Background: Internal migration significantly impacts the lives of informal caregivers who have relocated within their country, influencing various aspects such as social and familial relationships, health and well-being, as well as cultural diversity. Their contributions are especially vital in resource-limited settings like Nigeria. This study examines how the daily lives of these internally migrated informal caregivers are affected.

Methods: The research was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria and employed a qualitative approach through phenomenological inquiry to gain insight into human experiences from the participants' perspectives. The study sample consisted of family members of patients receiving care for orofacial diseases. Participants (IMICs that were 18years and older) were identified in the oral and maxillofacial wards in the Hospital. Data collection involved face-to-face in-depth interviews conducted after obtaining informed consent. These interviews were recorded using an iPhone 12 Pro (Apple Inc.) and transcribed verbatim. All interviews were conducted in English, and ethical approval was granted by the Institutional Ethical Review Committee (UI/EC/23/0069). A total of 18 internally migrated informal caregivers (IMICs) participated in the study. Each interview was conducted while the participants sat comfortably in a chair and lasted approximately 30 minutes. The qualitative data collection was concluded once participant responses indicated saturation, meaning that no new information was being revealed. The overall duration for data collection spanned approximately six months, from May to October 2023, and thematic analysis was utilized for data analysis.

Result: A total of 18 informal caregivers were interviewed for the study. Thirteen (72.2%) of the caregivers were females. Fifteen (83.3%) of them were employed. The majority, 16 (88.9%), were Christians, and the remaining 2 (11.1%) practice Islam. Aspects of life affected include the economic, health, sleep patterns, nutrition/feeding, social, family life, cultural and community integration.

Conclusion: This study has shown that different aspects of life such as economic, sleep patterns, nutrition, social, and family life of internally migrated informal caregivers can be affected while performing their roles.