A tripartite theoretical appraisal of political drivers of international migration and brain drain in Nigeria and their public policy implications

International migration and brain drain have been discussed from various perspectives, primarily the economic dimension. However, the political drivers of this phenomenon and their policy implications remain under-researched in Nigeria’s context. Accordingly, this paper specifically examined the political factors contributing to migration and brain drain in Nigeria. Exploratory qualitative method was employed, drawing insights from cancerous democracy theory (CDT), push-pull theory and human capital theory. Findings indicate that political instability and ethnic-related issues, corruption and ineffective public administration, political repression and human rights violations, electoral fraud and dysfunctional democracy, and inadequate budgetary allocation for essential services are key political related drivers of migration and brain drain in Nigeria. Theoretical analysis suggested that migration and brain drain occur when democracy serves as a tool for elite self-preservation rather than citizen welfare in a country that claims to be founded upon democratic ideals. Conclusively, Nigeria’s longstanding political and structural problems are the root causes of both overseas migration and brain drain. The study recommended that genuine democracy should prioritise the integration of heterogeneous populations into the governance process of countries influenced by the dynamics of cancerous democracy, push-pull, and human capital theories as a solution to politically motivated migration and brain drain especially in in Nigeria. This study contributed to expanding the application of CDT, by portraying that undemocratic practices in Nigeria often trigger international migration and brain drain.