International Migration and Local Development in Niger

Niger is a host country, a transit country and a country of migration, thanks to its geographical position. Migration has become a major challenge for this country, as it has become a real crossroads for exchanges, and above all a place of intense movement of people and their goods. The Zinder region, the country’s most densely populated entity, witnesses the departure of thousands of people every year from the region to coastal and Maghreb countries. The majority of would-be migrants pass through Agadez, in the north of the country, then cross the Sahara to Libya or Algeria, in the hope of reaching the Mediterranean coast. However, there is a stigma attached to migration by the international media and public authorities, who are always trying to combat the negative side of migration, even though it is a fact of life in any country’s economic development.This study assessed the investments made by international migrants through monetary transfers, which promote socio-economic well-being in the households of migrants returning to their families of origin in Zinder.