Lagos — Nigeria is the sixth highest destination of remittances from its citizens living in the Diaspora. According to the World Bank Migration and Development brief released recently, Nigeria, with $10bn remittance from its citizens abroad, came after Inida ($52bn), China ($49bn) and Mexico ($25bn).

However, the World Bank has predicted that the projected remittance flow this year would represent 6.1 per cent fall from 2008 level against the earlier expectation of a 7.3 per cent dip. The bank also noted that the official recorded remittance flow to developing countries reached $338bn in 2008, higher than the previous estimate of $328bn.

Other countries listed include Philippines ($19bn 4th) Poland ($11bn 5th) Romania ($9bn 7th) and Bangladesh ($9bn 8th) Egypt ($9bn 9th) and Vietnam ($7bn 10th).

This should be good information to Nigerians to know how much contribution their loved ones abroad make to the national economy, in addition to the individual support they get. We are aware that this is counted by government as an important source of national revenue. In this case, the World Bank has established a transparency standard to monitor our sources of foreign exchange earnings.

Nonetheless, we need to address the issues that create the brain drain or skills flight that denude the target countries of these remittances of their well trained and educated citizens. They flee in large numbers or refuse to come home after qualification to contribute to the economic development of their countries.

Generally, remittances flow is from North to South in geographic terms, and in economic terms from the rich countries to the poor countries of the world. It is an imbalance which needs to be addressed.

What developing countries need are good infrastructure like roads, airports, highways that facilitate trade and commerce, schools with laboratories and universities with equipment and well-paid teachers that are motivated to impart knowledge and boost local human capital capacity development for economic growth.

They need hospitals to cater for their citizens' health, electricity and industries that function at optimal capacity to provide jobs; goods and services for consumption at affordable prices. It is the absence of these facilities, and suitable opportunities in developing countries that make their citizens flee from their fatherland as it were to look for greener pastures from whence they send remittances to their lesser-endowed relatives at home.

This is partly the reason qualified engineers and doctors stay abroad to work in degrading conditions. Also scary are the obvious squalor, insecurity of life and property that await them if they return home to work with their newly and hard-earned qualifications, skills or degrees.

So, while countries like Nigeria celebrate large remittances of their citizens in Diaspora, there is need for them to consider the benefits they would have derived from engaging their good hands at home.

Additionally, as Chile did with its economists overseas, such countries should make it possible for their citizens with rare skills to return home to provide much-needed services.

The World Bank should encourage such countries to improve living conditions at home and create an enabling environment for these professionals to practise their skills in contribution to their fatherland.