Money from Europe a lifeline for Nigerian families

AFP, BENIN CITY: Grace and Sunday Otoide's house is the last one standing on Bata Road in Benin City, southern Nigeria. All the neighbours have left and the retired couple hope to do the same.
With the money their two children send from Italy, they want to build a new house.
Dozens of lorries used to pass along the road to get to the local shoe factory, once one of Benin City's industrial jewels.
But it's now no more than a track swallowed by swamps.
At the turn of the century, the leading shoe manufacturer that gave the road its name relocated its factory to Ghana, frustrated by constant power cuts. About 3,000 employees, most of them young people, lost their jobs.
Since then, the flood barriers surrounding the area have fallen into disrepair and the water has reclaimed the earth, flooding every dwelling and the factory.
"We have no nothing. No chop (food), not'in," says Grace in pidgin English from a large sofa that has seen better days.
Her husband's pension has also been hurt by the devaluation of Nigeria's naira currency.
Two of the couple's six children were smuggled into Italy several years ago.
They send back what they can, when they can, to help their parents build a new home. The current one threatens to fall down at any moment.
"I don't know what kind of job she do. But she dey work, she dey abroad, she's the one who must worry for me. If I dey young again, I go travel overseas," says Grace.
Money transfers
More than 37,500 Nigerians arrived on the Italian coast by boat in 2016, according to the International Organization for Migration. Most of them came from Benin City.
The city is riddled with human trafficking networks. Often the Nigerian 
women who end up in Italy become sex workers, while men are pushed into Italian mafia networks around the trade.
The phenomenon can be traced back to the time of the region's industrial collapse in the late 1980s, military rule and the structural adjustment programmes that killed the economy.
For nearly 30 years, Edo state, of which Benin City is the capital, has survived on the money sent back from across the Mediterranean.
Even small sums represent a real monthly salary for families -- as long as the money is sent in foreign currency.
On the outskirts of the city, there are no roads, electricity or drainage, yet brick houses are mushrooming in the largely abandoned fields.
Emmanuel Otoide is building a large house for a client who left for Italy 10 years ago and has not come back.
On the walls, the owner's mother has stuck a notice from her Pentecostal church: "2017 My Year of Greater Light".
"The mother of the owner is (a) pure water seller, she is a street vendor," the construction engineer says, adding that without the money from overseas, building the house would be impossible.

Money from Europe a lifeline for Nigerian families

AFP, BENIN CITY: Grace and Sunday Otoides house is the last one standing on Bata Road in Benin City, southern Nigeria. All the neighbours have left and the retired couple hope to do the same. With the money their two children send from Italy, they want to build a new house. Dozens of lorries used to pass along the road to get to the local shoe factory, once one of Benin Citys industrial jewels. But its now no more than a track swallowed by swamps. At the turn of the century, the leading shoe manufacturer that gave the road its name relocated its factory to Ghana, frustrated by constant power cuts. About 3,000 employees, most of them young people, lost their jobs. Since then, the flood barriers surrounding the area have fallen into disrepair and the water has reclaimed the earth, flooding every dwelling and the factory. We have no nothing. No chop (food), notin, says Grace in pidgin English from a large sofa that has seen better days. Her husbands pension has also been hurt by the devaluation of Nigerias naira currency. Two of the couples six children were smuggled into Italy several years ago. They send back what they can, when they can, to help their parents build a new home. The current one threatens to fall down at any moment. I dont know what kind of job she do. But she dey work, she dey abroad, shes the one who must worry for me. If I dey young again, I go travel overseas, says Grace. Money transfers More than 37,500 Nigerians arrived on the Italian coast by boat in 2016, according to the International Organization for Migration. Most of them came from Benin City. The city is riddled with human trafficking networks. Often the Nigerian women who end up in Italy become sex workers, while men are pushed into Italian mafia networks around the trade. The phenomenon can be traced back to the time of the regions industrial collapse in the late 1980s, military rule and the structural adjustment programmes that killed the economy. For nearly 30 years, Edo state, of which Benin City is the capital, has survived on the money sent back from across the Mediterranean. Even small sums represent a real monthly salary for families -- as long as the money is sent in foreign currency. On the outskirts of the city, there are no roads, electricity or drainage, yet brick houses are mushrooming in the largely abandoned fields. Emmanuel Otoide is building a large house for a client who left for Italy 10 years ago and has not come back. On the walls, the owners mother has stuck a notice from her Pentecostal church: 2017 My Year of Greater Light. The mother of the owner is (a) pure water seller, she is a street vendor, the construction engineer says, adding that without the money from overseas, building the house would be impossible.