Many more Africans are migrating within Africa than to Europe
Some governments are trying to make moving easier
“MAN, NIGERIA has been a ride,” laughs Mawuli Gavor, a 32-year-old star in Nollywood, Nigeria’s booming film business. Mr Gavor does not fit the stereotype of an African migrant, struggling to cross the Mediterranean in a leaky boat. Born and raised in Ghana, he was working as an accountant when an admirer suggested he try for a modelling job. Soon, he was in Nigeria, making a fortune in films.
Many Africans are taking similar journeys, though most are less glamorous. In a market in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, Ibrahim Bary, a 25-year-old from Guinea, sells cows’ livers hanging from hooks. Work is easier to find in Senegal than back home.He makes around $4.50 a day and plans to send four days’ pay home to his family in Guinea this month. He previously worked as a taxi driver in Ivory Coast. “I will stay a while, earn some money, and then go home,” he says.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline "African odyssey"
From the October 28th 2021 edition
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