Most Nigerians Living Abroad Engage In Menial Jobs – Research Reveals

The menial jobs fall under these work categories – Traffic Wardens, shop assistance – (all demanding standing for no less than eight hours), car washers, taking care of the elderly in old people’s homes, the post offices, mortuary assistants, underground ticket collectors, sweepers, etc.

The Deputy Head of Department, European Union in Nigeria, Mr Richard Young revealed that more than 5 million Nigerians live abroad and most do menial jobs to survive.

He made this revelation during the unveiling of the National Policy on Labour Migration.

Young stated that most Nigerians living abroad are recipients of global remittance in 2012.

He said, “Nigeria is estimated to have received about N21 billion in remittances in 2012 as compared to the N2.3 billion in 2004; being by far the largest recipients of remittance in Sub-Sahara Africa.

“Nigeria is followed by Senegal and Kenya in the Sub-Sahara Africa. On the other hand, due to the economic growth following the oil boom in 1975, Nigeria also became an immigration country. By 2006, Nigeria was estimated to host 600,000 foreigners mainly from other West Africa counties”

Concurrent research of the latest snap poll results released by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (NOI) Polls Limited has revealed that Nigerians live more in the United States of America (67 per cent), followed by the United Kingdom (43 per cent) compared to other countries in the world; therefore making North America and Europe the two major continents most Nigerians abroad dwell in. Other countries that followed closely are South Africa, Gambia, and Canada.

The NOI Polls also revealed that larger percentage of Nigerians living abroad (61 per cent) have been affirmed to have a relative or friend living abroad. In further emphasis they explained that this is mostly true for Nigerians in the South-West (69 per cent), South-South (68 per cent) and South-East zones (63 per cent).

More findings showed that most people believe Nigerians living abroad are better off in foreign countries with regards to economic opportunities (66 per cent), financial stability (66 per cent) and living conditions (63 per cent); and worse off in terms of social interactions. Also, while (84 percent )of the people (accounting for the largest proportion) who have relatives/friends in Asia believe Nigerians abroad are better in terms of financial stability, 62 percent (representing the least proportion) of respondents who have relatives in North America share this same perception.

Young said that the unveiling of the national policy on labour migration would provide Nigeria a framework to regulate labour migration, adding that it would also enhance dignity of people involved in labour migration.
He added that the policy would also clarify the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders dealing with the sector.