Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

Over the years, many developing African countries including Nigeria have witnessed a mad drift of her citizens to European and Asian countries. Major reasons that have influenced this incessant drift are traced to high poverty rates, unemployment, famine, unfavourable government policies, lesser business opportunities, increase in crime and insecurities, gross underdevelopment, extreme inequalities and inadequate social amenities in their countries of origin. Migration is a process of social change where an individual, alone or accompanied by others, because of one or more reasons of economic betterment, political upheaval, education or other purposes, leaves one geographical area for prolonged stay or permanent settlement in another geographical area. This rush has resulted to underdevelopment of the country of origin, loss of social support, loss of cultural values and identities, loss of family history or root, stress of adaptation as a result of racial discrimination, and most especially, a deviation from the African concept of belongingness which is notably, a binding force on all Africans irrespective of their socio-cultural, religious or political alienation. This paper evaluates the effect of migration on the African concept of belongingness with the aid of the critical assessment method and historical review and finds out that cross-national migration has done more harm than good to Africans as it has pulled her off from her basic philosophies of life such as belongingness, communalism, Ubuntu, EBUB, Ibuanyidanda etc. and has hung her in the air of quest for American unrealizable dream. The paper therefore, recommends an urgent improvement in Africa’s economic, political and educational standards and a revival of the above mentioned African philosophies.

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