REDUCING RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION THROUGH LOCAL ECONOMIC

REDUCING RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION THROUGH LOCAL ECONOMIC

ABSTRACT

There have been several attempts by governmental and non-governmental interventions to bridge the gap. This has created a net migration of Middle belt youth to the South for menial jobs. The movement of people to urban centres poses some challenges to the development of rural areas in that in most rural areas, the impact of rural-urban migration is the rapid deterioration of the rural economy which then leads to poverty and food insecurity. The 1992 constitution empowers the District Assemblies to provide governance at the local level, especially in communities, and to help in the economic development of the people by formulating and implementing strategic plans to bring about total economic development in their various Districts.  Promoting the welfare of rural people is at the heart of the local government. One of the key components of the National Decentralization Policy and Action Plan is that it providesfor district assemblies to facilitate economic development at the local level.is Local Economic Development (LED). This study attempts to identify various ways LED can contribute to reducing the North-South migration in Nigeria using the Tarka community in the Central Gonja District of the Middle belt Region of Nigeria as a case study. One hundred questionnaires were administered in the community while for the community youth leader, the Regional planning office, and the district planning office in- depth interview were conducted. Results show generally that the concept of LED has not caught on well with the district assembly. However, respondent were of the view that if LED was fully implemented rural-urban migration is likely to reduce considerably. It was recommended that the Government speeds up implementation of the SADA programme and also build the capacities of district assembly staff on LED.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

There has been an increased migration of people from rural to urban areas in search of greener pastures. These urban economies however do not have the capacity to absorb and retain the continued inflows of migrants, either skilled or unskilled labour. This leads to the depopulation of rural settlements. It is usually the economically active the in rural areas that migrate out thereby increasing the poverty levels of those left behind.(Adepoju, 2010).

The decision to migrate in rural areas is usually influenced by push and pull factors. The pull factors attract migrants to urban centers while the push factors force them out of their communities of origin. These factors are influenced by the strength of the local economy.The availability of jobs and social amenities act as pull factor in urban center while the lack or inadequacy of these act as push factors in rural communities (de Haas, 2008).For instance, the absence of a rural credit market could push people to migrate to provide remittances in order to overcome the rural credit constraints and to finance rural productive investments (Katz and Stark, 1986).   Rural to urban migrations could have a negative impact on rural areas by removing workers from productive rural economic activities. Rural-urban migration also  has  negativesocial  consequences  such  as  the  deterioration  of  family,  community structures and norms.

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REDUCING RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION THROUGH LOCAL ECONOMIC