Migration Dynamics in West Africa: The Nigeria Experience with Internet Access and Human Capital Investment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajase.v4i1.5542Keywords:
Brain Drain, Digital Technology, Internet, Migration DynamicsAbstract
The advent of the internet has led to increased cross-border interactions and transnational activities. Similarly, the increase in human capital investment has further given rise to digital migrants further highlighting the role of internet access in altering traditional migration dynamics. This study therefore examines the migration dynamics in West Africa using the Nigeria scenario. The dynamic OLS is used to analyze the data collected from various statistical bodies and agencies such as; the Nigeria CBN statistical bulletin as well as, the World Bank’s world development indicator databases. The data collected is from the period ranging from 2008 to 2023. Findings indicates that internet access and human capital investment both contributes negatively to migration dynamics in West Africa, as it significantly fuels the widespread emigration of skilled West Africa nationals. The insights gained in this work can inform evidence-based strategies to optimize the benefits and mitigate the risks associated with complex migration phenomenon. This increase in emigration has further exacerbated brain drain and human capital flight, meaning that West Africa countries would face significant challenges to its economic development, social cohesion, and long-term prosperity if migration issues are poorly managed. It is recommended that policy makers in collaboration with relevant agencies should, invest in expanding broadband infrastructure and ensuring affordable internet services with the view to using the technology to discourage brain drain and encourage digital migrant. It is further recommended that government should promote vocational and technical training programs aligned with domestic market needs with the view to encourage brain circulation.
Downloads
References
Adegoke, D. (2023). “Japa”: An Exploratory Study of the Roles of Social Media in an Out-Migration Trend in Nigeria. Social Media + Society, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051231203691
Adepoju, A. (2003)Migration in West Africa. Development, 46(3), 37-41. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.development.1110465
Adepoju, A. (2008). Migration in sub-sahara Africa. Current African Issues 37. The Nordic African institute. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:241148/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Akanle, O., Fayehun, O. A., & Oyelakin, S. (2020). The information communication technology, social media, international migration and migrants’ relations with kin in Nigeria. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 56(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/.org/10.1177/00219096209060148
Banerjee, A., Dolado, J. J., Galbraith, J. W., & Hendry, D. F. (1993). Cointegration, Error Correction, and the Econometric Analysis of Non-Stationary Data. Advanced Texts in Econometrics. Oxford University Press.
Beyene, E., Bedemo, A., & Gebremeskel, A. (2024). Determinants of digital technology development in sub-Saharan African countries: evidence from panel data analysis. Energy Inform, 7(21). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42162-024-00324-4
Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies. W. W. Norton & Company.
Castells, M. (2010). The Rise of the Network Society: The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture. Wiley-Blackwell.
Castles, S., & Miller, M. J. (2009). The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. Palgrave Macmillan.
Central Bank of Nigeria (2024). Statistical bulletin. Available @ www.cbn.org.ng.
DeHaas, H. (2007). Migration and Development: A Theoretical Perspective. Bielefeld: COMCAD Working Papers, 29. https://heindehaas.org/wp-content/uploads/2015
Dekker, R., & Engbersen, G. (2014). How Social Media Transform Migrant Networks and Facilitate Migration. Global Networks, 14, 401-418. https://doi.org/10.1111/glob.12040.
Docquier, F., & Marfouk, A. (2004). Measuring the international mobility of skilled workers (1990-2000): release 1.0. Policy Research Working Paper Series 3381, The World Bank.
Docquier, F., & Rapoport, H. (2012). Globalization, brain drain, and development. Journal of Economic Literature, 50(3), 681–730. Https://doi.org/: 10.1257/jel.50.3.681
Ejemeyovwi, J. O., Osabuohien, E. S., & Johnson, O. D. (2019). Internet usage, innovation and human development nexus in Africa: the case of ECOWAS. Economic Structures, 8(15). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40008-019-0146-2
Ekhorugue, O. S., Agboh, C. C., & Imuetinyan, O. (2024). Impact of Social Media in Sensitising Nigerian Youths on the Implications of the Trending ‘Japa’ Syndrome. International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research, 2(4), 260-271. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14566386
Elsayed, G. M., Yahia, F., Irving, K.-A., Wade, A., & Bridges, L. (2025). The Impact of Employability Skills Development on Improving Corporate Financial Performance. American Journal of Economics and Business Innovation, 4(2), 11–29. https://https://doi.org/.org/10.54536/ajebi.v4i2.388
Godin, M., Ozkul, D., & Humphris, R. (2025). Digital technologies and migration: behind, beyond and around the black box. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 51(14), 3571–3589. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2025.2513153
Goolbee, A. & Syverson, C. (2008). How do incumbents respond to the threats of entry: Evidence from the major airlines. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123, 1611-1633. https://doi.org/10.1162/qjec.2008.123.4.1611
Grubanov-Boskovic, S., Kalantaryan, S., Migali, S. & Scipioni, M. (2021). The impact of the Internet on migration aspirations and intentions. Migration Studies, 9(4), 1807-1822. https://doi.org/10.1093/migration/mnab049
International Organization for Migration (IOM). (2022). World Migration report. Retrieved from https://www.iom.int/fundamentals-migration. https://https://doi.org/.org/10.18356/9789292680763
Irele, A. O., & Bababunmi, W. (2024). Perspectives on migration and conflict by youths in the era of the new media in Nigeria. Advance Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 7(3), 20–39. Retrieved from https://aspjournals.org/ajahss/index.php/ajahss/article/view/104
Koser, K. (2007). Refugees, Transnationalism and the State. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 33(2), 233-254. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691830601154195
Maharaj, B. (2014). The African Brain Drain: Causes, Costs, and Consequences. In: Sahoo, S., Pattanaik, B. (eds). Global Diasporas and Development. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1047-4_7
Maqsood, N., Lee, C. L., & Zuberu, S. (2025). An Empirical Inquiry into the Role of Internet Connectivity on Financial Accessibility. American Journal of Economics and Business Innovation, 4(2), 88–110. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajebi.v4i2.4720
Mary, S., Shaw, K., Colen, L., & Paloma, S. G. (2020). Does agricultural aid reduce child stunting?. World development, 130, 104951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.104951
Massey, D. S., Arango, J., Hugo, G., Kouaouci, A., Pellegrino, A., & Taylor, J. E. (1993). Theories of International Migration: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Population and Development Review, 19(3), 431–466. https://doi.org/10.2307/2938462.
Obi-Ani, P., Anthonia Obi-Ani, N., & Isiani, M. C. (2020). A historical perspective of Nigerian immigrants in Europe. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2020.1846262
Obomeghie, A. M. (2025). Imperatives of investing in human capital and innovation for a sustained entrepreneurial growth in Nigeria. World Journal of Advanced Research and Review, 26(1). 3025-3033. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2020.26.1.0403.
Obomeghie, A. M., Momoh, B., & Obomeghie, I. A. (2018). Application of truncated distribution to poverty analysis among Etsako people of Edo State, Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance, 9(1) 08-19. https://https://doi.org/.org/10.9790/5933-0902010819
Odunlami, O. A. (2025). ‘Japa’ and ‘Japada’: The social media representations of migration and return in Nigerian context. Jalingo Journal of Social and Management Sciences, 6(3), 32-48. https://oer.tsuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/jjsms/article/view/954/702
Ozulumba, J. I., Metu, G. A., & Geraldine Nzeribe, G. (2024). An Evaluation of the Impact of Migration on Human Capital Development: Evidence from the ECOWAS. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science. 8(7), 1086-1095.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.
Ruyssen, I., & Salomone, S. (2018). Female migration: A way out of discrimination? Journal of Development Economics, 130, 224-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2017.10.010
Sako, S. (2002). Brain Drain and Africa’s Development: A Reflection. African Issues, 30(1), 25-30. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1548450500006260
Stock, J. H., & Watson, M. W. (1993). A simple estimator of cointegrating vectors in higher order integrated systems. Econometrica, 61(4), 783-820. https://doi.org/10.2307/2951761
Toney, M. B., Bailey, A. K. (2014). Migration, an Overview. In: Michalos, A.C. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_1804
Ufuophu-Biri, E. (2020). The Internet as a correlate of migration to foreign nations by youths in Edo and Delta states, Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 12(1), 94–100. https://jcmrjournal.org/article/the-internet-as-a-correlate-of-migration-to-foreign-nations-by-youths-in-edo-and_417
Umeokwobi, R., Isah, A., Akanni, E. O., & Obeta, J. (2025). Human capital development and migration patterns in Nigeria: A Ridge and Lasso Regression Analysis Using Python. FinTech and Sustainable Innovation, 1-9. Https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewFSI52024875
Umoru, D., Obomeghie, A. M., & Effiong, E. S. (2023). Modelling and estimating volatilities in exchange rate return and the response of exchange rate to oil shocks. Journal of Governance and Regulation, 12(1) 185-196. https://doi.org/10.22495/jgrv12i1art17
United Nations report. (2010). World Population Ageing 2009. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Vertovec, S. (1999). Conceiving and Researching Transnationalism. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 22(2), 447-462. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:18088289.
World Bank. (2022). Human Capital in Africa: Investing in People for Sustainable Growth. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/38153
World Bank. (2024). World development indicators. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator.Retrieved from www.worldbank.org/indicators.
Yemisi, O., & Tosho, R. I. (2021). Nigerian Youth, Migration Narratives and Social Media: A Perspective. Electronic Journal of Social & Strategic Studies, 2(2), 162-177. https://doi.org/10.47362/EJSSS.2021.2208
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Obomeghie Adamu Muhammed, Obomeghie Adamu Inusa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
