Interrogating internal migration of elite Nigerian footballers

Abstract

ABSTRACT There is a growing body of academic studies on international migration of football labour. Most of the migrations occur as a result of economic disparities with footballers leaving poor economies, like Nigeria, in droves in search of better employment in the wealthy leagues. Although there is increasingly studies on internal or intra-national migration of footballers, few of them have addressed reasons why these footballers migrate. This study, using the unfolding theory of voluntary turnover, attempts to fill this gap. It investigates internal migrations of football labour in Nigeria in search of reasons for such migrations and also what drawbacks accompany such migrations. Information on such migrations may provide insights to the broader international migrations of football labour. The findings show six major reasons why players migrate and four drawbacks from migration.