Rakiya A. Muhammad
The rhythmic clang of hammers on metal echoes through the workshop in Sokoto State, Nigeria, as the smell of molten aluminium fills the air. Alhaji Adamu Ba’are, a Nigerien and a celebrated producer of aluminium pots, reflects on over four decades of his enterprise with profound satisfaction and pride.
“I recall my arrival in Sokoto in the late 1970s.Back then, nobody was doing this pot business among the indigenous people of Sokoto,” the 67-year-old calls to mind.
“So, we started the production of a local pot known as Tukuyan in the Hausa language.”
The migrant is a national of the Niger Republic, who brought new industrial skills to Sokoto and enriched the state’s economic base through a deep-rooted involvement in the informal sector.
By transferring these skills, a form of social capital, Nigerien migrants like Ba’are have reshaped local power dynamics. This transformation parallels theories of social remittances, where not only financial resources but also skills and cultural practices change local landscapes.
Their influence extends beyond mere economic inputs, as they embed new ways of operating and thinking within the community, contributing to a more diversified and resilient local economy. This infusion of human capital has had a lasting impact on the local workforce, fostering new competitive ventures alongside traditional ones.
Locals note their presence in pot-making, tea selling, water vending, security guard services, leatherwork, and other notable businesses.
Nigerien migrants introduced trades that have transformed into booming businesses in Sokoto.
“We made an inroad into Nigeria’s market,” asserts the pot maker, who explains how they achieved that with tenacity and resourcefulness.
“Back home in the Niger Republic, aluminium pot making had been a well-known business to many, but when we initiated it in Sokoto, the locals did not immediately embrace the usage of these local pots,” he recounts
“We had to go into serious enlightenment to let people know its value.” Getting locals to accept the product, he recalls, did not come easy. But the few Nigeriens in the industry did not stop their marketing strategies. To draw in customers, they employed creative tactics.
“I could recall that I used to hawk a piece of local pot on the street, looking for buyers.” Over time, he states, people came to recognize the advantages and adopted them.
Ba’are praises God for its present level of acceptability, noting that aluminium pot production has become a swell trade.
Patronisers come from far and near to buy the product for their domestic use. Natives highlight the significant economic contribution of the stock of international migrants, whose numbers have risen over the last three decades.
A United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) data shows that international migrant stock rose from 153million in 1990 to 271.6million in 2019.
74 per cent of international migrants, according to the World Migration Report (WMR) 2020, were of working age (20-64 years), with the number of migrant workers standing at 164million.
The WMR report notes that intraregional migration is significant in West and Central Africa, with over 21 million living in another African country in 2019, up from the 2015 estimate of 18.5 million Africans.
“Recent estimates indicate that the majority of international migrants in West and Central Africa move within the subregion,” it states.
“Intraregional migration dominates for several reasons including visa-free movement among the Economy Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), the relatively small size of many countries in the sib region and the strong networks among the many ethnic groups scattered across the subregion.”
WMR adds that intraregional migration within ECOWAS is mostly due to labour mobility, with seasonal, temporary, and permanent workers moving largely from countries such as Niger and Mali.
An example of this can be seen at routine checkpoints where travellers, thanks to the ECOWAS agreement, are able to move seamlessly across borders without visa requirements, simply showing their residence permits or identification cards. This ease of movement not only facilitates trade but also strengthens familial and cultural ties among the nations.
Ba’are, who serves as the acting Chair of the Association of Nigerien Citizens Worldwide in Sokoto State, has trained over 1,000 Nigeriens and Nigerians. “They are now self-reliant in manufacturing and marketing these local pots. This has expanded the trade in Sokoto State and met the users’ demands,” he points out.
“I did not charge anybody a fee. We are just doing it to grow the market. Sometimes, I even pay some trainees from the sales I made. I am just willing to help the market grow and nothing more.”
It is gratifying for him to build the capacity of others, including his biological children.
“These people are doing well in the trade,” he says with a sense of achievement.” The store I am standing in now is where we market the local pots. Those I trained are working in another location that the Sokoto State Government allocated to us for manufacturing the product.”
An indigene of Sokoto State, Mustapha Labo, who started the trade five years ago, attests to a cordial relationship between the nationals of the two nations.
“Nigeriens trained most of the Nigerians working in the field because they brought the skill into Sokoto State decades back,” he says. “We enjoy working with them.”
Pot buyers come from various places, including Jega in Kebbi State, Gumi in Zamfara State, Sabon Birni in Sokoto State, and the southern parts of the country.
Users use them for cooking, warming food, and storing water. The pots come in sizes 0 to 30; they can last for 20 years if well-maintained, the producers claim.
Tea brewing is another trade in which Nigeriens are making a mark in Sokoto. Abdurrahman Yunusa has been living in Sokoto State for eight years. “I came here to undertake a tea-selling business, which my father has been doing in Sokoto for many years,” he discloses.
“Often, I send upkeep money for my wife and three children in my country; sometimes I travel home to spend time with my family and relatives.”
Yunusa relishes the tea trade and the business environment. “Since I came into Nigeria, I have never engaged in any business except that of selling tea to the locals both morning and night,” he asserts.
“I have no challenges in doing my business because I have the required and valid documents that cover my residency permit.” The tea dealer appreciates his harmonious coexistence with the people in Sokoto.
“I intend to stay in Nigeria as long as possible because they are peace-loving people,” he declares. 35-year-old Abubakar Musa, a native of Sokoto State, has been patronising Malam Yunusa for a while now.
The old-time patroniser says he has been taking tea there since the days of Yunusa’s parents.
“I take my breakfast and sometimes the dinner from his tea service stable. I started with his dad before Yunusa migrated to Sokoto, and took charge of the business,” he adds.
“It is more or less a family business to them because his father is still active in tea selling somewhere within the state capital.”
He notes that the service has been satisfactory for him and his friends, who have been enjoying their tea.
Ismaila Mutiu, Sales Representative from Southern Nigeria, describes the typical Nigerien as enterprising. From his interactions with Nigeriens, Mutiu observes that they are business-inclined individuals.
“Most of them started trading at a tender age. You will see them on the street hawking any sellable goods.” He surmises that Nigeriens are more at home in Sokoto than Nigerians from the Southern part of the country are. This feeling of being ‘more at home’ is not just proverbial; it is rooted in shared cultural practices and traditions.
For example, the annual celebration of the Eid al-Fitr festival is a significant event where people from both regions come together, sharing meals and visits, which strengthens their bond. Additionally, the Hausa language, widely spoken in Sokoto, serves as a bridge connecting these communities, facilitating communication and fostering integration. Religious practices, such as praying at the same mosques, further create a sense of unity and belonging among the Nigerien and Sokoto people.
“The people of Sokoto relate with Nigeriens more than their co-nationals from Nigeria,” he adds. According to him, it may be due to the cultural and religious ties they share.
“Traces of the foremost Islamic Jihadist and Founder of Sokoto Caliphate, Sheikh Usmanu Bin Danfodiyo, have put them on a brotherhood with the northern region of Nigeria.”
However, both sides attest to the mutual benefits they derive from Nigeriens migrating to Sokoto.
On the one hand, the host receives the necessary goods and services; on the other, the migrants fulfil their aspiration for better economic opportunities and improved living conditions.
But the connection transcends economic interest, Ba’are explains. “We’re part of the people here in terms of culture and religion.”
Ba’are, who has 18 children, says they enjoyed free education, which the state government provides for students.
Therefore, as leaders, the Chair states that they always ensure members meet the demands of both federal and state governments regarding documentation of their residence permits.
A traditional leader in Sokoto, Alhaji Lawan Zayyanu, acknowledges profitable businesses within border districts.
Zayyanu, the District Head of Gwadabawa, links it to marital ties, social, and economic relationships between citizens of the two countries.
But many migrants lament the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, exchange rates, and border closure on their businesses in Nigeria. The coronavirus pandemic alone resulted in a sharp decline, with some businesses experiencing up to a 40% drop in revenue. This significant decrease highlights the severity of the economic constraints faced by migrants.
“We faced a drastic decline in demands for our products, supply constraints, and lowered businesses’ cash flow with the pandemic,” bemoans Moussa Umar, a Nigerien business operative.
Rights Advocate Malama Aisha Abubakar urges concerted efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on promoting a secure working environment for all, including migrant workers.
She lauds the recent signing of an agreement between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The partnership hopes to “strengthen international migration governance and boost cooperation, capacity building, and joint advocacy to promote migrants’ rights and decent work opportunities.”
