Migration In Nigeria Research Articles

The Alarming Exodus of Nigerian Professionals: The Devastating Consequences of Human Capital Flight and Migration on Nigeria's Economic Development

Purpose: This study rigorously investigates the phenomenon of human capital flight and migration in Nigeria, emphasizing the alarming exodus of skilled professionals and its profound implications for the nation's economic development. By contextualizing brain drain within the broader landscape of labour mobility, this work seeks to elucidate the factors driving the migration of educated individuals, particularly in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and technology. Materials and Methods: Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this research synthesizes qualitative data from academic literature, policy documents, and empirical studies, alongside quantitative analysis drawn from migration statistics and socioeconomic metrics. This robust methodological framework supports a comprehensive exploration of the interplay between migration, brain drain, and national development, facilitating a deeper understanding of the ramifications of skilled labour loss. Findings: The findings indicate that Nigeria's alarming exodus of professionals is intricately linked to a confluence of factors, including systemic corruption, deteriorating infrastructure, and limited employment prospects. This human capital flight significantly undermines the quality and accessibility of essential services in critical sectors, leading to substantial socio-economic disparities. Consequently, the loss of skilled labour constrains Nigeria's competitive edge and stunts its economic resilience and growth potential. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: This inquiry extends beyond descriptive analysis to propose a nuanced framework for understanding the theoretical implications of human capital flight and migration in developing economies. It underscores the urgent need for policymakers to undertake comprehensive strategies that address the root causes of this phenomenon, fostering a conducive environment that retains talent while enhancing human capital investment and innovation capacity.

Visa-on-arrival, ECOWAS-free Mobility and the Securitisation of the Intra-African Migration in Nigeria

Over the years, Nigeria’s regional hegemonic leadership in (West) Africa, especially within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, has been debated within academic and foreign relations circles. A major component of this regional leadership aspiration was its quest for a ‘borderless Africa’. As an important arrowhead of its pro-African foreign policy, the Nigerian government proactively crafted a benign national border policy to give practical expression to the free mobility of persons and goods within the West African subregion. Despite a demonstrable commitment to free mobility within Africa over the years, Abuja suddenly imposed a restrictive border policy shortly after it signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and approved the contentious visa-on-arrival for African migrants. Considering this context, this study makes three arguments: First, it interrogates the rationale behind the liberal border diplomacy of the Nigerian government. Secondly, the paper contends that the inability to ‘silence the guns’ in Africa despite all efforts has seriously militated against the aspiration for intra-African mobility and borderless Community in West Africa. Lastly, the study examines the dire implications of Nigerian nationalistic border diplomacy and its declining soft power for the future of ‘borderless West Africa’.

Examining the Effects of High Poverty and Unemployment on Rural Urban Migration in Nigeria and its Consequences on Urban Resources and Rural Decline

This study examines the intricate interplay among poverty, unemployment, education, and rural-urban migration in Nigeria, employing both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS software, computing descriptive and inferential statistics such as regression analysis. Quantitative findings reveal income inequality, with many individuals earning below average. Education emerges as a key determinant of economic opportunities, with higher education associated with better outcomes. Moreover, poverty and unemployment exhibit a strong positive correlation with adverse outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Qualitative insights delve into the motivations behind rural-urban migration, shedding light on the economic drivers compelling individuals to seek opportunities in urban areas. Participants’ narratives uncover the challenges faced by migrants, from housing to accessing essential services. Additionally, the role of remittances in sustaining sending communities is highlighted, underscoring their significance. This study underscores the multidimensionality of poverty, unemployment, and migration and emphasizes the need for holistic, evidence-based approaches to promote inclusive development. Recommendations include investments in education, job creation, social safety nets, income inequality reduction, and support for migrant integration. These measures can contribute to equitable economic growth and improved well-being in Nigeria.

“I Thought I Was Coming to Paradise”: Expectation–Reality Discrepancy among Nigerian Migrants

ABSTRACT There is an increasing hunger for migration in Nigeria. The urgency and desperation to emigrate without a clear path and adequate information about the host country can be disastrous for migrants after arrival in the host country. Most intending migrants have untrue, exaggerated views of life in the West, leading to discrepancies between pre-migration expectations and post-migration experiences. Discrepancies between expectation and reality may affect migrants’ life satisfaction, regret and overall well-being in the host country. This study investigated expectation–reality discrepancy among Nigerian migrants in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), two major destination countries for Nigerian migrants. The study documented different aspects where Nigerian migrants experience discrepancies between pre-migration expectations and post-migration reality. I showed how Nigerian migrants deal with the initial disappointment. Data were drawn from the qualitative study of the author's PhD research, comprising 31 interviews (17 from the US and 14 from the UK) and migrants’ responses to two Instagram posts on expectation–reality discrepancies. Data were organised and analysed thematically using NVivo (version 12). The study found that 21 participants reported negative expectation–reality discrepancies across four major aspects: finance/occupational mobility, health, aesthetics and sociality. Comments on the social media posts supported these areas of discrepancies. Nigerian migrants reacted to each of the aspects of discrepancies in a unique way. Notable differences were observed between participants’ experiences in the US and UK. The study argued that migrants’ comparison of home and host countries shaped their expression of expectation–reality discrepancy and subsequent reactions.

Unemployment and Migration in Nigeria, An Empirical Investigation

This study empirically accessed the effect of unemployment on migration in Nigeria over a period of thirty-three years (i.e. from 1990 to 2022). Total unemployment, male unemployment, female unemployment and urban unemployment were used as proxies of unemployment while net migration rate was used to proxy migration. The study employed time series data which were sourced from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and World Bank Development Index (WDI). Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) statistic, Bounds cointegration test and Auto regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) approach were the techniques of data analysis adopted. The data analysis was executed by E Views 12.0. The findings of the study revealed that total unemployment rate, female unemployment and urban unemployment have a positive and significant impact on net migration rate in Nigeria while male unemployment has a positive and insignificant impact on net migration rate in Nigeria. The study concluded that unemployment is a major factor that encourages migration in Nigeria. The study recommended that government should promote policies and initiatives that stimulate economic growth and diversification to create more job opportunities by supporting industries with high employment potential, such as agriculture, manufacturing, and technology.

The dynamics of social, cultural, human, and economic capital in food insecurity among the forced migrants

Food insecurity signifies limited access, expertise, and capacity to affordable safe food. Food insecurity creates different experiences in the daily lives of people worldwide. Food insecurity is common among forced migrants due to changes in cultural norms, space, politics, and economies. While it is readily apparent that forced migration is associated with food insecurity, the details of how the changes in their social, cultural, human, and financial capital affect their food security are not well understood. This matters for finding ways to address food insecurity for those who are, forced to migrate to help improve their food across the migration trajectory. The objectives of the study are to find out how social capital improves the migrant's sources of livelihood and ensures their food security before the violent crisis. Find out how they lost the capital and the implications for food security. Find out the efforts made by forced migrants during and after migrations to ensure food security. This article draws on twenty-five (25) in-depth narrative interviews with people who had experienced conflict-induced migration in Nigeria to address this gap. Their responses were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed and written in English. The contextual data was, subjected to computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), and the data analyzed. Analysis of this data provides critical insight for explaining and addressing the dynamic relationship between social, cultural, human, and economic capital and food insecurity experienced by forced migrants. It revealed that social, cultural, human, and economic (financial) capitals are significant factors shaping the participant’s livelihood sources before and after the crisis.

Boko Haram and Geo-Politics of Forced Migration in Nigeria

Migration is currently perceived as an epitome of globalization and a measuring gauge of global geopolitical mobility. In recent years, Nigeria has been faced with a series of migratory crises such as insurgency and conflict, forcing large numbers of people to flee from their various residential origins to neighboring countries as refugees and asylum seekers or within their country as Internally Displaced Persons. This study therefore explores the types and causes of forced migration due to the Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria. The research engages the use of content analysis to examine relevant secondary data on Boko Haram insurgent activities and the geopolitics of forced migration in Nigeria. It is reported that from the total number of 2.1 million forced migrants in Nigeria as of May 2017, 9.7% are refugees in neighboring countries while others are spatially distributed in different states around the country as internally displaced persons. The study revealed that more than 97% of the internally displaced persons migrated due to the Boko Haram insurgent activities from the northeastern part of the country. It concluded that the migratory crises in Nigeria is predominantly caused by the activities of the Boko Haram insurgent group that subsequently forced the people to flee their origin because of fear for their lives coupled with the risk of persecution and the destruction of lives and properties. The study among other things recommended the beefing up of government’s efforts to tackle insecurity as its primary responsibility to save lives and property.

Nigeria Pattern of Migration: Issues on Human Sustainable Development

Aconventional interpretation on Nigerians’ migration in the 21stCentury emphasizes the acceleration and geo-spatial diversification of Nigerians from their home country to other African Countries, Europe, Asia and North America portraying a South-North Migration. Nigeria, like other Africa countries, is often seen and regarded as a country entangled with the problem of mass migration and displacement resulting from poverty, violent conflict, bad governance, insurgency and the dilapidating environmental condition. This perception, to an extent, may likely be untrue when theoretically informed researchis conducted on the pattern of migration in Nigeria. Contradicting the common ideological spread, the pattern of internal and international migration in Nigeria solely does not rest on poverty, conflict and environmental factors, but driven by a prospect for development and social transformation to increase Nigerians’ capability to contribute towards their country’s sustainable development and as such sustain future migration aspiration of the people. This paper x-rays, from a sociological perspective, the pattern, trends and determinant of migration in Nigeria. Relying majorly on secondary information sources, relevant literature on Africa Migration, with Nigeria in mind, were reviewed and criticized bringing out the overlapping knowledge gap in the literature. The review process specifically focused on varied migration process in terms of the scale, patternand reasons for migration. The precise operational model that justifies the pattern of migration in Nigeria was reviewed and applied to the varied factors responsible for migration. The paper reveals that the diversification of migration streams, changingcause of migration, the predominance of certain categories of migration such as brain-drain all had significant consequence on Nigeria’s sustainable development. The paper concluded that in as much as we want internal and international migration tobe discouraged; the responsibility is laid on government to meet the trans-migration demands ofNigerians.

Scope of health worker migration governance and its impact on emigration intentions among skilled health workers in Nigeria.

The growing trends for skilled health worker (SHW) migration in Nigeria has led to increased concerns about achieving universal health coverage in the country. While a lot is known about drivers of SHW migration, including national/sub-national government's inability to address them, not enough is known about its governance. Underpinning good governance systems is a commitment to human rights norms, that is, principles that enshrine non-discrimination, participation, accountability, and transparency. Hence, this study was aimed at deriving a conceptual framework that captures the scope of SHW migration governance in Nigeria and the extent to which it is human rights based. To describe the scope of SHW migration governance, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis and mapped our findings to themes derived from a qualitative analysis. We also did a multivariate analysis, examining how governance items are related to migration intentions of SHWs. The scope of SHW migration governance in Nigeria can be described across three levels: Constitutional-where policies about the economy and the health workforce are made and often poorly implemented; Collective-which responds to the governance vacuum at the constitutional level by promoting SHW migration or trying to mitigate its impact; Operational-individual SHWs who navigate the tension between the right to health, their right to fair remuneration, living/working conditions, and free movement. Examining these levels revealed opportunities for collaboration through stronger commitment to human right norms. In recognising their role as rights holders and duty bearers at various levels, citizens, health advocates, health workers, community groups and policy makers can work collaboratively towards addressing factors related to SHW migration. Further evidence is needed on how human rights norms can play a visible role in Nigeria's governance system for SHW migration.

Redefining the Narrative of Youth Migration in Nigeria; Empowering Local Communities for Sustainable Development and Thriving Future

Redefining the Narrative of Youth Migration in Nigeria; Empowering Local Communities for Sustainable Development and Thriving Future

Challenges of Managing Ethnic Workforce Diversity: A Case Study in Abuja, Nigeria.

Due to globalization and the progressive development in the country, migration in Nigeria is inevitable. Globalization and advancement in Nigeria have led to the increase in ethnic diversity in the workforce of organizations as individuals from diverse unique ethnic backgrounds, orientations, culture, etc. tend to display their different ideas and perspectives to life in the organization and it has been a challenging task for the human resource management to manage these differences. This study examines the challenges faced in managing an ethnically diverse workforce and how it influences the productivity of the organization. A qualitative research approach was employed on a sample of 49 staff of different levels in a real estate company in Abuja Nigeria, who were administered a semi-structured interview. The findings reveals that the cultural differences of the employees influence their organizational behavior in the workplace, which pose a challenge for the human resource managers to properly manage.

The Economic Prospects of Sustainable Labour Migration and the Need for a Legal Framework in Nigeria

Sustainable development has been a germane concept to international policy since the year 1992. The concept of Sustainable development also serves as a springboard for understanding labour migration as a phenomenon for the economic viability and social sustainability of developing and developed nations. This is because labour migration is a phenomenon that is rooted within the strata of socio-political sustainability, one of the recognized pillars of sustainable development. From the standpoint of migration history in Nigeria, migration has persisted internally in the form of rural-urban migration driven by varying socio-economic factors and externally, in the form of labour migration with a significant number of young Nigerians, many of whom are not deterred by the risks associated with travelling to Europe via unsafe paths, exploring some of these paths. Nigerian youths consisting of individuals aged between 15-35 years also comprise the largest population of migrants from the Global South seeking opportunities in other countries outside Europe. The ILO, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs-Statistical Division and the International Organization for Migration in development circles have advanced the discourse of labour migration whilst prompting countries to mainstream strategies that would allow the benefits of labour migration to be fully maximized. An ethical legal framework in sending countries (being developing countries in most cases, and in this instance referring to Nigeria) and receiving countries (being developed countries in most cases and in this instance referring to countries in Europe). It is within this framework that the economic prospects of labour migration can be properly reaped. In establishing a legal framework for Nigeria, it is important to consider what the country stands to lose with sustained outflow of youths and professionals required for nation building to Europe and sectors in Europe, this consideration would guide the concessions that can be made in the design of Bilateral Labour Agreements between Nigeria and Sending countries. The researcher of this work ultimately contemplates the realization of a legal framework in the form of a legislation that will strongly define labour migration in Nigeria, which would also be a consolidation of prior efforts channeled towards establishing a labour migration policy for Nigeria. The Research methodology utilized in this work is a combination of the Qualitative Legal Research and Analytical Legal Research. This is because the work relied mainly upon non-numerical data sources relative to the topic at hand and after evaluating these sources, put forward a subjective view.

Social networks and skilled health worker migration in Nigeria: An ego network analysis.

Nigeria provides a good case study for researchers, activists, and governments seeking to understand how social networks can help mitigate the negative impact of skilled health worker (SHW) migration in low and middle-income countries. This study aimed to map the social networks of SHWs and explore how they influence migration intentions. We combined semi-structured qualitative interviews with an ego-network analysis of 22 SHWs living in Nigeria, used R-Studio to display and visualise their networks, and NVivo for thematic analysis of transcribed interviews. The network size and frequency of interaction were smaller among SHWs seeking to remain in Nigeria, however when compared to SHWs seeking to migrate, they had ties with a diverse group of stakeholders interested in improving health services. The influence of social networks on SHW migration intentions was observed within the following themes: access to information on migration opportunities, modelling of migration behaviour, support for decision making, and opportunities for policy engagement. The social networks of SHWs can aid the diffusion of norms that are relevant for improving SHW migration governance. Through their social networks, SHWs can improve awareness of the challenges associated with SHW migration among state actors and the public.

Rural-urban migration of farmers in Delta and Edo States, Nigeria: policy implications

ABSTRACT This study examined the agricultural causes and effects of rural-urban migration in Nigeria and its policy implications. A simple random sampling technique was used to obtain a sample size 111. A semi-structured questionnaire was used. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. Data analyzed revealed that major migration cause was unemployment ( = 83%) and effect was drop in agricultural output ( = 90.1%). The study inferred that there were no functional implementation of policy-based agricultural and rural development programs in actuality to reduce the exodus of rural-urban migration. The implication is that rural dwellers particularly farming youths will continue out-migration to urban areas leaving the rural environmental resources untapped. The major effect of migration was a decrease in farmers’ income. The inclusion of policy formulation and implementation in this study will boost rural agricultural productivity.

Local Government Administration and Grassroots Development in Imo State: A Case Study of Owerri Municipal Council

This study is an assessment of local government administration as an instrument of grassroots development in Nigeria, using Owerri Municipal Council as a case study. With a well-structured questionnaire supported with oral interviews, data were generated from one hundred and seventy municipal council staff stratified into three categories of top management, middle and low cadres. Employing the Spearman‟s Rank Coefficient as the main statistical tool of analysis, the study revealed among others that a significant relationship exists between the state of infrastructure and grassroots development in Nigeria and between the level of ineffective local government administration and the extent of job creation among the local populace. Further findings showed that a significant relationship exists between insufficient skilled manpower and the level of grassroots rural-urban migration as well as between ineffective local government administration and the level of grassroots participation in democratic activities. Following these findings, the study therefore, concluded thus: that the state of infrastructure is poor, resulting in low grassroots development in Nigeria. Similarly, the study inferred that ineffective local government administration led to poor resource management, which in turn impeded grassroots job creation, and that lack of skilled manpower fuelled rural-urban migration in Nigeria, while ineffective local government administration was a significant determinant factor to poor grassroots participation in democratic processes in Nigeria. Therefore, prominent among others, the study advocated for an upward review of the revenue sharing formula in favour of the local governments being a grassroots government closest to the populace, while sanctioning erring personnel who may be tempted to engage in funds misappropriation.

English

This paper focuses on campus radio’s contributions to strengthen the discourse on migration, to regulate irregular migration in Nigeria, and on the needed strategies by which these contributions could be achieved. This consideration is made within the conceptual framework of the coordinated management of meaning theory. Five campus radios were studied. Using oral interviews and documentary study, findings show that migrants themselves are rarely included in the discourse about their issues through campus radio. There are a number of other factors, both at the managerial and operational levels that continue to militate against an inclusive migration communication in the country. In this regard, the paper argues for the need to internally re-strategize campus radio in the country for improved discourse inclusiveness and empowerment capabilities. Drawing insights from existing policy documents, the paper also makes recommendations with regard to those strategies necessary for the attainment of inclusive migration communication in Nigeria.   Key words: Migration, migration communication, campus radio, voice, social action, cocreation of meaning, re-regulation, re-strategizing, discourse inclusiveness, Nigeria.

Examination of the Causes and Consequences of International Migration in Nigeria

This study examined the leading causes and consequences of international migration in Nigeria. A survey research design was utilized for the study. The data was collected through a structured questionnaire. The opinions of 100 respondents selected through the purposive sampling technique were obtained on the principal causes and consequences of international migration in Nigeria. The findings revealed that the principal causes of international migration in Nigeria were job opportunities, unemployment, wealth prospects, safety and security, better conditions of service, low salaries and higher standards of living. These foremost causes of international migration in Nigeria were mostly economic factors. Furthermore, the findings showed that the foremost positive and negative effects of international migration in Nigeria were integrated development, increase in remittances, cheap and surplus labour, urban services and social infrastructure under stress, stricter immigration norms, multi-ethnic society and increased tolerance, Xenophobia, close gaps in skills and cultural dilution. These effects were economic, social and political. Among others, the study, thus, recommends that: the strategies of the government for stemming international migration should address push factors of unemployment, safety and security and low salaries and pull factors such as job opportunities, wealth prospects, better conditions of service and higher standards of living since they are the root causes of international migration. Furthermore, migration, a long-standing poverty reduction and strategy for human development need to be mainstreamed into policies of development in Nigeria at the Federal, State and Local Governments.

COVID-19 and the New Normal in Developing Societies: An Appraisal of Nigerians’ Adaptation to Digital Life in Public and Private Spheres

COVID-19 significantly altered individual patterns of interaction across the globe. The impediment on physical contact and emphasis on social distancing as measures of curbing its spread gave rise to new forms of interactions among individuals. In the ensuing new normal, digital life took the center stage, anchoring engaging and meaningful interactions of individuals in both public and private spheres. This study appraises the adoption of digital life in Nigeria during this period. Hinged on the technological determinism theory, the study examines the sudden digital migration in Nigeria and identifies the factors that facilitated the process, on the one hand, and the obstacles that inhibited it, on the other. Using secondary data derived from books, official websites, and media reports, the study has established that although the Nigerian society adopted digital life as alternative to face-to-face interactions out of expedience, a combination of systemic, structural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors constrained the process with grave implications on the overall (expected) impact to both individual and national developments. The study concludes that effective digitization in Nigeria requires a holistic approach toward addressing germane issues that retard socioeconomic development in the country—such as endemic poverty, structural inequality and class differences, uneven development between urban and rural communities, low computer literacy and information and communications technology (ICTs) access, poor electricity supply, poor global system for mobile communication (GSM) and Internet access, gender factor and vulnerable groups, and digital frauds—in order to create the enabling environment for productive digitization to thrive.

Migration and Displacement: Legal Constraints of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria

This paper sets out to evaluate how displacement impacts on migration in Nigeria. Displaced persons ordinarily suffer from severe deprivations and precarious living conditions; the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic without doubt, worked even more grave hardships on the community of the displaced. This paper ventures into the effects/challenges brought upon displaced persons with regards to the enjoyment and enforcement of human rights and the ability of such persons to abide by the restrictions and regulations guiding conduct of persons during the pandemic. It considers the factors causing displacement and argues that the living conditions of displaced persons leaves them with no option but to disregard the regulations consequent upon the failure of government to put in place enabling conditions that will engender respect and obedience to the regulations. The paper adopts the doctrinal approach and examines the regulations on internally displaced persons (IDPs) through reliance on relevant laws in Nigeria, data collection and existing literature. The paper concludes among others that there is the need for a national legal framework specifically for internally displaced persons that will cater for prevention and management of internal displacement in Nigeria as against the provision of a national policy.

Rural Migration and Relative Deprivation in Agro-Pastoral Communities Under the Threat of Cattle Rustling in Nigeria

Pastoral livestock production as a primary source of livelihood is increasingly becoming unsustainable due to the rapidly changing social context, perennial cattle rustling, unpredictable climatic conditions, and rapid population growth. Migration in response to these changes in social context has often increased competition for land and natural resources between the farmers and pastoralists. Using survey data from 1,750 agro-pastoral households, this study examines the impact of cattle rustling and relative deprivation on shaping the patterns of migration in Nigeria. The results of linear regression show that the loss of livestock, cattle rustling, income diversity, literacy, and herd size are significant determinants of migration patterns. These factors were instrumental in the households’ decision to migrate transitorily or permanently. While the findings indicate that relative deprivation is a significant push factor, migration in response to deprivation and cattle rustling may not necessarily decrease inequality due to weak social capital among the agro-pastoralists. In this sense, increasing pastoral social and economic capital is critical to the reduction of inequality and competition for natural capital. As such, rural livelihood enhancement intervention embedded within the context of a conflict mitigation mechanism is required to decrease the perceived relative deprivation.