Environmental Drivers of Temporary Migration in Nigeria

Adesola Orekoya
Olanrewaju Olaniyan, University of Ibadan
Noah Olasehinde, University of Ibadan
Monsuru Odumosu, University of Ibadan

The interaction of man with his environment has brought considerable changes to his environment, having a devastating impact on the environment, as well as resulting to disasters such as flooding, deforestation, desertification, among others. This study seeks to examine temporary migration decisions of Nigerians in response to their environmental, economic and demographic factors. The Lee’s Migration model provides the theoretical framework for this study. Data were obtained from the 2010 Harmonized Nigeria Living Standard Survey (HNLSS) conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) with 332,938 household members sampled. Probit regression was estimated and analysis conducted nationally, rural and urban. The results show that Nigerians migrated temporarily because of flooding, desert encroachment, and deforestation at the national level. Across all levels, individual characteristics were additional significant determinants of temporary migration. Thus, environmental policies by the government should be tailored towards mitigating the effects of these environmental changes on migration.

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 Presented in Session 3. Population, Development, & the Environment; Data & Methods; Applied Demography