CHALLENGES AND COPING MECHANISMS OF LEFT-BEHIND SPOUSES OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS IN NIGERIA

In Nigeria, one of the main reasons for marital dissolution and divorce is migration across international borders involving one of the spouses, particularly in Ibadan, Oyo State, with a significant number of left-behind spouses. Although, extant studies on left-behind spouses have focused largely on the effects of remittances on left-behind spouses, their challenges and coping mechanisms appears poorly captured especially within the context of hybridized societies where Ibadan gives an exceptional opportunity to fully capture in totality the domains of the left-behind spouses. It is against this background that the study that informed this article was conducted in Ibadan with specific focus on the fears and concerns of the left-behind spouses and their coping strategies. Using Jacob Moreno’s Social Network Theory as the theoretical framework, 41 In-depth Interviews were conducted with left-behind spouses: male (10) and female (20), and their spouses abroad: male (9) and female (2). Twenty-Five Key Informant Interviews were conducted with family members (13) and friends (12) of left-behind spouses and Five Case Studies amongst the left-behind spouses. The challenges faced by left-behind spouses included abandonment, divorce, loneliness, family role strain, urge for sex and fear of mutual infidelity. The coping mechanisms included regular phone calls with their spouses abroad, attending prayer sessions and social activities, engaging in entrepreneurial activities such as investments in forex and skin-care products, and utilization of sex toys. International migration and Left-behind spouses phenomenon have both positive and negative consequences for the well-being of left-behind spouses in Nigeria. There is a need for community-based initiatives that recognize and significantly address the challenges and coping mechanisms of the left-behind spouses.