THE EFFECT OF MIGRATION ON NATION-BUILDING IN NIGERIA
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In Nigeria, having at least one family member working or studying outside of the country has become a source of pride for families. The first thing that comes to mind is one of wealth and limitless possibility for other family members or members of the extended family to benefit from the success of the first person (Akinsanmi, 2017). This would seem to be a logical conclusion to draw given that the “member overseas” would send some foreign currency home, eventually establish themselves, and be able to impart knowledge that would help others take advantage of the same chance. It is even more realistic to have such an expectation of someone if they happen to reside in a developed nation like the United States of America or Europe. This is because people in those nations enjoy a greater standard of living and a higher level of quality of life overall (Nwajiuba , 2022). The motivation behind the desire to live a “better life,” spread pleasure, and share the goods is to live a “better life,” spread joy, and share the goodies because such an environment and such life expectations are not readily accessible to all people in Nigeria.Yet, where does it even start? And from where exactly does it begin? The belief that for many people, migration is the sole opportunity to boost their income, have access to education, and improve the prospects for their next generation is supported by the unequal structure of society. As a result, people move both inside the country and across international borders in the belief that their new location will provide them with access to better opportunities that will benefit not only themselves but also their close relatives and communities. 2019 (Okorie). Moving from one area of a country to another, such as from a hamlet to a village, and then continuing with a move from a village to a town, is how migration frequently starts. Migration often starts with this type of movement pattern, which makes it distinctive. A person relocates because they think doing so will give them better prospects (Olajide, 2020). There are many factors that are pushing and tugging in this direction, but some of the causes, such cultural stigmatization, can be particular to the individual.With a population of more than 200 million, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Because of the magnitude of her population, her difficult economic situation, her porous borders, and other factors, Nigeria continues to see large levels of internal and external migration (Olajide, 2020). Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa despite this. Nigeria is one of the world’s poorest nations because about 70% of its citizens live in poverty. Another issue that the nation is dealing with is corruption (Olajide, 2020). Due to a lack of employment opportunities, pervasive corruption, and extreme poverty, millions of Nigerians leave the nation every year in search of a better quality of life.
People smuggling, human trafficking, fraudulent marriages under false pretenses, forging of passports and visas, among other things, are principally to blame for the sharp increase in illegal migration, which is also greatly facilitated by forging of passports and visas (Castles, 2017).
While young men of working age have been moving across states at a large rate in search of better opportunities and greener pastures, the rate of migration inside Nigeria is also rising alarmingly quickly.The process of Nigerian nation-building has been significantly hampered by the rise of unauthorized migration (Egbe, 2022). This is owing to the fact that the majority of undocumented migrants in Nigeria are young people between the ages of 18 and 35, which is the age range in which a person is most productive, and that this phenomenon is mostly motivated by economic incentives (Durand, 2016). The high rates of migration among these groups are mostly a result of a number of factors, the two most significant of which are the high youth unemployment rate (61.1%) and the rising cost of living (David, 2021).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Since the dawn of human society, migration has occurred. Humans have moved around the world throughout history in search of better opportunities. This conduct is not unusual. Even while most migration-related events are voluntary, there are some instances where it is not. Examples of these situations include migration brought on by war, conflict, natural catastrophes, or economic hardship (de Haan, 2017). The amount of academic attention paid to the subject of migration has increased recently. Concerns about the effects that economic migration, especially forced migration, may have on Nigeria and other African countries are mounting.The effects of this tendency may be seen everywhere, despite the lack of information about migration from rural to urban areas across the continent (Docquier, 2022). It is significant to note that the agricultural foundation of African civilisation has magnified the effects that massive migrations of able-bodied males have had on food security and even on the capacity of the nation to contribute to the creation of the nation. The researcher must therefore investigate how migration affects Nigeria’s efforts to construct a nation.
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