Effect of Brain Drain (Human Capital Flight) of Librarians on Service Delivery in Some Selected Nigerian Universities

Abstract

This study seeks to describe and analyze the challenges occasioned by brain drain or human capital flight of librarians on service delivery in Nigerian Universities. The research adopted a descriptive survey design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select two geopolitical zones (South-South and SouthWest) from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Total enumeration was used because the population under study was considered appropriate for the research. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. Sixty copies of the instrument were distributed to 60 librarians in the two selected geopolitical zones. Copies of all the questionnaires were completed, retrieved, and found usable, thus giving a response rate of 100%. Survey results indicated that 315 librarians emigrated to foreign lands for various reasons, including unstable academic calendar and prospects for further training among others. This loss of personnel in the university libraries has a negative impact on service delivery as qualified information professionals and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) experts are limited to mentor the younger professionals. Shift duties in academic libraries are also scaled down for lack of manpower. Based on the findings, the researchers recommend that the Federal Government of Nigeria should, as a matter of urgency, robustly fund tertiary education to enhance productivity. As they do this, the National Universities Commission (NUC) is to empower academic libraries by ensuring that the staff development policy is strictly adhered to. This will translate into self-enhancement for staff, positive job attitude, and retention of professionals in the system. Keywords brain drain, human capital flight, librarians, South-South, SouthWest , universities, Nigeria Research Questions Research Question 1: What are the job allocations and designations of librarians who emigrated? Research Question 2: What are the reasons that motivated their emigration from Nigeria? Research Question 3: What is the effect of brain drain of librarians on service delivery in Nigerian universities? Research Question 4: In what ways can brain drain among librarians be reversed? Literature Review Most countries in the West African subregion, nay, the whole of Africa have experienced, at one time or the other, an exodus of highly skilled experts from almost all known

Library infrastructure as predictor of turnover intentions of librarians in university libraries in Nigeria

“…Iwhiwhu and Okorodudu (2012) that unavailability of infrastructure such as ICT facilities, fans and air conditioner in libraries created dissatisfaction among librarians and library users. The finding is also supported by Okoro, et al (2014) who found that inadequate library infrastructure was a factor for the emigration of 315 librarians from university libraries in South-West of Nigeria. The study showed that epileptic nature of power supply, non-automation of library processes to provide support for electronic and digital databases and lack of Internet facilities were major factors that increased the number of librarians that left the university libraries to other parts of the world.…”

“…The library management should be able Library infrastructure as predictor of turnover intentions of librarians in university libraries in Nigeria to provide adequate infrastructure in order for librarians to be successful in the discharge of their duties to reduce their turnover intentions. The study by Okoro, et al (2014) revealed that inadequate library infrastructure was a factor for the emigration of 315 librarians from academic libraries in South-West of Nigeria. Findings in the study showed that librarians from the IT sections, who were in charge of the systems, are by far the most affected accounting to 58.4% of all emigrants.…”

“…Technical services took a distant second position with 23.2%, whereas medical librarians were the least affected with only 1.6%. Okoro, et al (2014) lamented epileptic nature of power supply, nonautomation of library processes to provide support for electronic and digital databases, unstable academic calendar, prospects for further training and lack of Internet facilities as major factors that increased the emigration of librarians. In addition, Usman (1982) reported that 75% of senior librarians resigned their jobs and emigrated to other countries from Nigeria between 1976 and 1981 as a result of unfulfilled aspirations resulting from inadequate infrastructure to provide services.…”

“…The library is central and renders multiple information services such as user education, teaching, research and provision of access to its users in all season. Mattern (2014) described the library as a bundle of "infrastructure", because the library is the single largest academic resource of last recourse (Okoro, Omeluzor and Bamidele, 2014), holding information resources and facilities that enhances access and use.…”

“…Some studies such as Okoro, Omeluzor and Bamidele (2014) and Mbah and Ikemefuna (2012) reveal that job satisfaction, satisfaction with pay, job security, training and development, atrophy, unstable academic calendar are factors of turnover intentions of employees. Not a handful study has focused on university libraries" infrastructure.…”