Assessing the causes and impacts of climate change-induced migration in Nigeria: A case study of Agege and Makoko areas of Lagos State

Migrating to urban centers like Lagos State has become a coping mechanism for individuals affected by climate change. This research assessed the causes and impacts of climate change-induced migration in Agege and Makoko areas of Lagos State. A survey research design was employed using a structured questionnaire and mixed sampling techniques. Data collected was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that Climate Change has necessitated migration of people from their original settlements to Lagos State with impacts such as environmental degradation, drought, sea level rise, erosion, flooding and loss of livelihoods. Majority of the migrants moved to locations with livelihood opportunities that are historically associated with where they are coming from, creating a natural environment for them to resettle. In both locations, the influx of people contributed to environmental issues such as pollution and indiscriminate waste disposal. The test of hypotheses showed that there is a significant difference between the factors that led to migration of people and that the environmental changes are largely contributed to by the level of immigrants into the host communities. The study recommends that the provision of affordable housing to cater for the population growth that climate change-induced migration may cause. It also recommends that a database be kept capturing migrants within the state to include them budgetary and infrastructural development plans.