ICMA_Panel1_Edmond Agyeman_Nigeria

Human mobility in NIGERGIA

Prepared by

Dr. Edmond AgyemanCentre for African Studies

University of Education, Winneba

&

Dr. Mary Boatemaa Setrana Centre for Migration Studies

University of Ghana, Accra

Introduction

History of Nigerian Migration: Key Trends

Contemporary trends in Human Mobility

Overview of Nigeria’s Migration Policies and Legislation

Stakeholders in Migration Governance

Assessment of Migration Governance

Conclusion

OUTLINE

INTRODUCTIONPurpose of the Project

Methodology

Study countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Angola and

South Africa)

Desk Review (UNDP, World Bank, Academic

Journals etc)

Key informant interviews

HISTORY OF Nigerian MIGRATION: KEY TRENDS

Pre-independence migration

The rise of the Sokoto Caliphate

In northern Nigeria during 19th century and early periods of the 20th

century.

Ignited patterns of forced (slave raids) and voluntary human movement

The rise of the Oyo Empire in south-western Nigeria

Generated several population movements among people of the Yoruba

ethnic group

Leading to the establishment of new settlements and trade and migratory

routes extending as far as present day Liberia.

HISTORY OF NIGERIAN MIGRATION: KEY TRENDS

Pre-independence migration Cont’d

The arrival of the Europeans during the 19th century,

set the grounds for widespread and large scale migration within

and from Nigeria (to feed the colonial economy).

rural-urban migration to new administrative centres and

educational hubs

Movement to mining sites, farm plantations and construction

sites in Southern Nigeria

Re-population of the middle belt at Jos

Temporary stays of young Nigerians in UK and North America to

attain university education

Post-independence migration

A: 1960s

The labour migration patterns developed during the pre-independence

period were sustained in the post-independence era.

There was large scale mobility to new administrative and educational

capitals like Lagos and Abuja

The civil war displaced the Igbo people within and outside of Nigeria

during the 1960s and 1970s.

HISTORY OF NIGERIAN MIGRATION: KEY TRENDS

Post-independence Cont’d

B: 1970s

Transformation of Nigeria into a migrant destination country

o Attracting nationals from neighbouring West African states,

o Following the oil price hikes that boosted the Nigerian economy

o High demand for cheap labour for reconstruction works after

the civil war.

C: 1980s Large scale repatriation of foreign nationals (mostly Ghanaians) in 1983

and 1985

Beginning of large scale emigration of Nigeria's highly trained

professionals, including university professors, health professionals,

technicians and engineers

Large scale emigration of rural folk to Southern Europe

D: Current Situation

Today, Nigerian migrants constitute the largest Sub-Saharan

African community in the UK, the USA, Japan and several other

OECD countries.

Since the 2000s, the migration of Nigerian businessmen and

students to other African countries, particularly Ghana and South

Africa has increased intensely.

Nigeria is a host to refugees and asylum seekers from other

African countries

Serious issues human rights concerns about Nigerian

migration (trafficking, victimization, crimilization etc)

POST-INDEPENDENCE MIGRATION CONT’D

CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN HUMAN MOBILITY:

immigrants

Australi

aBen

in

Burkina F

aso

Cape V

erde

Côte d'Iv

oire

Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-B

issau

Liberi

aM

aliNige

r

Seneg

al

Sierra

Leone

Togo

Camero

onChad

Egypt

Equato

rial G

uinea

Mau

ritan

ia0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

2010

2013

Country of Origin

Freg

uenc

ies

Source: UNDESA 2014

IMMIGRATION: TOTAL NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS

Total Number of immigrants by country of origin (2010 and 2013)

The total number of immigrants : 1,127,668.

Constituting 0.7 percent of the country’s total population of about 173.6 million

Majority of these immigrants come from ECOWAS countries representing 0.52 percent of the total population of Nigeria

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

9,1278,747 8,806

3,154

1,683

TOTAL NUMBER OF REFUGEES

Source: UNHCR 2014a

IMMIGRATION: REFUGEES

Distribution of refugees between 2009 and 2013

Total Number of

Refugees : 1,696 in

2014

Countries of

Origin: Cameroon,

Liberia, DRC

18%

29%24

%

16%

13%

20092010201120122013

IMMIGRATION: ASYLUM SEEKERS

Total Number of

Asylum Seekers : 815

Countries of

Origin: Cameroon,

Liberia, DRC

Source: UNHCR 2014a

Distribution of Asylum Seekers between 2009 and 2013

CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN HUMAN MOBILITY : emigrants

Cameroon

Sudan

Benin

Côte d'Ivoire

Niger

Saudi A

rabia

Ireland

UK and

Greece

Spain

Netherlands

Canada0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

20102013

Country of Destination

Freq

uenc

ies

Estimates of the total

number of emigrants

are based on

different data

sources are usually

referred to

The country’s

emigrant population

ranges from 836,832

to 1,041,284

Constituting 0.6

percent of the total

population of Nigeria

EMIGRATION: TOTAL NUMBER OF EMIGRANTS

Source: UNDESA 2014

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

15,609 15,640 17,141 18,021

31,614

Distribution of refugees between 2009 and 2013

EMIGRATION: REFUGEES

Source: UNHCR 2014a

Major Countries of destination:

Canada, Germany, Italy, and

the UK

Causes of their movement:

-for better opportunities

-run away from conflict

-avoid environmental

disaster.

Total Number of Refugees:

31,664

14%

18%

14%21%

33%20092010201120122013

Major Countries of

destination:

Canada, Germany,

Austria

Total Number of Asylum

Seekers:

22,322

EMIGRATION: ASYLUM SEEKERS

Distribution of Asylum Seekers between 2009 and 2013

Source: UNHCR 2014a

United Kingdom

United St

ates

Ghana

Malaysi

a

South Afri

ca

Canada

Finland

Saudi A

rabia

United Ara

b Emirates

Russian Fe

deration

Hungary0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

Country of Destination

Freq

uenc

ies

NIGERIAN STUDENTS

Source: UNESCO 2014

Major destination countries for Nigerian Students

Major Countries of

destination:

Ghana, South Africa,

Malaysia, Canada

2014 total number of

Nigerian tertiary-level

students

49,531

Nigeria as a country of origin, transit and destination for young boys, women and children exposed forcefully to labour and sex trafficking

Main destination Countries

Italy, Spain, Norway, Scotland, the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, Ranking the Country in Tier 2: The government of Nigeria does not

fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking (TIP Report, 2014).

In the meantime, the government has devised strategies to improve the existing situation.

Rescued Victims: 187 victims of sex trafficking, 539 victims of labour trafficking and 51

individuals were identified as victims of trafficking-related crimes.   

TRAFFICKING AND SMUGGLING

2009 2010 2011 20120

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000 Nigeria records the

highest IDPs in the Sub-

Saharan region with an

official figure of 3,300,000

Constituting 2% of the

total population of Nigeria

The country is ranked

among the five top

countries with more IDP's

globally

Nigeria since 2013 has

witnessed increasing

attacks by the radical

Islamic terrorist group,

Boko Haram, leading to the

displacement of 470,500

people

INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONSFlood-induced Displacement in Nigeria (2009-2012)

REMITTANCES

•

20092010

2011

4748

0

9585 10045 10681

Outflows (in US$ million) Inflows (in US$ million)

Remittances contribute

immensely to Nigeria’s

development,

accounting for 4.5

percent of the country’s

GDP (World Bank, 2011).

OVERVIEW OF Nigeria's MIGRATION POLICIES AND

LEGISLATION

MIGRATION POLICIES AND LEGISLATIONS

OVERVIEW OF

NIGERIA’S MIGRATION POLICIES

AND FRAMEWOR

KS

NATIONAL MIGRATION

POLICY (In progress)

INTERNATIONAL LEGAL

INSTRUMENTS - The 1952 UN

Convention on the Status of Refugees

-The 1966 International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

- The 1966 International Covenant on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

ratified in 1993

NATIONAL LEGISLATION

ON MIGRATION- Immigration Act of

1963- The Labour Act of

1974- The Child’s Right’s

Act, 2003 and many

more

Stakeholders in international migration

GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS

Government Institutions, Departments and Agencies

Federal Ministry

of Labour

and Producti

vity

Nigeria Immigrat

ion Service

Nigerians in

Diaspora Organiza

tion

National Commission For Refugee

s, Immigrants and Internall

y Displace

d Persons

National Populati

on Commis

sion

National Volunteer Service

Other Govern

ment Institutio

ns eg. National Bureau

of Statistic

s, Central Bank of Nigeria

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

FOR MIGRATION:Provides technical

and logistical support to the

Nigerian government on all

migration and development

issues

UNITED NATIONS HIGH

COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES:

Provides technical, expert and logistic

support to all refugee and

asylum matters in Nigeria

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS,

ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND

NGOs eg. Gender Care Initiative; Amnesty International Nigeria; University of

Ibadan

ASSESSMENT OF MIGRATION GOVERNANCE

ASSESSMENT OF MIGRATION GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIACOHERENCE

AND COORDINATION

The need for a mechanism in charge of the

allocation of role and responsibility

to all key institutional actors

involved in migration

management in the country

POLICY IMPLEMENTATIO

NNigeria is slow in

enacting and implementing

policies for effective

management of migration in the

countryCRIMINALIZATION OF NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION

Migration management in

Nigeria is closely knitted with national,

regional and international security

concerns, which unfortunately has a

spill-over repercussion on

genuine migration

DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT AND POLITICAL

EXCLUSION Nigeria's effort to

include the diaspora in development is

equally contradicted by contravening efforts to resist

diaspora involvement in national politics

LEADERSHIP AT THE REGIONAL

LEVEL Nigeria should take up the leadership mantle and seek support from the

rest of the countries to address all concerns

associated with regional migration.

conclusion

CONCLUSION There is a lack of data to support Nigeria’s enormous

external migration

Socio-political and economic insecurity has and continues to force Nigerians to leave the country

Nigeria remains a major source of international migrants. However, destination countries are not so welcoming to Nigerian immigrants

The low skilled nature of most Nigerian immigrants means they engage in nefarious activities in host countries

Government policy fails to tackle the root of Nigeria’s illegal migration problem

KEY RESEARCH ISSUES AND GAPS

ETHICAL AND HUMANITARIAN ISSUES

There is the need for further research to provide useful suggestions that will help to draw a right balance between human rights, ethics and security concerns in the management of Nigerian migration

KEY RESEARCH ISSUES AND GAPS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION