Determinants of Traders’ Spatial Mobility Behaviour and International Migration from Lagos, Nigeria
Dr. Godwin O. Ikwuyatum

Abstract
Determinants of international migration are diverse. This diversity is not only reflected in empirical analyses but also as explained by different theories of migration; however, the explanation of international migration is far from complete, but places the study in a wider context of migration research, within an urbanizing and globalizing world. Though classical and neoclassical theories have over the years been used to explain the perpetuation of international migration; however, the increasing rate of urbanization in Africa has opened up a new window to factor in actors within the urban space, in the determination of the drivers of international migration from African cities. The spatial mobility behaviour of traders’ who are key actors in African Cities, such as, Lagos, tend to present an alternative explanation for international migration from African cities. Traders’ spatial mobility behaviour is expressed in traders’ choice of destination based on effectiveness, economic strategy and individuality; route/mode of migration; frequency and period of migration; length of stay in the destination; commodity purchased and route of importing commodities; and challenges encountered in the process of international trade. The paper therefore examines how spatial mobility behaviour of traders, within four purposively selected international markets in Lagos, a dynamic African city, determines and influences the pattern and process of international migration from the city.

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