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CONTEXTS OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION OF NIGERIANS: PROPELLERS AND
METHODOLOGICAL LESSONS FOR VALID AND RELIABLE MIGRATION RESEARCHES
1
Olayinka AKANLE.
Department of Sociology,
University of Ibadan, Nigeria
/Senior Research Associate, Department of Sociology,
University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
yakanle@yahoo.com, olayinkaakanle75@gmail.com, o.akanle@ui.edu.ng
ABSTRACT
Nigerians are among the most migratory people in the world, with increasing population abroad. According to the
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of Nigeria, the number of Nigerians abroad, with National
Identification Numbers (NIN), has risen by 563.57 percent, within just a year, from 55,181 as of February 2022 to
366,164 as of February, 2023 (Jaiyeola, 2023). The exponential increase, and continuous rise, of migration of
Nigerians is so massive there is now a popular contextual word/slang to represent it. The word/slang is Japa (literally
translated as urgent/desperate emigration of Nigerians). However, while there has been substantial attention to
economic and development implications of migration, there has been little focus on the complex motivations and
objectives of migration within the framework of drivers among Nigerians. Hence, enourmous attention has been given
to migration governance relative to regulations without sufficient attention to complex and complicated factors that
drive migration of Nigerians. There is, thus, the need for more contextual, nuanced, methodical and empirical
approaches for effective understanding of migration of Nigerians. It is against this background that this article
examines, and explains, the drivers of migration within the remit of methodological discoveries and contextual
realities of Nigerians as migration increases exponentially.
This article is based on many years of primary migratory insights of the author, autoethnography and decades of
empirical engagements with Nigerian migrants across many countries of the world, for instance; The United States of
America (U.S.A), The European Union (EU), The United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Canada and Africa. Secondary
data was also used. Conventional methodologies, commonly used to study sedentary populations, were found
insufficient in this article. Transnational and innovative approaches were therefore adopted. Travels to countries of
destination of Nigerian migrants and innovative deployment of information technology (IT) were prioritised.
Particularly, regular telephone calls, WhatsApp calls, WhatsApp chats, WhatsApp Voice Notes and other social
media platforms were used. For intending migrants in Nigeria, empirical engagements, discussions and observations
were used to understand drivers of migration in their contexts. Research questions this article answers include; what
informs preferred destinations of Nigerian migrants? What factors drive and propel migration of Nigerians? What
theoretical orientation best explains migration of Nigerians? What methodology/methodologies can be adopted in
explaining the migration? What are implications of migration of Nigerians using multi-level approach (households,
national and global levels)? How best can the migration of Nigerians be best understood and managed sustainably?
This article contributes to the theoretical, methodological, empirical, interdisciplinary, policy and comparative
exchanges as well as conversations on the subject of global migration challenge.
Keywords: Drivers of migration, lived realities of migrants, underdevelopment and international migration, migration
and development in Nigeria and Africa
INTRODUCTION
International migration is very important in understanding the development and
contextual existential realities of Nigeria. It is certainly impossible to sufficiently understand
Nigeria today without factoring international migration into the lived equation and experiences of
Nigeria and Nigerians in transnational systems. Footprints of international migration are deeply
1
An earlier version of this article was presented at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center during
the 9th Annual Conference on Migration and Diversity. Title of Conference: The Migration
Challenge: Innovations in Theory and Method. October 11 – 13, 2023. Berlin, Germany.
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ingrained on the faces of many countries as Nigerians migrate internationally in droves within
the framework of survival mechanisms and escapism within the remit of harsh livelihoods in the
country. The profound international migration of Nigerians is very definitive and ascending to the
extent that Nigerians are commonly regarded as among the most migratory in the world
(Akanle, 2023). The massive emigration of Nigerians is also documented in the data of National
Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of Nigeria, demonstrating that within one year, the
number of Nigerians in the diaspora has exponentially increased by 563.57 percent from 55,181
in February 2022 to 366,164 in February, 2023 (Jaiyeola, 2023). The Nigerian diaspora on
account of persistent migration is substantial and bourgeoning and this is very unlikely to reduce
in the nearest future. Thus, the need for more research to understand its trajectories,
ramifications and elements in scholarship and practice
This is particularly so as the socioeconomic and political developments of Nigeria remain
comatose thus serving as push and strong propellers for sustain emigration from Nigeria. The
perceived benefits of international migration for Nigeria, both at macro and micro levels, are also
great thus leading to chain migration from the country. It is commonly believed in Nigeria hat the
sustainable development of the country somewhat largely rest on the diaspora. It is against this
background that the country established, and continue to empower, the Nigerians in Diaspora
Commission (NIDCOM). Both at household levels and national level, remittances from Nigerians
in the diaspora are major lifelines in the country. Many households in Nigeria currently depend
on remittances from Nigerian migrants abroad for feeding, healthcare, education, business start-
ups and general livelihood needs (Akanle, 2023). At the national level, as foreign exchange
earnings from crude oil continue to dwindle, Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) continue to
collapse and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) continue to shrink, remittances from Nigerian
migrants abroad have become the strategic lifelines as the remittances have overtaken FDIs,
GDPs and become major sources of foreign exchange (Akanle, 2023, Akanle, 2022, Akanle,
2018). International migration is, thus, very increasingly critical for Nigeria to meet its livelihood
obligations across levels and on many different frontlines. It is possible to argue that survival of
Nigeria is increasingly dependent of direct and indirect benefits of international migration in
economy, social and psychological sense. This is particularly the reason many Nigerians
engage in massive aggressive and desperate international migration as coping mechanism and
survival strategy to guarantee their current and future existences. A major marker in this context
is increasing inflow of remittances into Nigeria from Nigerian migrants abroad. Within the
context of Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, as the most populous country and the largest economy
in Africa, currently receives the highest amount of remittances from its international migrants
abroad because the country has huge diaspora base. According to Benson (2022), remittances
from migrants abroad to Nigeria is approximately $19.2 billion followed distantly by Ghana at
$4.5 billion and with Kenya $3.7 billion as the third highest recipient of remittances in the sub-
region.
Against this background, while works exist on many dimensions of international
migration from Nigeria, this article contributes new strategic data and analysis on drivers of
migration from Nigeria with unique methodological insights. Issues examined in this article are
factors that drive and propel migration of Nigerians and methodology/methodologies that can
best explain the migration among others. The contribution to knowledge of this article is unique
on multiplicities of issues that comingle to propel the international migration of Nigerians in the
21st Century and beyond. This is key for sustainable and practical understanding of Nigerians as
they move across definitive national and regional boundaries globally. Since Nigerians have
profound international migration footprints across the world, it is thus important to continue to
understand them within migration spaces for effective understanding and governance of
migration.
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This area of knowledge has, particularly, not been sufficiently understood in the literature
and this article intends to fill this gap. Of interest is the fact that this gap in knowledge in drivers
and methodological narratives must be closed if effective understanding of migrations from poor
countries to rich countries will be achieved for sustainable and inclusive migration management
and governance (Akanle and Ola-Lawson, 2022, Féron, 2021, Farahani, 2019, Aham-Okoro,
2017, Campt and Thomas, 2008).
International Migration of Nigerians: A smart review of literature
Most Nigerians who migrate internationally do so to enhance their life-chances (Akanle,
2018). This statement is affirmative and intentional. This is the most fundamental, basic and
simple reason most Nigerians migrate abroad. While many may cite other reasons,
enhancement of life-chance (commonly known as search for greener pasture) ranks highest
among reasons for international migration among Nigerians. This is why a lot of Nigerians move
to rich and developed countries of Europe, Canada, United Kingdom (UK), United States of
America (USA), Australia and so on (Akanle, 2022, Gamlen 2014). While South South migration
remains popular, international migration among Nigerians are increasingly up North due to the
many pull factors in those countries and regions. Many of these pull factors include; high
employment opportunities, gender equality, security, high exchange rates as they earn
mainstream currencies (United States Dollars, Euros and Pounds Sterling), respectable and
competitive nationality, better infrastructures (health, education, housing and security among
others), perceived higher comparative status as migrants abroad, better life-chances and
secured future in developed countries. Generally, international migration is commonly seen as a
permanent liberating routes among Nigerian migrants.
International migration is a strategic route through which Nigerians desire to escape
poverty and underdevelopment of their home country. This is why it is commonly argued that
most Nigerian migrants are ultimately economic migrants no matter the portrayed reasons for
migration (Akanle, 2022, Omobowale, Akanle, Falase and Omobowale, 2019, Kyaing, 2012).
Many also move along the trajectories of temporality to permanence with little or no intention to
return to country of origin (Akanle, Aderonke and Jimoh, 2018). Although different reasons have
been adduced for increasing international migrations among Nigerians, of interest is that
increasing researches are needed to continue to unravel the complex and dynamic drivers of
the international migration of Nigerians (Akanle, 2018). This is particularly so within the
framework of accentuating interests of global actors and institutions in better management of
international migration for the benefits of migrants, receiving countries and sending countries for
and inclusion and sustainability (Akanle, 2023, Foresti, Hagen-Zanker and Dempster, 2018,
Hack-polay, 2018, Hack-Polay and Siwale 2018).
Moreover, while numerous intellectual and policy interventions exist on development and
livelihood implications of international migrations, health and human rights, more works are
needed on current motivating factors (drivers) and methodological elements that can unravel
and explain the escalating movements of Nigerians internationally. A lot of existing researches
have paid significant attentions to the interfaces of how migrants send remittances home, how
they invest in home countries, consequences of such investments and household issues with
little attention to drivers and methodological issues that are capable of unleashing research
potentials within international smigrations and assist in projecting direction and volumes of
migrations in the short and long run (Martha, Jessica and Helen, 2019, Adu, 2018, Siwale,
2018, Chunda, 2018, Ratha and Plaza, 2016, Owusu and Rodima-Taylor, 2016, Allen, Opoku-
Owusu and Rodima-Taylor 2016, Sinatti and Horst, 2015, Chrysostome, 2014, Gamlen 2014,
Boly, Coniglio, Prota and Seric, 2014, Chacko and Gebre, 2013, Olatuyi, Awoyinka and Adeniyi,
2013, Ratha, Mohapatra, Ozden, Plaza, Shaw and Shimeles, 2011, Ratha et al, 2011,
UNCTAD, 2009, Shinn, 2008, Fleischer, 2007, De Haas, 2006).
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Against these backdrops, this article uses the case study of Nigeria to contribute, in
scholarly manners and realistically, to knowledge on drivers and methodological issues that
have capabilities to aid understanding of international migration among Nigerians as window to
understanding migrations from poor countries especially from Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Eight Strategic Methodological Issues in Researching International Migration
A very important contribution of this article to knowledge is the methodological discovery.
During the many years of researches that informed this article, traditional/conventional
methodologies were planed but had to be nuanced given the realities of the migrants’ migration
experiences, drivers and their lived, contextual and existential realities across nations/settings. It
is to be definitively noted that researches on international migrants must be dynamic, innovative,
realistic, inclusive and empathetic. International migration methodologies should be open,
adaptive and sensitive to the contextual and international migration peculiarities of the migrants
and their contexts to have valid and reliable data gathering and knowledge production that will
be useful for scholarship, practice and policy. This played out significantly during the fieldworks
to the extent that the proposed methodologies had to be substantially nuanced and adapted.
International migrants are unique categories of actors and must be appreciated as a category
that must be studied and understood through triangulated methodologies including
unconventional and innovative ones.
The researches that informed this article were conducted through adoption of innovative
triangulated methodologies. Data were gathered through primary and secondary methods.
Secondary data were gathered from unclassified documents, journal articles, reliable internet
sources and books. Primary data were gathered through about 20 years of primary migratory
insights of the author. These migratory insights covered different countries and continents of the
at different times. Autoethnography and many decades of empirical interactions among Nigerian
migrants in many different countries also informed this article. Examples of such countries
included; The United States of America (U.S.A), South Africa, Ghana, countries in The
European Union (EU), The United Kingdom (UK), Senegal, Ghana, Australia and Canada
among others.
In the course of the many years of conducting researches among migrants of Nigerian
origin, many methodological approaches have been tested (Akanle, Omotayo and Adeniran,
2018, Akanle and Olutayo 2012b; Takenada 2007; Talwar 2007). Every time, there were
practical and empirical reasons to change, adapt and/or nuance the research process. There
were different reasons for this. These factors/reasons were eight. I call these eight factors The
eight methodological forces of researching international migrants. First, migrants are very
mobile people. Thus, methodologies that are relevant for sedentary and stable populations may
not work well for researches on migration. Second, migrants are sensitive people who may be
uncomfortable with conventional methodologies. Three, migrants are always conscious of
security and privacy issues. Thus, the need to innovate and adapt methodologies. Four,
migrants are very busy, with works most especially. They keep very busy schedule and are
often routinized. Thus the need to use methodologies that can accommodate the routine of
migrants.
Five, migrants are often impatient with researches, thus the need to develop smart and
rapid methodologies different from conventional one. Six, migrants are often widely dispersed
and multi-sited geographically. Thus, the need to consider and factor geographies of migration
into the methodology. Seven, international migrants are, usually, more comfortable with
deployment of technologies, thus the need to leverage technology substantially during the
research process. Eight, the need for financially affordable innovative methodologies in
migration research from poor countries. This factor is very important in context of conducting
migration researches in underdeveloped countries, especially Nigeria. There is poor funding
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architecture and environment in such societies. There is little or no funding opportunities to
conduct researches in Nigeria. For researchers that are interested in conducting migration
researches, such researches are funded by the researchers through meagre personal
resources. There is thus funding gaps and deficits. It is therefore very important for researchers
to consider available resources and funds and develop smart and innovative methodologies that
are affordable. These core eight factors above influenced the methodologies adopted for this
article and these eight factors are noteworthy for future studies researching international
migrants, especially Nigerians.
I discovered, practically, during my many years of researching migrants that traditional
methodologies covering research designs and conventional methods of data collection were
insufficient and actually incompetent to unravel issues of interest. Transnational and innovative
methodologies leveraging use of technologies are vital. Transnational contextualities were
factored into my methodologies covering countries of origin (intending migrants, kin, social
networks and returnees) and receiving countries/destination countries (covering migrants, the
diaspora, kin and social networks abroad). Traditional/conventional methods of In-Depth
Interviews, Observations, Key Informant Interviews were used in data gathering. Where these
traditional methods became impracticable and unsuitable, innovative approaches with utilization
of information technologies were prioritized and adopted. These included adoption of data
gathering tools through social media platforms migrants and other significant other actors use.
These social media platforms included; Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly twitter), LinkedIn and
so on. Regular telephone calls, WhatsApp calls, WhatsApp chats, WhatsApp Voice Notes and
text message were also used.
Sampling was often purposive while data analysis was done through content, thematic
and interpretative phenomenological analyses. Global best practices in ethical researches were
adopted. These included informed consent, anonymity, beneficence, non-coercion, non-
maleficence and right to withdrawal.
Drivers of Migration
In Sub-Saharan Africa, there has been emphasis on contributions of migrants to
homeland developments especially relative to investment and remittances and the conclusion is
that international migrants love to invest in capital projects and household welfare at countries of
origin (Boly, Coniglio, Prota and Seric, 2014). There can however, not be remittances and
investments back home without migration in the first instance. Understanding remittances and
investments without significant and current understanding of drivers of migration will certainly be
insufficient. This section therefore addresses drivers of migration among Nigerian migrants.
Based on the methodologies adopted as explained above, the most fundamental and
most common reasons Nigerians migrate internationally are complex, complicated and many.
The reasons include; collapsed and uncompetitive educational system which has led to
educational tourism in developed countries, poor healthcare system (health tourism), poor
national image (desire for foreign citizenship), unemployment, hopelessness, insecurity (violent
crimes, kidnapping, terrorism and banditry), extreme poverty, aggravated corruption,
unfavourable foreign exchange situation, frustrating mis-governance, infrastructural collapse,
desire for foreign nationality and citizenship and because of their children’s future.
For Nigerian migrants abroad, a combination of these factors count as drivers of their
migration and moderator of their decision making processes. These migration decision making
processes are very inclusive of core significant others of the migrants. This is largely because
migration is often moderated by kinship and networks in Nigeria. This is why it can be said that
every migrant is an insurance cover for his/her kinship and social networks. Nigerians are very
familial and kinship moderates most things Nigerians, and many Africans, do. There are
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therefore complex and complicated inclusive engagements at household and networks levels
before migration is driven in Nigeria even within the contexts of the strategic and actionable
drivers.
Collapsed educational system certainly affects migration decision making of Nigerians.
From elementary to tertiary level, the educational system is comatose forcing those who desire
competitive education for themselves and their kin to save up to acquire competitive education
abroad. For many Nigerians, education is valued. There is increasing awareness that
competitive education is needed today to be successful in the contemporary global economy
and many want to get this education to be relevant in the age of globalization. There is poor
investment in Nigeria’s educational system making facilities to run down. The quality of
infrastructure, human and non-human, is very bad and uncompetitive. The curricula are
outdated and teachers and learners are demotivated. The government is also very nonchalant
about quality education. It is on this note that many Nigerians continue to accumulate debt to
secure foreign education. Still on education, there is negative rating of certificates from Nigerian
universities globally.
In other words, the certificates from educational institutions in Nigeria are poorly rated
globally. This is why many Nigerian graduates are considered either half-baked or outrightly
unbaked because of the run down infrastructure, demotivation and incessant strikes by the
academic and nonacademic labour unions in the higher institutions of learning. The latest of
such industrial actions was the 8 months strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU). During this strike, there was academic activities on the campuses at all. Unfortunately,
this was immediate Post-Covid era which previously kept students out of school for substantial
period of time. This makes many Nigerians struggle, including by selling properties and assets,
to acquire education/certificates abroad for global competitiveness.
Another major driver of international migration in Nigeria is poor healthcare system. This
continuously lead to health tourism, especially among the rich and elite class who travel abroad
to get treatments even for the most basic of ailments. Nigerian health systems are multilevel.
This include primary, secondary and tertiary health care centers. Aside these three levels at
western medicine level, there is also traditional medicine, commonly known as alternative
medicine. Of interest here is the fact that at these three levels of western medical system in
Nigeria, the systems are bedeviled with collapsed infrastructures in terms of human and
materials. Nigeria is currently experiencing massive brain drain in the sector just as it is also the
case across all sectors of Nigeria with the Japa Phenomenon (massive and desperate
migration). From primary to tertiary health level, infrastructures and manpower are grossly
deficient making the hospitals qualify as slaughters’ slabs due to capacity gaps at human and
non-human levels. Unfortunately, alternative medicine that is supposed to complement and fill
this gap is poorly developed at policy and practice levels unlike as it is the case with the
Chinese acupuncture and traditional medicine generally. There is huge decimating rivalry
between the western and traditional medicine to the extent that traditional medicine is not given
much chance even though many Nigerians still patronize the traditional medicine as either
alternative or complement of western medicine (Yusuf and Akanle, 2023, Akanle et al, 2019,
Akanle, Adesina and Fakolujo, 2017).
Another very unique driver of international migration among Nigerians is the poor
national image/citizenship. Most Nigerians are not pleased with negative treatments they
receive across the world because of their Nigerian nationality. A lot of Nigerians migrate mainly
to acquire foreign nationality/citizenship of developed countries. Nigerians with dual citizenship
are often proud to show off their foreign nationalities while many are quick to even relinquish
their Nigerian nationality for foreign nationality of developed countries. For many, it is a thing of
dishonour to bear Nigerian citizenship and thing of pride and guaranteed excellent future to
have European, American, Canadian, American Australian, British and other developed
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countries’ citizenship. Many Nigerian migrants consider acquisition of foreign nationalities as
reward for pressures and stress of permanent migration, not only for themselves but also for
their entire family and future generations.
Against this backdrop, many Nigerians also migrate because of their children. Among
the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria, when they migrate internationally, it is not
uncommon to hear them cite ni tori omo (because of my children) as the reason for migrating up
North particularly. For many of such migrants, they believe Nigeria is a dead end without
promising future. They thus, migrate abroad so their children can acquire foreign education,
enjoy developed system and acquire reputable foreign citizenship so they can have prosperous
and secured future unlike if they remain in Nigeria. The concept and notion of ni to ri omo
(because of my children) is a great and a major driver of migration from Nigeria.
The greatest driver of international migration from Nigeria is real and imagined
unemployment. It is a fact that unemployment in Nigeria is massive. Unemployment figures in
Nigeria are subject of huge political manipulations and controversies. However, what is known
to the objective people in Nigeria is that unemployment in the country has aggravated and
continue to increase. And, according to the World Bank, unemployment in Nigeria has increased
significantly to not less than fivefold in the last 10 years. According to data from KPMG,
unemployment rate in Nigeria stands at 41 percent in 2023 (Egole, 2023). Even though the
informal sector is serving as buffer zone cushioning unemployment in Nigeria, the multiplicity of
typologies of unemployment are evident in Nigeria ranging from outright unemployment to
underemployment and disguised unemployment. Particularly among the youths and urban
dwellers, unemployment is a major driver of international migration in Nigeria.
The multiplicity of the underdevelopment problems of Nigeria has led to massive
hopelessness among Nigerians. This is leading to massive hopelessness induced emigration
among Nigerians especially among the youths and the middle class. Unfortunately, many of
these migrations are desperate, risky and escapist in search of greener pasture abroad.
Insecurity is another major driver of international migration in Nigeria as many migrate to
escape banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other violent crimes. The security apparatus of
Nigeria is comatose. The security system is very reactionary rather than been proactive.
Intelligence gathering is very poor thereby enabling unabating kidnapping for ransom and
terrorism, banditry, armed robbery and so on. There is little or no trust for the police while every
security system in the country is overwhelmed. Nigerians are never at peace and they sleep
with both eyes opened. For those who can afford it, the most reliable way for them to feel
secure is to emigrate with their loved one. Insecurity is thus a fundamental driver and propeller
of migration from Nigeria.
Associated with this is the massive extreme poverty. Due to complex intermingling of
unemployment, poverty, insecurity, uncompetitive education and other reasons, poverty is very
endemic in Nigeria. Even if considered within the framework of multidimensional poverty and
relative poverty, poverty is very formidable and endemic in Nigeria and most Nigerians consider
migration out of the country as the most sustainable escape route from poverty. Poverty, hunger
and hardship are very common in Nigeria with not less than 71 million of Nigerian wallowing in
poverty and penury according to World Poverty Clock. It is particularly concerning that due to
harsh social and economic policies (especially the removal of fuel subsidy) of the government
coupled with corruption and misgovernance, increasing numbers of people are falling into
poverty across the country. This signals the likelihood of continuous and sustained massive
migration of Nigerians into the future as the national environments remain conducive for more
migration including chain and intergenerational migration.
Governments of Nigeria are very corrupt and this is a major reason for
underdevelopment of Nigeria. Transparency and accountability are lacking especially among
the political class. Corruption in Nigeria has gone beyond corruption in the real sense to
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becoming impunity. This is a situation of blatant looting of commonwealth without
consequences. People now loot the country and they loot enough to be richer than the state and
be able to frustrate and buy the state institutions meant to prosecute them. Popular now is the
plea-bargaining where corrupt state officials who have amassed humongous wealth at the
expense of everyone plead to return a little fraction of the loot to be left free to enjoy the rest
kept, usually in foreign banks. Corruption and impunity hold most Nigerians down in
underdevelopment, poverty and hopelessness.
Unfortunately, corruption is widespread in Nigeria and permeates both the macro and
micro levels and generally fast becoming entrenched in national psyche. This is to the extent
that it is now commonly noted in Nigeria that those waiting to loot the country are actually more
than those currently looting the country, more dangerous and more desperate than those
already looting the country – including the youths and children. Institutions of Nigeria are
enmeshed in corruption and this is deep-seated. This means there is no end to corruption and
impunity in the short and long run. By implication, international migration will continue to ascend
against this background. Corruption is a fundamental manifestation of mis-governance and
general institutional and infrastructural collapse in Nigeria and this plays huge roles in driving
migrations from Nigeria.
Another major driver of international migration from Nigeria is the unfavourable foreign
exchange rate situation of the country. This is due to the free fall of the Naira (currency of
Nigeria) against major currencies of the world (US dollars, Pounds sterling and Euros
particularly). The Naira is very weak and this drives migration internationally from the country.
Nigerians believe it does not matter the kind of stress they face and the kind of works they do
abroad, once they earn foreign currencies, it will be a lot of money when sent to Nigeria. This
foreign exchange situation of Nigeria continues to make many migrate abroad to earn
internationally competitive currencies they will convert to a lot of money when remitted home.
With very little foreign exchange, they can do a lot of meaningful things in Nigeria once sent as
remittances. It is common to hear many Nigerian migrants claim they will return to Nigeria if 1
US dollars equal 1 or 5 dollars because there will no longer be foreign exchange advantages
attached to the migration and staying abroad.
Conclusion
This article has addressed some strategic and unique elements of international migration
among Nigerians. Special issues of focus are methodological considerations in researching
international migration of Nigerians and drivers of such migration. It is certain, and noteworthy,
that Nigerians are migrating in droves definitively and this massive migration normativity has
now been contextualized socioculturally as the Japa Phenomenon (to run away from danger
quickly and desperately). The magnitude of international migration from Nigeria in contemporary
term is best described as The Exodus. In fact, migration of Nigerians is definitive, massive,
determined, existential, forceful crystalising and is certain to continue into the long run. This is
surely particularly so because the awareness of necessity of international migration is forcefully
increasing among Nigerians. Migration thus becomes coping, adaptive and escaping existential
strategy against sustained underdevelopment of Nigeria. Drivers of the international migration
are increasingly deeply entrenched without any sign of abating. In fact, most Nigerian migrants
dispose of their wealth and investments to fund their international migrations. Most Nigerians
migrants spend tens of thousands of dollars to migrate abroad as they only see secured futures
abroad and only hopelessness at home in Nigeria. For those who cannot migrate regularly and
legally, they embark on irregular and illegal migration through perilous journeys in the deserts
and Mediterranean Sea at the mercies of dangerous and wicked migrant smuggling syndicates
into deaths, destructions, modern slavery (Akanle, 2022). This is to show how determined
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Nigerians are to escape the many underdevelopment and existential challenges of the country -
Nigeria. Most are hopeless and do not see any positive reason to remain in the country.
To be able to sufficiently understand the transnational contextual realities of Nigerians
within the framework of migration existences, innovative methodologies, as explained above,
should be appreciated and adopted while the drivers should be comprehensively acknowledged
and addressed through programmes and policies. The contributions to knowledge of this article
are multiple, practical, academic and scholarly with huge relevance for policy and practice.
These contributions are very relevant, necessary and major from Sociology and Social Sciences
of migration, methodology, research and development.
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