Segment: This Country Made You Who You Are - Remember That Before You Chase the West.

Summary

Konnected Minds Podcast
Host: Derrick Abaitey
Segment: "This Country Made You Who You Are - Remember That Before You Chase the West."
Date: January 12, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers around the importance of valuing one’s home country—particularly in the African context—before seeking opportunities in the West. The conversation, led by Derrick Abaitey and his guest (referred to as “A” but praised as “Mr. Fred”), dives into the potential for local innovation, the critical role of science and engineering in national development, the realities of migration, and the pitfalls of undervaluing African resources and opportunities. The tone is passionate, insightful, and motivational, urging young Africans and policymakers to rethink their approach to local challenges and global aspirations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of Engineers and Local Innovation

[00:00–01:39]

• The episode opens with an observation on global engineering output, highlighting China and Iran as unexpected leaders in producing engineers.

  • "Look at China now. Now they've taken over the world as they're the biggest, they're the largest producer of engineers." – Mr. Fred [00:00]
  • Iran consistently ranks in the top five for producing engineers, serving as an example of resilience despite challenges.

• The discussion moves to the practical applications of engineering, specifically the need to solve local problems, such as producing high-purity alcohol domestically instead of importing:

  • "Look at how much alcohol we import to Ghana. $2 billion... Our engineers, young engineers can go out there, partner with [local alcohol producers]." – Mr. Fred [01:39]

• Example: By controlling distillation temperature with basic engineering, local producers can achieve export-quality alcohol, benefiting both local industry and young professionals.

The Mindset Shift: Adding Value Locally

[02:00–04:33]

• The market for natural and locally-made products is booming globally (e.g., natural dyes), yet African scientists and engineers often ignore these opportunities.

  • "There's a big demand for natural dyed products in the world right there. Engineers, our scientists looking for jobs." – Mr. Fred [03:02]

• The size comparison of the manufacturing industry to entertainment and sports underscores where true economic opportunity lies:

  • "Manufacturing alone is $16.8 trillion every year. Sports, $5.83 billion. Recorded music, $23 billion." – Mr. Fred [03:32]
  • Manufacturing need not be a massive gigafactory; even small-scale processing (like roasting peanuts) counts.
    • "People make it seem manufacturing is such a difficult thing... Most factories around the world are maybe like the size of mine." [03:32]

• Africa's wealth in raw materials is underutilized due to an overreliance on exporting rather than value addition.

  • "In this global economic structure, there is no raw material more expensive than finished goods. There's none." [04:33]

The Role of Education: History and Identity

[04:34–07:10]

• Proposes that engineering students in Ghana (and by extension, Africa) should study African history alongside technical skills, grounding their identities and sense of responsibility.

  • "If we produce 150,000 engineers every year over 10 years... all engineers will study African history... they know that the reason why they are being trained as engineers is to help our society." – Mr. Fred [05:13]

• The mass production of engineers is a "numbers game" akin to the strategies of Russia, China, and the US.

  • "Are you telling me we won't get two or three people who are so brilliant that they will push our country forward?" [05:32]

Migration and the “Brain Drain” Dilemma

[07:10–09:47]

• Trained professionals, especially nurses in Ghana, leaving for better pay in the UK and other countries is discussed.

  • "You train people and they travel abroad. Look at our nurses. The UK took them all." – Derrick Abaitey [07:04]

• Mr. Fred challenges the assumption that pay is always better abroad, urging a long-term perspective and awareness of the bigger picture.

  • "Has anybody sat down and looked at the pay rates of people in Vietnam, China, India and all those places? ...At times you have to look beyond just yourself and your comfort." – Mr. Fred [07:23-08:01]
  • "I told her, madame, call your family in Canada. How many of them make $350 a day? You are leaving to go above... but they don't look at the long term game." – Mr. Fred [08:29]

• Highlights that owning multiple homes or achieving significant wealth is often more feasible in one's home country over a lifetime.

Attitudes Toward Home and Diaspora Connections

[09:31–10:45]

• Discusses black people in the diaspora who are disconnected from Africa and don’t wish to return.
  • "We have no problem with that because you can't change them. You don't put resources on things that you can't change." – Mr. Fred [09:47]
  • Suggests focusing on those who wish to return or invest, while encouraging locals to make the best of their situation, as only a small fraction of the global population migrates.

Memorable Closing Moment: Roots and Identity

[10:46–11:00]

• Derrick shares a personal story about advice he received before traveling abroad:
  • "Remember, this country is what made you who you are today. And when you go and things work out, remember, if it doesn't work out, this is where you come back to." – Derrick Abaitey, quoting his stepfather [10:46]

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "Look at China now. They've taken over the world as the biggest... largest producer of engineers." – Mr. Fred [00:00]
• "Our engineers, young engineers can go out there, partner with [local alcohol producers]... just a kettle with a heater underneath. Control the temperature. You are getting 95, 99% pure alcohol." – Mr. Fred [01:39]
• "There's a big demand for natural dyed products in the world right there. Engineers, our scientists looking for jobs." – Mr. Fred [03:02]
• "Manufacturing alone is $16.8 trillion every year..." – Mr. Fred [03:32]
• "If we produce 150,000 engineers every year... and expose them to this... you will change our society." – Mr. Fred [06:10]
• "You train people and they travel abroad. Look at our nurses. The UK took them all." – Derrick Abaitey [07:04]
• "At times you have to look beyond just yourself and your comfort." – Mr. Fred [08:01]
• "Remember, this country is what made you who you are today." – Derrick Abaitey quoting his stepfather [10:46]

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• [00:00] – Global engineering output, China and Iran as examples
• [01:00] – Local alcohol purification problem-solving
• [03:00] – Opportunities in manufacturing and natural products
• [04:33] – Value addition vs. raw exports
• [05:13] – Proposal: Engineers should study African history
• [07:04] – Migration/“brain drain” discussion
• [08:29] – Reality vs. perception of wealth abroad
• [09:47] – Diaspora and focus of national efforts
• [10:46] – Personal anecdote about remembering one’s roots

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Summary Flow & Takeaways

This episode is a call to action for Africans—especially Ghanaians—not to underestimate the potential of their country or to take a narrow, short-term view of success. It encourages leveraging science, engineering, and local resources to add value and create wealth at home. The hosts challenge the glamourizing of migration without a full understanding of its realities, and the importance of identity and giving back to one’s country. The message is clear: before chasing the perceived gold of the West, acknowledge and elevate the ground you stand on—because that’s what made you.

Transcript

[A]

Look at China now. Now they've taken over the world as they're the biggest, they're the largest producer of engineers. Now look at how what the number of things, innovative products they are producing. Very. So if you don't produce as many engineers and scientists as possible, you always lag behind. People will say, oh, and you know what shocked me the most? You know the country that has consistently been top five. If I tell you, the country will be shocked. Iran. Now you see why I don't. When this issue happened, they were able to stand on their two feet.

[B]

Let me stop you here for a minute. We are on a journey of changing the minds and the lives of people. So if you haven't subscribed and become part of the family, please hit the subscribe button and turn on the notification. Thank you. Now let's carry on with the conversation. But how, how say young students have, you know, young science students, they've applied for jobs, they are not getting it. What path can they take?

[A]

Once again, that's why I'm saying the science and engineering. I was looking for alcohol. Food grade alcohol from usually the one that we use, we buy commercially, runs between 96% and 99%. So I was like, why do I have to just alcohol. I have to import alcohol. We have our local alcohol producers. So I asked them if they can get me some. They said, oh yeah, if this one is not mixed, we'll bring it to you. I have an alcohol meter at work at the factory, at the lab that I used to check. I told them, listen, if you bring the alcohol, I can check the purity and tell you if it's don't boil. Fred is good. They brought it 55%. I said, oh, you guys mix it. I said, no, no, no, we got it right from the top. You guys mix it, it's 55%. Okay, we'll bring another one. 50%.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So I was like, what's going on now? I just went online and checked how do you purify alcohol? What I realized was now this is the engineering thing that comes in. I realized it's the local manufacturers, when they are boiling the alcohol, they just put wood and that they don't control the temperature. So they just have the fire burning. But to get a pure alcohol, the temperature range has to be between 78 degrees Celsius and 82 degrees Celsius. You understand? So all we did is our engineers to go out there, help this, help these local people. Just come up, a simple device. We put a thermometer at the Top control the temperature and alcohol down. I did it in my lab. I was getting 90%. My small lab. And we have our engineers saying there is no job. We import. Look at how much alcohol we import to Ghana. $2 billion. People don't know $2 billion of worth of alcohol. Our local manufacturers are here. People, our engineers, young engineers can go out there, partner with them. Device. A simple device, just a kettle with a heater underneath. Control the temperature. You are getting 95, 99% pure alcohol. Selling it like crazy. Women who smoke fish. If you go there, you still have the old clay with fire underneath, smoking them. Engineers go out there, look at their process, see how you can make it better, make it cleaner. You can export this.

[B]

Some people don't want to accept these things.

[A]

You know, sometimes you come once again. Just don't lose train of thought. The red earth that I'm talking about, you know, it's natural dye. There are some people who take the red. You know, some of them is very, very, very red. They grind it, soak it in water and put in white T shirts in there over two weeks. You take it out. Is the color of the red. You wash it. It's natural dye. There's a big demand for natural dyed products in the world right there. Engineers, our scientists looking for jobs.

[B]

So we are focusing on the wrong things, right?

[A]

Exactly. And one thing, one more. Let me throw some numbers out there for you to look. Sports, Entertainment. Sports is $5.83 billion annually. Recorded music is 23 billion. So let's say it's 1 trillion. Manufacturing alone is $16.8 trillion every year. So if you import, you are importing all the time. Derek, look at is this rocket science. And you, you know, people make it seem manufacturing is such a difficult thing. If you fry me, you roast me. And granite is manufacturing. Kellogg's conflicts. What is it made out of? Roasted peanut. It's all manufacturing. People think that a manufacturing size should be massive, like gigafactories. Most factories around the world is within maybe like the size of mine.

[B]

So we have to focus on adding value to products.

[A]

Adding value. Oh, Africa, we are rich. RAW material producer. In this global economic structure, there is no raw material more expensive than finished goods. There's none. If anybody knows why, you tell me. I'll stop what I'm doing. There's none anywhere. Look at even gold. Raw gold. If I take the gold and design it and put my name on it, it's more expensive than the gold. Raw gold. So if we continue to Derek. Produce raw materials and we don't add value to it. And the only way we can see the value in our raw materials is to produce as many science and engineers as possible. I believe that Ghana, if we produce 150,000 engineers every year over 10 years, all engineers will study African history from first year to fourth year. So that grounds them. They know that the reason why they are being trained as engineers is to help our society. Derek, in 10 years we see what Garnell become because out of the 250,000 over 10 years, that's 1.5 million engineers. Are you telling me we won't get two or three people who are so brilliant that they will push our country forward? It's a numbers game. That's where other people, Russians, Chinese, Americans, Japanese, Koreans have mastered. We can do the same thing here. Engineering science is applied skill. You don't. Okay, I was a C student in university, right? C student. But when we used to go to the lab, I was truly, truly fantastic. So when we went to industry. Now, the reason why I was a C student is something. Okay, just that's how I am. Something that somebody has done. What is the interest in me? Because we know the results. Anyway, now when we have to come up with nouveau new products, oh my gosh, things that were taking people two years, I did it in three weeks. I am that great. And I have the awards to prove it. So if we can get so many of our kids and expose them to this. Derek, I'm telling you as a fact, you will change our society.

[B]

I have one big man who loves to watch my podcast.

[A]

Yes, sir.

[B]

And I'm sure he's going to be watching this one as well. Big man senior. When you see this one and you want to have a chat with Mr. Fred about how we can progress on some of these topics in our country, please reach out and let's have this conversation. I mean, what you're saying is marvelous. It's amazing. We're having buildings breaking down, we're having people who are not qualified that are building products. Whereas people can actually be trained and then, you know, offer support for these people. But then it's not happening.

[A]

They also.

[B]

The other issue is that you train people and they travel abroad. Look at our nurses. The UK took them all.

[A]

Once again, the African history that's not attached to engineering or the science of their program. African history has to be.

[B]

Their biggest problem is that they are not being paid well. That's what they say.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

They are not being remunerated well for the work they put in how do we solve that?

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Do you know.

[A]

This will be controversial? Has anybody sat down and looked at the pay rates of people in Vietnam, China, India and all those places? Has anybody done that? That's why I'm saying at times you have to look beyond just yourself and your comfort. Maybe they said because they say, oh yeah, you went and lived abroad. But at times as a society, that's where you know, Derek, you have to grab some deep. At times you have to grab things by the horns and drag it. So if you think about just you and your well being, so all doctors and nurses should leave the country, you forget your mom lives here, your parents live here. So that's what I'm saying. If we add the African history to things, Derek, it just becomes more than just you and your comfort. And Derek, these people who say Ghana is difficult when you go abroad, give them five years, you'll be saying at one point, I think when I was in Ghana, I think it wasn't that bad. I know so many of them, so many of them. So what has changed is the law of living west that most people, I, I even, I have people even forget about money. There's this friend of mine who is doing so well, doing this fast cloth brings it from China, flips it. She told me, oh, she's leaving to Canada to. She says every day she makes around 3,000 cities a day. Young lady, 22, 23 says is leaving and going to Canada. I told her, madame, call your family in Canada. How many of them make $350 a day? You are leaving to go above because he wants to go do masters. I think they said they just say they are not getting enumerated well because they look at the short term. Oh, maybe one of their siblings or friend went to Canada within UK within a year or two they bought a house, this and this. But they don't look at the long term game. How many people abroad have two, three homes? Best like in Europe. Let's say I'm a, I'm an engineer, I'm a doctor, a doctor abroad. A doctor Ghana who over the lifetime, how many of them, let's say who owns three, four, five homes. Just look at yourself. One home abroad, big house. But the person in Ghana might have multiple homes, multiple apartments. Look at your cohort, what you do over time, not just maybe five years.

[B]

Then there is a certain group of people, our own, yes, black people who become so attached to the Western press, they don't want to come back home. Some of those people, maybe they were born they don't even want to, don't want to have anything to do with Africa. What do you tell them?

[A]

We have no problem with that because you can't change them. You don't put resources on things that you can change. You put resources on things you can change. There's still also a cohort of them who would want to come. We have to facilitate things and make it easier for those who want to come. Those. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with immigration is going to be with people. As long as human beings are alive, there's going to be immigration. People be moving around offense like it's going to be with us. So those who want to say that there's nothing wrong with them, though, if you are there, try and get as much as you can. If you say you are not going to come back, get as much as you can for you and your family. Those who are here just understand that globally only 3% of people move out of where they are born globally. So if you are here and you're in your 20s, if you take 100 of you, only three of you will be able to move out. So make here comfortable for you. And if you make your comfortable and you want to go out, it's going to be easier. If you have the money and you want to go get visa and go abroad, it's easier at 14. Yes, sir.

[B]

3Am yes. On the 24th of August.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

My stepfather called me and I sat on his bed the following morning. I was supposed to travel. My father was taking me abroad and he said, I'm so happy you are traveling. Your father is taking you abroad while you're going. Remember, this country is what made you who you are today.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And when you go and things work out, remember, if it doesn't work out, this is where you come back to. Connected Minds Podcast.