321 ACTA UNIVERSITATIS AGRICULTURAE ET SILVICULTURAE MENDELIANAE BRUNENSIS Volume 62 34 Number 2, 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.11118/actaun201462020321 DETERMINANTS OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE Samuel Antwi Darkwah 1 , Nahanga Verter 2 1 Department of Territorial Studies, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic 2 Department of Regional and Business Economics, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic Abstract DARKWAH SAMUEL ANTWI, VERTER NAHANGA. 2014. Determinants of International Migration: The Nigerian Experience. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 62(2): 321–327. This paper examines some determinants of international migration in Nigeria using annual time series data spanning the period 1991–2011. Using ordinary least square regression method, the results indicate that the level of unemployment, migrants’ remittances and population growth are the key determinants of emigration from Nigeria to other countries, statistically significant at 0.01 level. In a country where unemployment rate is very high, this movement is likely to help in reducing pressures on the labour market. Migrants’ remittances might also help in alleviating poverty within households. Migrants’ remittance to Nigeria has surpassed both Foreign Direct Investment and Net Official Development Assistance inflows, making it one amongst the major sources of foreign earnings to Nigeria. Nigerians will continue to migrate to other parts of the world so long as the reasons or causes for their movement are not fully addressed i.e. if political and socioeconomic issues in the country do not improve. The Nigerian government should as a matter of urgency, create better jobs and conducive environment in order to stop people from migrating while at the same time encouraging its skilled labour abroad to return home to help in national development. Keywords: cross-border migration, remittances, unemployment rate, poverty, population growth INTRODUCTION International migration all over the world has been playing important roles in the respective economies. Cross-border migration is among the strong factors that are driving globalization in recent decades. The patterns of this movement over the years have been changing the size, structure and efficiency of labour markets, culture, political situations, and people in many countries across the globe. There is continuing debate about the impact of international migration on the sending and receiving countries as well as on the migrants themselves. What will happen if both highly skilled and unskilled workers from poor countries move large numbers to advanced countries? Different countries, organizations and scholars, have different perceptions about migration issues. Many developed countries have opened their doors for highly-skilled labour from developing countries to migrate. High movement of people can negatively affect the vibrancy in countries’ labour markets whilst others might see the benefits more than the costs of cross-border migration. Despite the implications of cross-border migration to both sending and receiving countries that need global attention, research on the subject matter is still scanty, hence, the significance of this study. The aim of this paper is to analyse some of the causes of international migration in Nigeria. The paper seeks to investigate some of the determinants or push factors appeared to be influencing Nigerians to move to the other part of the world in recent years. Some policy recommendations geared towards addressing cross- border migration issues will be profiled.