Migration Profile on Nigeria - IOM Publications - International ...

pilgrimage, sexual exploitation, domestic work/urban informal sector, begging).
Those who use the northern land routes, via the porous borders of the States of
Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno, are overwhelmingly male
traders and farmers, who perceive the border as an imaginary line.
c.2 emigrants
The sources consulted for comprehensive data and information on
emigration are the National Population Commission (NPC), embassies with
headquarters in Abuja, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the Diaspora Desk and the Nigerian National Volunteer Service
(NNVS). Emigration data were integrated with the estimates of the DRC Global
Migrant Origin Database, which disaggregates the information on migrant stock
in each destination country gathered in the 2000 round of population censuses.
Furthermore, the research extracted information from UNPD, Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and UNHCR databases.
The NPC has a backlog of arrival and departure cards submitted by the NIS
that are yet to be analysed. In addition, the NNVS is proposing the establishment
of a database of Nigerian diaspora, with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. There are various initiatives, one of which is by the Nigerians in Diaspora
Organisation Europe, which has created a web portal to generate a database of
Nigerians and professionals abroad.
Furthermore, data on labour migrants are sourced from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the NPC, the NIS, other publications and records, international
media and write-ups. The NIS, the security outfits and NAPTIP also have
information on irregular migrants.
Considering the scarce availability of local statistics with adequate
breakdown, most of the data on emigration are also sourced from external
sources, namley international agencies or governments.
c.2.1 Total number of emigrants
There have been increases in the stock of Nigerian emigrants over the
years, even though the exact figures are not precise. According to estimates,
the total number of emigrants was 836,832, that is, 0.6 per cent of the country’s
total population. The Global Migrant Origin Database is another source that gave
the estimate of the total stocks of Nigerian emigrants, based on the region and
country of destination, of 1,041,284. Sudan is most targeted by Nigerians, with
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