The Effect of Displacement and Irregular Migration on Nigeria’s Development

Samuel Agunyai, Victor Ojakorotu, Hofisi Costa

Abstract


This article examined how displacement and irregular migration heighten insecurity in Nigeria, it also determined how displacement and irregular migration undermined the economic contributions that Nigeria would have enjoyed from its youthful population. These were with the view to ascertain the effect of displacement and irregular migration on Nigeria’s development. In achieving these objectives, the article draws on materialism theory and qualitative method that were sourced through document analysis, using a desktop as a data collection instrument. The findings established that displacement and irregular migration of mainly the Nigerian youth, who constituted the majority of the country’s economically active population, significantly hampered the developmental intents of Nigeria. The findings contribute to the discussion on the dimension of human displacement and irregular migration in Nigeria. The findings have implications for expanding knowledge about ways the Nigerian government can utilize good governance and citizen engagement to address irregular migration and its effects on socio-economic development. It concluded that effective government performance in terms of meeting the citizens' expectations and promoting their well-being would reduce tendencies of displacement and irregular migration in Nigeria.

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Keywords


Brain-drain; development; governance failure; human displacement; migration crisis

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2025.2204.53

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