Youth Out-Migration in Nigeria: The Dual Role of Social Media as a Cause and Solution

Abstract

The phenomenon of migration has been recorded to be a part of human history. Over the years, scholars have averred that people migrate for different reasons. While some do so for economic reasons and in search of greener pastures, others do so to escape either the wrath of the society in which they live or the government owing to their actions and way of life. This phenomenon is not restricted according to gender and age, as both males and females, old and young, are involved. Of late, it has been discovered that there is a huge desire among youths, including those who have jobs, to exit the country, thereby leading to a massive emigration of youths out of Nigeria. Although it is an undeniable fact that the economy of the country is in shambles, which leads to a desire to search for greener pastures elsewhere, the trend in the youths’ desire and rush to leave Nigeria transcends this sole reason. Given the revelations by migrant returnees, it has been discovered that social media platforms play a pivotal role in both stirring and dampening this desire. Utilising a secondary data analysis in addition to a systematic literature review, this study explored the contribution of social media, especially Facebook, to the desperation shown by Nigerian youth for out-migration and how various social media platforms can be used for economic benefit in order to dissuade the youth from doing so. The study recommends that Nigerian youths should realise that the essence of social media meant to foster human interaction and healthy communication is gradually turning into an abode of misinformation that has embedded youths’ lives within the discourse of youth out-migration in Nigeria, as anecdotal evidence as well as empirical evidence has shown. The study informs policy, society, practice and theory within the discourse of youth out-migration and social media studies.