A Mobile Heritage: Reading the Architecture of Ijo Migrant Fishermen

This article is part of a much larger study conducted first in 2008 and with a follow up study in 2024. It investigates the vernacular architecture of the Ijo migrant fishermen in Nigeria’s Niger Delta regions. Using an in-depth case study approach, interviews and focus group strategies as methodology, this paper examines new and old concepts in nomadology such as migrant labour mindset and anticipated mobility as the main generative concepts and underlying philosophies that have influenced the production of this unique dwelling type. The paper also discusses certain attributes in terms of spatial layout, material use, construction techniques and method of abandonment of the dwelling, observed during survey, which may qualify it to be subsumed under the nomadic architecture category.