IMPACT OF RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION ON INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

THE EBONYI STATE RURAL COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Over the years particularly in a developing economy like Nigeria, the experience of unguided rural-urban drift has been a continuous one. This paper was an attempt to find out the reasons for the continued and unchecked mass movement of people and materials to urban from rural areas of Nigeria and Ebonyi State in particular; ascertain the impact of such movement to the infrastructural development of Ebonyi State and; the way forward. Push-pull theory of migration propounded by Everett, S. Lee (1966) was adopted as the theoretical framework. The researcher randomly interviewed the residents of the state orally and the results of the investigation revealed that: The mere urge to move out of one's rural area to any urban city; the quest for a greener pasture for better living conditions including the search for a better employment opportunities, among others, are the reasons for the persistent rural-urban migration in Nigeria and Ebonyi State in particular; and the resultant effects have been the congestion of the capital city (Abakaliki), rise in unemployment rate, crimes, youth restiveness, prostitution and frequent vandalization of available urban infrastructures. A near absence of social and physical infrastructures, are common features of the greater parts of Ebonyi rural communities. The implication is the increase in hunger and poverty as a result of the decline in agricultural population and other productive ventures in the rural areas. It is recommended that, Nigerian and Ebonyi State government in particular, should
adopt a long term development plan of “Rural-Urban Integration (RUBAIN)”, to open up the rural areas.