Published 2022-06-06
Abstract
Nigerian immigrants are the largest African immigrant group[1]and the most educated among the Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean immigrant groups[2] in the United States. The complex and diverse Nigerian immigrant population in the United States is reflective of the socio-political history and present context of Nigeria. This paper investigates Nigerian migration studies through a historical analysis of Post-Colonial Nigeria through the understandings of social organization, colonial legacy, and migration as African autonomy. This comparative analysis explores the two time periods of Nigerian migration to the United States: the late colonial and early Independence period (1950s to 1970s) and the end of the late twentieth century and early twentieth century (1980s to 2010s). Nigerian migrants, and other West African migrants, have pursued economic and social mobility abroad since the early Independence period (1950s to 1970s). The socio-political context of Nigeria and individual ambitions of migrants are demonstrated in the changing scope and scale of migration patterns.This study aims to analyze the impacts of British colonialism, national development, and decolonization projects to analyze historical Nigerian migration. This study offers immense scholarly contribution to further uncover the story of Nigerian migration in the present context by utilizing immigrant population and remittance data.