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Diaspora Remittances and Sustainable Development in Africa: The Case Study of Nigeria

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Abstract

The astronomical increase in migration across the globe is one of the critical elements of contemporary globalization. This uncontrollable exodus of people is, to a large extent, the cardinal global forces driving the world in the twenty-first century and one resultant effect of this phenomenon which is essentially evidenced is the emergence of a large Diaspora mushrooming from the South to the affluent countries of the West. Arising from the huge number of the African Diaspora in Western host countries is that the existing literature on remittances has long been neglected by scholars in development studies. In recent years, there has been a rise in research on migrant communities sending money back home. However, the interests in literature are due to the increasing amount sent by migrants to the homeland. But to what extent has the money sent back home helped in resolving the problem of poverty in Africa? This study interrogates the engagements of the African Diaspora in sustainable development of the continent with special attention to Nigeria. The chapter takes a holistic view of the activities of Diaspora Nigerians to achieve its primary objectives. An in-depth evaluation of the forms, dimensions and types of Diaspora-funded projects becomes essential. It is therefore expedient to offer different explanations available concerning the role of remittances as a tool for sustainable development, with special attention on Nigeria.

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Nkwede, J.O., Dauda, K.O., Moliki, A.O., Orija, A.O. (2020). Diaspora Remittances and Sustainable Development in Africa: The Case Study of Nigeria. In: Oloruntoba, S.O. (eds) Pan Africanism, Regional Integration and Development in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34296-8_16

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