Cross Border Migration and Human Security in Nigeria

Abstract

Cross border migration is the movement of people beyond their country of origin. The main objective of the study was to examine cross border migration and economic security in Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined if cross border migration enhanced or deteriorated poverty alleviation in Nigeria. The study also looked into the question of whether cross border migration contributed to the spread of diseases in Nigeria. The data collated were analyzed using descriptive and content methods. Classical migration theory was the theoretical framework on which this study was anchored. The study revealed that cross border migration did not alleviate poverty in Nigeria; and that cross border migration contributed to the spread of diseases. The study concluded that cross border migration did not enhance economic security, but rather deepened poverty incidence, contributed to the spread of diseases and heightened the incidence of cross border criminality in Nigeria. Among the recommendations is that the government of Nigeria, in collaboration with international governmental agencies, such as European Union and United Nations, should assist in addressing migration issues by reducing the cost of migration, formulating policies regarding the processing of travelling documents, and lowering remittance costs to encourage migrants to remit money back home through normal channels. Governments of Nigeria should regulate migration by formulating policies that will address illegal migration, migrants flow and associated health and human rights issues, reduce migration of the teeming youths by creating conducive environment for learning and business, provide infrastructural facilities, and enthrone good governance, among other measures.