 2018, he practically was on bended knees. You see, Liberia wants Nigeria to help with 6,000 teachers.

In simpler language, Weah is begging us to send 6,000 teachers over.

The Liberian President’s words were: “Your sustained technical assistance for capacity building in these sectors is most welcome. For example, Nigerian teachers and medical volunteers to Liberia, under the Technical Assistance Corps (TAC) Agreement with Liberia, have been very crucial in boosting capacity development in Liberia, and it is my hope that this assistance can be considerably increased to address with urgency our most pressing socio-economic needs at this time.

“More specifically, under the Bilateral Teacher Exchange programme, we are seeking 6,000 plus teachers to make up for the shortage of good teachers in our educational system,” Weah said.

Liberia is also asking for Nigeria’s assistance in reviving its economy.

“Your Excellency, we need Nigeria’s help to jump-start our economy. You played a major role in bringing peace to Liberia, you reformed our Army and today it is performing its duties to the highest professional standards. As we speak, they are serving in a peace-keeping mission in Mali”, Weah said.

Those were very kind words from the Liberian president and forgive me for blushing as I write this.

Unemployment

Like you just heard, Nigeria was there for Liberia when that tiny West African country of just over 4 million people, got itself embroiled in a civil war from 1989 to 2003.

Nigeria helped with peace keeping operations in Liberia and helped rebuild the war-torn country.

Liberia’s last election signaled its first democratic transition in more than seven decades. The civil war and the Ebola outbreak of 2014 really decimated the country's manpower and economy.

And here comes Nigeria with plenty of skilled manpower than it can handle, unemployment figures hitting the roof and a political class that looks only after itself.

To set the country on the path of recovery, teachers from Nigeria will be needed in Liberia and I see no reason why we should refuse Weah his request.

For a country where millions are unemployed, we shouldn’t even waste time taking up Weah on his offer. Besides, we’ve always been 'big brother' on the continent for decades now, even though we can’t fix our own country.

Brain drain

Yes, it’s brain drain to send 6,000 or more skilled manpower to help fix another country, but which is better: keeping 6,000 jobless people back home--unhappy and frustrated--or shipping them to Liberia and elsewhere (where they are valued) to eke a living?

I’d go for the latter.

If you are a Nigerian teacher who is currently unemployed (and for not being able to spell their own names), it’s time to reach for that Resume, dust the hell out of it and head for George Weah’s country in the next available bus.

At least you won’t say I never did anything for you.