INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (IJEFM )

E-ISSN 2545-5966
P-ISSN 2695-1932
VOL. 10 NO. 1 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijefm.v10.no1.2025.pg113.128


International Migrant Remittance and Economic Growth in Developing Economies

Samuel E. Thomas., Nkamare, Stephen Ekpo & Prof M.O. Nkongnkan


Abstract


The study investigated international migrant remittances and economic growth in developing economies: A comparative study of Nigeria and South Africa. The specific objectives were to; examine the effect of migrant remittance on economic growth in Nigeria, to examine the effect of remittance on economic growth in South Africa. Data were sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria statistical Bulletin and World Development Index (WDI) from 1983 to 2022. Exploratory design was used in this study. The study adopted ARDL model to establish the effect of independent variable on dependent variable. From the results of the analyses, the ARDL revealed that remittance and economic growth had positive and non-significant in Nigeria. On the other hand, remittance and economic growth had a positive and nonsignificant in South Africa. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made; Government should improve relation with foreign countries so as to reduce barriers of migration and more citizens can work abroad and send remittances back home; Governments and policymakers should put more emphasis on migration policies, and require amendment for the proper implication of these policies and the productive use of remittances to secure economic growth.


keywords:

International migrant remittances, exchange rate, economic growth.


References:


Adams, J. & Page, J. (2005). Do international migration and remittances reduce poverty in
developing countries? (Revised April 21). Photocopy. The World Bank Africa. World
Development, 37(1), 104-115.
Adams, J. (2002). Do international migration and remittances reduce poverty in developing
countries? Washington D.C: World Bank.
Ahmed, F. (2012). Driving forces of labour migration in Asia. Geneva: World Migration 2003
International Organization for Migration.
Ang, M. A. (2007). Impact of remittances on economic growth: Evidence from selected West

African countries in Cameroon, Cape Verde, Nigeria and Senegal. African
Human Mobility Review, 1(2), 178-202.



Benmamoun, A., Lehnet, D. (2013). The hawala in Somali society. USA: The Somali Family
Care Network.
Berguellil, N. & Zaiem, P. (2013). The macroeconomic effect of remittances on the Nigerian
economy: A time series approach. International Journal of Academic Research in
Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 2(3): 142-155.
Bouhga-Hagba, A. M. (2006). The impact of net migrant remittance on economic growth:
Evidence from Nigeria. International Journal of Humanities and Social
Science,
3(8): 303-315.
Chami, R., Fullenkamp, C. & Jahjah, S. (2005). Are immigrant remittance flows a source
of
capital for development? International Monetary Fund Staff Papers, 52(1), 55-82.
Ezra, G. & Nwosu, Z. A. (2016). Remittances and financial development: Substitutes or
complements in economic growth? Bulletin of Economic Research, 64(4), 509-536.
Fayissa, R. & Nsiah, A. (2008). Do remittances promote financial development? Journal of
Finance, 1(2), 34-56.
Glytson, M. (2005). The macroeconomic determinants of emigrant remittances, World
Development, 27(8), 1493-1502.
Hermandez-Coss, T. & Bun, B. (2018). Remittances, institutions, and economic growth. World
Development, 37(1), 81-92.
Makkouf, E. & Januid, C. M. (2009). The remittances behaviour of the second generation in
Europe: Altruism or self-interest? Ancona: Università Politecnica delle Marche,
Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
Malik, Y. A. & Januid, O. S. (2009). Effects of remittance inflows on economic growth of
developing countries. International Journal of Finance, 2(1), 34-54.
Meyer, D. & Shera, A. (2017). The impact of remittances on economic growth: An econometric
model. Economia, 18(2), 147-162.
Natala, E. (2006). Remittances from international migration: A comparison of El Salvador and
Nicaragua. Review of Economics and Statistics, 77(1), 137-146.
Ojapinwa, P. & Odekande, M. (2013). Remittances, financial development and growth.
Journal of Development Economics, 90(1), 144-152.
Oke, M. (2008). Remittances and economic growth: Larger impacts in smaller countries? The
Journal of Development Studies, 50(8), 1055-1066.
Ramirez, M. D. (2013). Do financial and institutional variables enhance the impact of
remittances on economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean? A panel co-
integration analysis. International Advances in Economic Research, 19(3), 273-288.
Ukeje, Z. & Ojechina, I. M. (2013). Remittances, financial development and economic growth:
The case of North African countries. Romanian Economic Journal, 17(51), 137-169.
World Bank (2009). Global economic prospects: Economic Implications of Remittances and
Migration. Washington DC: World Bank.
World Bank (2017). Migration and development brief 28. Washington, DC: World Bank.
World Bank (2018). Migration and development brief 29. Washington, DC: World Bank.
Ziesermer, M. (2019). Financial development, remittances and economic growth: evidence
using dynamic panel estimation. The Journal of Applied Economic Research, 10(1), 35-
54.


DOWNLOAD PDF

Back


Google Scholar logo
Crossref logo
ResearchGate logo
Open Access logo
Google logo