Rising unemployment fuels irregular migration as 20,000 Nigerians deported to Kano in five years

Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenge of illegal and irregular migration, particularly among its growing youth population, as worsening unemployment, poverty and insecurity push thousands to seek opportunities abroad through unsafe routes.

Against this backdrop, at least 20,000 undocumented Nigerian migrants were deported back to Kano State from different countries between 2017 and 2022, underscoring the scale of irregular migration in the country.

The figure was disclosed on Tuesday by Halima Kasim Usman, Project Manager of the Resilient Opportunities for Outreach Trade and Sustainability (ROOTS) project, implemented by the Adolescent Health and Information Project (AHIP). She spoke during a training session for journalists in Kano on reporting the risks and consequences of irregular migration.

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Nigeria has remained one of the major source countries for irregular migrants in West and North Africa, with many young people embarking on perilous journeys through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of better economic prospects. Despite repeated warnings by government agencies and international organisations, deportations and fatalities linked to illegal migration have continued to rise.

Usman linked the situation in Kano to the state’s youthful population and high unemployment rate, noting that statistics show about 65 percent of the population is under the age of 30, while nearly 40 percent of them are unemployed.

According to her, these conditions have pushed thousands of young people to migrate through unsafe and undocumented routes in search of greener pastures.

“The search for better opportunities has led many youths into irregular migration, and between 2017 and 2022 alone, about 20,000 were deported back to Kano,” she said.

She stressed the role of the media in addressing the challenge by educating the public on the dangers of irregular migration and the importance of proper documentation, especially within the framework of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.

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Beyond awareness creation, Usman said the ROOTS project is working to reintegrate returnees by creating livelihood opportunities for them. She explained that the initiative plans to train beneficiaries in various skills and link them to funding sources to enable them access tools and establish sustainable trades.

However, she expressed concern over the poor implementation of policy frameworks such as the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change and similar intervention programmes, noting that effective implementation could help tackle some of the root causes of irregular migration.

Usman urged journalists and other stakeholders to sustain advocacy against irregular migration, warning that without coordinated efforts to address unemployment, skills development and policy gaps, more Nigerian youths would continue to risk their lives in search of opportunities abroad.

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