Return migration and the challenges of diasporic reintegration in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Nigeria is among the countries in Africa with the largest emigrant population as well as an impressive pool of annual remittances. Despite the importance of remittances in the matrix of national development, they are no substitute for the expertise and skills needed to drive the various sectors of the economy. Thus, since 1999, successive Nigerian governments have emphasised return migration as an important strategy to mainstream its diaspora into national development. In this vein, diverse policy efforts have been initiated to ensure its actualisation. The paper interrogates the continued currency and feasibility of return migration in the face of transnationalism and diasporic integration dilemmas. The paper uses qualitative data generated from primary and secondary sources to critically examine Nigeria’s migration architecture. It finds that return migration is fraught with several integration dilemmas for returnees as they are confronted with adjustment crises on return. The paper contends that the transnational character of the Nigerian diaspora necessitates the adoption of policy options that recognise the universality of their contributions and thus do not require their relocation to the country.

KEYWORDS:

• Return migration
• diaspora engagement
• diasporic integration dilemmas
• remittances
• transnationalism
• Nigeria

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the editors of Third World Quarterly and the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive and detailed feedback that strengthened the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

The authors did not receive funding for this research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Agaptus Nwozor

Agaptus Nwozor is Professor in the Department of Political Science at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria. Previously, he served as the Director of the Centre for Learning Resources (University Librarian) and the Dean of the College of Business and Social Sciences at Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria. His major teaching and research interests span the entire spectrum of political economy and development studies as well as African politics, foreign policy and global environmental and energy politics. His most recent articles have appeared in reputable journals including African Security (2021), Journal of Black Studies (2021), Cogent Social Sciences (2021), Energy Policy (2021) and Review of African Political Economy (2020), among other scholarly outlets.

Segun Oshewolo

Segun Oshewolo is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. He has published widely in his areas of research interest, which include foreign policy and diplomacy, democratisation, environmental politics, and African affairs. His scholarly works have appeared in leading academic journals such as The Round Table, Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, Energy Policy, African Identities, Strategic Analysis, India Quarterly and Geo Journal, among many others.

John S. Olanrewaju

John S. Olanrewaju lectures in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria. His major research interests cover terrorism studies, comparative politics and foreign policy analysis. He teaches courses on comparative politics, inter-governmental relations and the politics of development and underdevelopment, among other subjects. His recent articles have appeared in reputable edited volumes and journals including Insight on Africa (2021), African Security (2021), Review of African Political Economy (2020) and Journal of Financial Crime (2020), among others.

Modupe Bosede Ake

Modupe B. Ake is Senior Lecturer and currently Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria. Her major research interests include comparative public administration, gender issues and African governance and democratisation. Her recent works have appeared in Review of African Political Economy and Cogent Social Sciences.

Onjefu Okidu

Onjefu Okidu is currently a senior faculty member in the Department of Mass Communication at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. He is a development communication specialist with a wide-ranging interdisciplinary base. He has consulted for a wide clientele, including the World Bank and WHO in Nigeria. His recent works have appeared in the Journal of Black Studies, Brazilian Journalism Research, Round Table and Annals of Global Health, among other publications.