Socio-Economic Issues in the Education of Children of Migrant Fishermen in Nigeria

The fishing industry contributes immensely to the agricultural sector which is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. The industry is the foundation of all facets of development, particularly the effective provision and management of the productive resources. The migrant fishermen of the Nigerian coastal and riverine areas are greatly educationally disadvantaged. For sustainable development of the fishing industry, it is important to pay attention to the education of the fishermen and their children. Yet the migration of fishermen from one area to another, a concomitant of ecological and socio-economic factors, has profound effects on the education of their children. The study identifies the seasonal patterns of migrations of the fishermen and discusses the problems these migrations pose to the children's education. Then it discusses how their socio-economic conditions such as occupations, family structure and size, fishing organization and technology, fish marketing, income level and living standards aggravate the problems. Finally, recommendations are made to mitigate the problems and also provide viable alternative non-formal but functional education for the fishermen's children. Such recommendations also include physical provisions and special curriculum suited to the needs and demands of their peculiar circumstance.