Unleashing Africa’s people power

If the mantra “our people are our greatest asset” is a truism for business, it is even more so for a continent of over a billion people and rising.

Unlocking talent mobility in Africa is key to improving competitiveness, profitability, jobs growth and, indeed, economic transformation across the continent. There truly is the proverbial win-win-win for governments, companies and workers in enhancing talent mobility. More effective forms of collective action on talent mobility, however, are required: concerted effort by businesses working together where businesses rightly can take the lead; new forms of concerted public-private collaboration around shared interest; and innovative uses of new technologies and social media to improve the functioning of talent markets in Africa.

The World Economic Forum defines talent mobility as “the physical movement of workers within or across organizations, industries or countries, and globally, or the professional movement of workers across occupations or skill sets”. But what links talent mobility to growth and competitiveness in Africa?

Although African economies have posted respectable growth rates over the past decade, jobs growth has not kept apace. This is because Africa’s growth has been driven mainly by oil and mineral exports and rising prices of key agricultural exports, and, to a less degree, by growth in domestic demand. Thus, changing the structure of African economies towards higher skilled, higher value added components is critical to sustained inclusive growth over time.

Many aspects of enhanced talent mobility in Africa require intra-state cooperation. Talk of regional integration and free movement of people has been long on promise and rhetoric and short of delivery across all Africa’s sub-regional blocs. As a result, progressive states have taken unilateral and bilateral measures to enhance talent mobility. Indeed, in the face of intractable obstacles, one of the regional economic communities has advised its members to seek out bilateral agreements.

Not to be completely thwarted, some sub-groupings of like-minded states have taken steps to cooperate around aspects of talent mobility. An example is the Accelerated Program for Economic Integration (APEI), which brings together Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and Zambia around a set of common interests, including a proposed programme of intra-African cooperation around the mobility and skills development of service providers.

This is an exciting and ambitious programme that would, in effect, create the equivalent of the EU’s Schengen zone for participating countries (others could join later for as long as they agreed to abide by the terms of the founding agreement).

Many companies operating in Africa have also been very proactive in addressing skills development challenges whether through bespoke educational initiatives or in cooperation with existing institutions. Companies are investing in the skills development of their own talent, but what is significant about the programmes is that the sponsoring company does not benefit exclusively from their investment. In other words, many skills development initiatives undertaken by companies operating in Africa take the form of public, rather than private, goods.

Another area where business has a comparative advantage over the public sector is around integrating labour markets. At present, even where restrictions do not exist, African labour markets are fragmented and it is difficult for buyers and sellers to meet and do business. This also includes skilled Africans scattered all over the world.

Big Data tools, social media and advanced databases can all combine around a clear business need to enhance the effectiveness of talent markets in Africa and at least overcome information asymmetries.

Africa’s greatest assets – its people – deserve no less than a new concerted push by all concerned to unleash talent mobility. The continent’s future depends on it.

Chukwu Emeka Chikezie is Director of Up!Africa and a Member of the Global Agenda Council on Migration.

Image: Crowds at the airport in Accra, Ghana. REUTERS/Jason Reed