Title: Climate Vulnerability, Population Dynamics And Everyday Migration In Yobe State, Nigeria: A Synthesis Of Evidence
Authors: Ejeh Benedict, Abel Onyema Angela Inobeme Jonathan Aina Mercy,
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Pages: 126-142
Publication Date: 2026/01/28
Abstract:
This paper examines the interconnections among population dynamics, everyday migration, and vulnerability to climate-change-induced disasters in Yobe State, Nigeria. Drawing on empirical and secondary evidence, it explores how demographic pressures, livelihood mobility, and environmental stress interact to shape patterns of resilience and risk in a fragile Sahelian context. Yobe State has experienced rapid population growth, high fertility rates, and persistent rural poverty, intensifying pressure on land, water, and vegetation resources. These dynamics have fostered widespread forms of everyday migration seasonal agricultural labor, pastoral transhumance, petty trading, and educational mobility that serve as both adaptive strategies and expressions of structural vulnerability. Climatic hazards such as droughts, floods, and desertification further compound livelihood insecurity, forcing households to diversify income or relocate temporarily. The analysis reveals that while mobility enhances coping capacity in the short term, it also produces new challenges, including demographic imbalances, social exclusion, and exposure to urban poverty. Conflict and displacement, particularly linked to the Boko Haram insurgency, have deepened demographic distortions and strained social infrastructure in host communities. The study concludes that climate vulnerability in Yobe is multidimensional, shaped by the intersection of environmental stress, demographic transitions, and institutional weaknesses. Effective adaptation therefore requires integrated and gender-responsive policies that link population management, migration governance, and climate resilience. Strengthening local institutions, investing in data systems, and promoting climate-smart livelihoods will be essential to transform mobility from a survival response into a pathway for sustainable development and human security.