The primary cause of external brain drain is unreasonably low wages paid to African professionals. African professionals working in Africa are paid considerably less than similarly qualified expatriates. We also have internal brain drain when people are not employed in the fields of their expertise. For example, many military officers are politicians in uniform and some medical doctors are moonlighting as taxi cab drivers. The socio-economic conditions make it difficult for us to achieve our potential.
Political instability increases the rates at which professionals emigrate to the developed nations.
Many professionals emigrated during the brutal reigns of Idi Amin, Mobutu and Sani Abacha. The war in Sudan between the islamic north and the christian south has led to the emigration of half of Sudanese professionals. In 1991, one in three African countries were affected by conflicts. Today, there are more refugees in Africa than in any other region in the world. First, I have an American wife that has her academic career and an eight-year son that is in a good school.