Impact Of Migration On Labour Supply In Engineering Sectors: Legal And Regulatory Challenges In Nigeria

The migration of skilled professionals particularly engineers, has become a major global concern, with significant implications for both the country of origin and destination. In Nigeria, however, the situation is complicated by a complex legal and regulatory framework that impacts the migration and labour supply in the engineering sector. This paper explores the dynamics of labour migration in the Nigerian engineering sector, analysing its effects on the availability and quality of the local workforce. It also analysis the legal and regulatory challenges Nigeria faces in managing migration flows to ensure a stable and skilled engineering workforce. It is evident that the outward migration of skilled engineers has led to shortage of workforce a creating a platform for over reliance on foreign experts which has heighted the cost, extend time for completion of projects and hindered national development. Also, lack of retention policies for skilled workers coupled with the gaps in our regulatory frameworks makes it difficult to manage migration of skilled workers. Strengthening our legal and regulatory frameworks, having retention policies and incentives could help curb these identified challenges. Therefore, it is imperative that Nigeria makes concerted efforts to manage its skilled workforce and migration dynamics.