Nigerian international migrants: A qualitative discourse on fertility preferences and outcomes

Abstract

The movement of people across international boundaries have been recognized as having serious implication for life-style that migrants experience and manifest after returning from sojourning. This was a qualitative survey of female Nigerian international migrants and their fertility preferences and outcomes. The study explored how the role of length of stay abroad affected their fertility preferences, age at migration and fertility preferences and outcomes and the effect of culture on fertility preferences and outcomes. Results indicated that the length of stay created a change in the migrant’s fertility preferences adopting the fertility regime of the country they migrated to. Age at migration was also recognized as playing a significant role in changing the fertility preferences and outcomes of migrants. It is therefore pertinent to note that migration plays a dominant role in changing the fertility preferences of migrants.