Over half of Nigerians want to emigrate – Report

Over half of Nigerians want to emigrate with the percentage who say they have given ‘a lot’ of thought to emigrating tripling since 2017, a new report has shown.

According to the report, this proportion of citizens includes those living in urban areas, the country’s highly educated population, the unemployed, and young citizens.

The report published by Afrobarometer, a pan-African research network, reveals that the most common reason for this is the desire to escape economic hardship and search for better work opportunities.

Afrobarometer, a non-profit based in Ghana, issued this report on Wednesday, the International Migration Day (IMD).

The IMD is celebrated on 18 December each year to mark the adoption of a resolution by the UN General Assembly on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

The research network’s report said the most popular destinations of Nigerians are North America, Europe and the Middle East.

“56 per cent of Nigerians say they have considered leaving Nigeria, a 20-percentage-point increase compared to 2017. The share who say they have given “a lot” of thought to the idea has tripled, from 11 per cent to 33 per cent.”

According to the report, the thoughts of emigrating are most common among the most educated citizens.

“71 per cent of people with post-secondary school qualifications, 63 per cent of urban residents, and 60 per cent of citizens between age 18- to 35 have considered leaving the country,” the report said.

Research conducted in other African countries

The report also disclosed that over the past six to eight years, the number of Nigerians considering emigration has increased by 21 percentage points.

The 21-percentage-point increase in Nigerians considering emigration is more than double the continental average of 9 percentage points.

Afrobarometer said it collected this data through a survey involving face-to-face interviews. It said the survey was conducted using a “sample, random, stratified probability sample of 1,600 adult Nigerians.”

The survey was conducted between 19 June and 17 July and “provides country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.”

Across the continent, interviews were conducted in 23 other African countries in the language of the respondents’ choice, with samples of 1,200-2,400 adults.

According to the non-profit, previous surveys were conducted in countries in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2022.

Half of Africans interested in emigration

The 2024 Afrobarometer survey also revealed a growing trend in emigration intentions among Africans residing in countries within the continent.

According to the report, almost half of Africans have considered emigrating this year. The non-profit described this as a significant increase compared to the proportion recorded in 2016 to 2018.

The intention to emigrate is driven primarily by the search for jobs and the need to escape economic hardship.

The report also found that 47 per cent of respondents across the 24 countries have considered moving to another country, with 27 per cent having given the idea “a lot” of consideration.

Liberia recorded the highest emigration intentions, with 78 per cent, followed by the Gambia, with 68 per cent, Cabo Verde, with 64 per cent, and Ghana, with 61 per cent.

Tanzanians expressed an interest in leaving with 9 per cent, making it the sole country where emigration intentions have declined.

“On average, across 22 countries surveyed consistently since 2016/2018, the share of citizens who have thought at least “a little bit” about emigration has increased by 9 percentage points.

“Double-digit increases recorded in Liberia (28 percentage points), Mauritius (27 points), Nigeria (21 points), Ghana (20 points), Cameroon (15 points), Namibia (12 points), the Gambia (12 points), and Zimbabwe (11 points) (Figure 2).”

The report noted that Tanzania is the only surveyed country where the proportion of citizens giving “some thought” to emigration decreased by 5 percentage points.

Prefered location

North America and Europe remain the most favoured destinations, attracting 31 per cent and 29 per cent of potential migrants, respectively.

According to the research, a quarter of its respondents across the 24 African countries preferred to relocate within Africa.

This shows a significant inclination toward regional mobility. “But the most popular destinations for potential emigrants are North America and Europe,” the report stated.

Afrobarometer also reported that 49 per cent of those interested in leaving their home country cited the need to find work as their primary motivation.

Many others sought to escape economic hardship or poverty.