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