Abstract
Brain drain is the phenomenon whereby skilled professionals migrate in droves from one region or industry to another. Geographic brain drain is frequently driven by such factors like political instability, economic hardship, or better opportunities elsewhere.
The phenomenon is widely held to lead to a loss of valuable human capital and reduction of consumer spending in the origin regions. It is also held the more serious the outflow of competent human resources, the less experts and research personnel in
the home country, resulting in the weakening of the country's research and technology competitiveness and reduction of innovation, thereby undermining economic growth. This study aims to mediate this debate in extant literature by investigating the overall net effect of brain drain on the development of Nigeria's economy from 2015 to 2024; the study relied mostly on documentary data, which is analysed using qualitative descriptive analysis. The study therefore found that there is a strong negative
correlation between Nigeria's brain drain and sectorial productivity, particularly evident in the healthcare sector where the doctor-to-patient ratio is drastically below global standards. The study therefore recommends that: There should be comprehensive reforms focused on improving working conditions, salaries, and career growth pathways for professionals in critical sectors. And fostering political stability and infrastructural development is essential to retain skilled labour.