ABSTRACT

One has only to think of the bulwarks that Europe constructed at her borders to understand that the colonial image of the ‘inferior’ Nigeria still prevails in the third millennium. Until Nigeria grows up, becomes developed, and joins the industrialized world, the mass migration of her citizens to Asia, Europe, and America will remain. Lack of jobs, lack of social warfare security programmes for the poor, political and social instability, poor electricity, leadership failures, poor remuneration of workers, insecurity, etc. all compound the migrant challenge in Africa but especially Nigeria, the focus of this paper. While these crises constitute a poor judgment on the political dispensation in Nigeria, their economic impact is most telling. This paper employs the method of critical analysis to interrogate the impact of migration on the development of Nigeria. In Nigeria the unemployment rate is very high, and the poverty rate evident on the per capita income. It is the conclusion of this paper that if political and socio-economic issues in Nigeria do not improve, Nigerians will continue to migrate to other countries, and hence brain drain in all sectors of the economy. The government of Nigeria should urgently address the situation with migration, contribute to job creation and improve environment to stop people from migrating and encourage its skilled labor abroad to return home to help in national development.