A Study of Illegal Migration Trends and The Pull and Push Factors in Nigeria, 2011 - 2017

Africa’s development is seemingly menaced by turbulent challenges arising from internal political crises and insecurity of various sorts. The complexities of the continent’s recent trans-border crises exemplified in illicit drug peddling, contraband smuggling, organ harvesting, human trafficking and slavery have nonetheless heightened this mishap. Worse-off is the trending slavery of fellow Africans along the Mediterranean coast by Libyans and other African accomplices. Hence, this study will take a cursory look into the trend of trans-border migration and the pull and push factors in Nigeria. In order to achieve the main aim of this study, data is be sourced from secondary materials published in the forms of textbooks, newspapers, magazines and other documentary texts. Findings from the study show that the migration crisis presents a big challenge for Europe and is steering discussions among the member states on the issue of demographic pressure as the result of the ageing European society, concerns over national identity and migrant integration, and questions regarding the economic impact of migration on the member states, as well as the importance of finding a common asylum policy and sufficiently managing the external borders of the EU. The paper recommends that Industrialization of Africa,skill Acquisition and Human Capital Development will help mitigate the desire to illicitly migrate out of Nigeria.