Bus stations of West African Cities:
Unlocking the Soft Transit for
Africa-Europe Migration
DR ALIYU BARAUDEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING,
BAYERO UNIVERSITY KANO, NIGERIA
THE ISSC GLOBAL MIGRATIONS CONFERENCE, OSLO AND AKERSHUS
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCE, OSLO, NORWAY,
OCTOBER, 2013
Because Europe is Worried
The Power and Fallacy of Urban Informal Economy
Economic activities that are largely outside the purview of formal regulation as result of poor regulations and weak enforcement and evasion (Sinha & Kanbur, 2012).
informal economic activities should not be confused with the illegal goods and services (ILO, 2002b: 12).
Urban transport sector in most African cities remains largely informal, unregulated and at the mercy of touts
For decades, the intervention of the state fails and the informal transport sector persists.
Publically designated Bus stations/ car parks operate informally
Drivers unions are the most active agents controlling the operations of bus stations
Used cars/buses from Europe are used for ferrying goods and passengers
Some drivers pick passengers at points that suits them
Other than tax collection local governments see nothing in bus stations
Security agents do not mind what happens in car/bus stations and p
Can We Ignore The Old Connections ?
Porosity and Passiveness: Old vs. New States
Skills and schemes of Transporting
migrants
Aiming at Europe
Intending migrants from Southern
Nigeria arrive Kano Bus stations for
North-South
Migrants assisted by touts use Bus
stations for Kano-Niger republic
30-100 migrants per week
Looking the other side on highways and both sides of
the border:
Nigeria/Niger Police, Immigration
Migrants lodgewithtouts in Zinder
before preparations to
move to Agadezfor Europe
What Europe and Africa Must Do Jointly
Support ICT based shareable data collection on bus stations
passengers origin and destination between West African States
Municipal/local governments must be involved in controlling illegal
roadside passenger pick up points
Transport workers unions should be involved in engaging drivers and
bus stations touts
Because corruption is involved: serious, diverse and innovative
measures are needed to tackle the many faces of corruption:
Public reporting of money tips given to law enforcement agents
by the public and sanctioning of perpetrators
Repatriation of cars/buses to its originating source and
cancellation of licenses sanctioning of erring drivers
Involvement of natural rulers of African urban areas for
information sharing.
TAKK / THANKS