Media portrayals and the lingering impacts of colonialism, such as messages about greater civilization and development elsewhere (Gebrewold, 2024; Portes & Celaya, 2013), predispose the average African to migration. When faced with slow or frustrated development, many Africans first look outward for hope (Bauböck, 2016; Ogujiuba et al., 2019). This external focus often evolves into an ingrained desire, where many families begin to view having a relative abroad, especially in more industrialized Western societies, as a status symbol (Kirwin & Anderson, 2018). Those who become mature and financially secure may eventually address this longing by taking holidays, shopping trips, or owning homes abroad. In contrast, younger people are more likely to wish to move permanently to the West, hoping to escape challenges such as poor leadership, conflict, wars, religious bigotry, chauvinism, and disease. The section focuses on the influence of media on Africans, leading to the push for migration.