The Nature and Scope of International Migration Data in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria, the largest country in Western Africa, has been attracting migrants from neighboring countries for the past decade or so. Although most of the movement of African migrants has occurred outside the regulatory framework set up to control migration, it is important to know the main elements of the latter to understand the likely limitations of the data collection systems currently in operation. This note briefly reviews the legal basis for the control of migration in Nigeria and the scope of the ECOWAS Protocol on Freedom of Movement. It also focuses on the available sources of data on migration, discussing their nature and scope.