Chapter Two: Youth and Desperate Migration: A Historical and Cultural Perspective

The phenomenon of migration dates back to the origins of humankind (Adepoju, 1995, 2008).

Historical records from many centuries past show that people from all parts of the world have moved to other locations for various purposes – whether for settlement, agriculture, technology or trade, among other reasons. For instance, there are well-established trade routes among western Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and India, and the trans-Saharan connects either end of the Sahara. These were developed through caravan trade (Afani, 2013). Today, migration takes place in different forms for different reasons. And as the population continues to grow, migration has also progressively become more dynamic in its nature and scope on a daily basis. Both adults and youths may migrate consistently from one location to another. However, for the purpose of this chapter, concentration is on desperate youth migration and its historical and cultural dimensions.