Exodus Of Nigerian Royal Flush -By Issa Babatunde Ahmed

Emigration is a multifaceted social, economic and political phenomenon. The current wave of Nigerians emigrating has maintained an upward trajectory, with thousands relocating through a mix of avenues even the elites and politicians all have one leg outside the country with fallback plans like a second citizenship or residency.

In 2021, the migration rate in Nigeria stood at 0.29 per 1,000 population. This means that the number of people leaving Nigeria is slightly than those entering the country.  Between 2000 and 2021, the migration balance stayed negative according to Statista.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, 61% of Nigerian-Americans over 25 hold a graduate degree, making them one of the most “successful” ethnic groups in the US.

Nigeria has the largest foreign born population in the United States with over 327,000 individuals, regarded as one of the most educated groups.

Nigerians immigrating to Canada also tripled in the last five years. In 2019, Nigeria accounted for 12,595 immigrant arrivals in Canada,  the fourth highest country and the highest from Africa. The most populous black nation is now one of the main source countries of Canada’s skilled workers immigrants population and  in recent time Nigeria had more pending refugee protection claims in Canada than any other country globally. 

Emigrating accordingly requires time and it doesn’t come cheap, even after the whole process comes another phase, people take career setbacks wholeheartedly and most times it means starting from the scratch, regardless of the degrees bagged in home country but despite the known challenges the pursuit of a higher quality life remains a strong motivation.

However, people with no clue or little information fall victim as they are either swindled or lure into illegal routes to leave the country by travel agencies who just want to make money, lleading people to pour into nations borders illegally providing fake documents or navigating through roads(deserts) and seas. They often pay human traffickers who are vicious handlers paid to navigate migrants through wilderness and unsafe terrain, they are also known to frequently rob, rape, enslave and sometimes kill migrants.

Life is valuable and to see lives forcefully snuffed out by fellow human is traumatic and grevious but an attempt to seek a better life overshadows it for the desperate migrants who must navigate through places filled with wild animal predators capable of attacking before the human predators get the chance. Starvation and dehydration are constant threats during this arduous trip, along with the chance of drowning somewhere along the way.

Nigerians have made up the largest migrants populations in many developed countries and have also been identified as the largest cohort of migrants trapped in Libya in the protracted Mediterranean migrant crisis(Eurostat 2015.) With over 6,700 Nigerians returned home from Libya through efforts Nigerian and International agencies between May 2017 and January 2018.

Generally, most Nigerians see emigration as an escape from a non-working system; riddled with poverty, heightened insecurity, lack of opportunities and unemployment. While Nigerians relocating appreciate the economic opportunities by the country of destinations,  these countries policies, acceptance and tolerance have also made it an attractive destinations of choice, which has led to general perception amongst actual and prospective migrants regardless of their social status that they are guaranteed a good quality of life, good health care services, safe and secured with respects for their human rights & dignities, and a sense of ease integrating into the society.

Most of these countries have benefitted from Nigeria’s best  and brightest talents that have chosen them as it’s nationality or moved there for better opportunities, excelling in  all circumstances is so deeply entrenched in the Nigerian psyche that the nation’s unofficial motto is “naija no dey carry last” . This winning mentality is visible home and abroad and has led to extraordinary and remarkable individuals doing great in diaspora, the  likes of Afam Onyeama who was named one of the most influential Migrant Africans in the US by WorldRemit for co-founding the celebrity backed GEANCO foundation. Dr. Bernet Omalu, the Nigerian-American physician neuropathologist, so brilliant Hollywood star Will Smith potrayed him in a bipoic movie titled “Concussion” after his work changed the face of sports. David Oyelowo; the Selma actor and black James Bond was born to Yoruba parents in London, England another British-Nigerian doing great is John Boyega, Anthony Joshua to mention but a few have all made massive impacts from diaspora.

A brain drain is looming, with the country losing so many well educated and highly skilled workers who unlike their predecessors planned to return to boost the economy, these present sets of emigrants  don’t share the same view as some have even decided to dissociate themselves from their father’s land after emigrating. Though the country has received billions in foreign remittance but how do we manage 200 million people with just 74,000 registered doctors with many of them planning to leave the country.