Compounding Women’s Problems, South-North Migration as a Means of Escaping Poverty in Africa, Nigeria as a Case Study

Bashir Olabode
University of Ibadan

Introduction

Rena Singer of the American Christian Science Monitor (February 26, 2002) estimates that 15 million Nigerian (More than 1 in 10 Nigerian) live abroad, these figures are validated by other sources such as Africa action, they recently wrote that, “No one knows the exact numbers, but it is estimated that as many as 15 million Nigerian live out side the country, in neighboring countries across the African continent, in Britain and throughout commonwealth, in other European countries, and in many Asian countries as well”.

These Nigerians, now generally referred to as Nigerians in the Diaspora are activity engaged in different profession as practing professional in their host countries or ‘new found home’s some of these professions are medical and health care, banking and financial services, journalism and media teaching and education, engineering, information technology, computing sciences and sports. They also engaged in other activities as small business owners’ private security guard, train taxi and bus drivers etc.

This paper will use Nigeria as a case study for South-North Migration. The paper will also seek to define who a professional is and identify common denomination as to what makes a person a professional, also the paper will attempt to define migration and poverty with a view to placing the Nigerian professional in the diaspora with in a globally acceptable realm of understanding and framework, finally the paper will describe the long term effect of South-North migration or brain-drain or women.