Voluntary associations and remittances among Nigerian migrants living in Central Durban*

Abstract

In recent years there has been a surge in interest regarding the impact of migration and specifically remittances that migrants send home to help their families or for development in their communities of origin. This paper is based on research conducted among 50 Nigerian migrants in Durban. It produces insights into the highly heterogeneous impact of remittances on Nigerians families, communities and the role that voluntary associations play in the migrants' life both in Durban and in the migratory process. It also explores some of the means that migrants use to remit in the context of Hometown Associations (HTAs) and their specific ethnic backgrounds.