Attachments
Introduction
Human mobility has been an integral part of the social organization of West African societies since time immemorial. In recent times, migration within West Africa has in part also intensified due to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol, allowing for the free movement of goods and persons within the subregion. Historically, complex multicausal combinations of economic, sociocultural and environmental factors have served to dictate population movements within the region (Adepoju, 2005; Sow, Adaawen and Scheffran, 2014).
While the effects of global climatic and environmental changes as well as improved transport may have accelerated mobility within the subregion, it is envisaged that population pressure on scarce natural resources in part also influence these movements (Van der Geest, 2011). Apart from migration in search of fertile farmland (Le Meur, 2006), many other people in West Africa migrate to exploit both marine and inland fishery resources (Njock and Westlund, 2010). Also, pressure and competition for land have been the underlying causes of most land-use tensions or disputes in several parts of the West African subregion (Obioha, 2008; Tonah, 2002).