Post Nigeria Civil War Igbo Migrants and Neoslavery: An Interrogation of Mbano Migrants' Experiences in their Host Communities.

The article focuses on the post-Nigeria Civil War migration experiences of the Mbano Igbo people from Imo State, Nigeria, examining the socio-economic and political factors that compelled their movement within Nigeria and abroad. It highlights how the devastation of the 1967–1970 civil war, coupled with unemployment, lack of infrastructure, educational challenges, and discrimination, pushed many Mbano migrants to seek livelihoods in other Nigerian regions and countries, where they often faced social stigma, hostility, and neoslavery—modern forms of institutional exploitation. The study also discusses the role of ethnic town unions in providing support networks for migrants and documents varied relationships between Mbano migrants and host communities, ranging from cooperation and intermarriage to conflict and violence, particularly in northern Nigeria. It concludes by recommending sustainable local development and improved governance in Mbano to reduce forced migration and enhance socio-economic conditions.