Effect of Reversing Rural-Urban Migration through Rural Development in Akwa Ibom State
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Globally, the nexus between migration and development has remained an issue under vigorous academic debate. Therefore, the process of people migrating to other areas in search of a better life is not a novel one. What has however gained currency is the increasing voluntary movement in the quest for a better quality of life by low-skill and low-wage workers as well as high-skill and high-wage workers from less-developed rural areas to more developed urban areas, especially among the poor in the developing countries.
In this regard, rural-urban migration results from the search for perceived or real opportunities as a consequence of rural-urban inequality in wealth Aworemi and Abdul-Azeez (2011). This inequality and/or urban bias in development according to research findings over the years results from the overwhelming concentration of wealth, assets, purchasing capacity, economic activities, and variety of services in the urban centers as well as the continued neglect and degradation of rural environments or areas Adams (2006). Migration has also been identified as a survival strategy utilized by the poor, especially the rural dwellers. The assessment of the effects of migration on rural areas has remained relevant since migration acts as a catalyst in the transformation process of not only the destiny of individual migrants but also the conditions of family members left behind, local communities, and the wider sending regions.
One significant source of development for the rural populace as a result of this increasing drift towards the cities is remittances. Recently, migrants’ remittances and the income multipliers they create are becoming critical resources for the sustenance strategies of receiving households as well as agents of regional and national development. Households that receive these remittances tend to use the proceeds primarily for current consumption (food, clothing) as well as investments in children’s education, health care, improvement in household food and security, and water and sanitation. Nevertheless, the ability of remittances to compensate for the labour shortage in rural areas is still a function of the amounts and value of remittances received by migrants’ households at home, especially in the developing countries (Adepoju, 2000).
Effect of Reversing Rural-Urban Migration through Rural Development in Akwa Ibom State
Migration is considered as the movement of people from one geographical region to another, which may be on a temporary or permanent basis (Adewale, 2005). People migrate based on the prevailing conditions and the reasons for it vary from one person to another depending on the situation that brought about the decision. Migration is a selective process affecting individuals or families with certain economic, social, educational, and demographic characteristics. The movement of people from rural to urban areas is a common occurrence in Nigeria.
The movement poses some problems in the rural as well as in the urban center even though; there are benefits derivable from it. In most rural areas, the impact of rural-urban migration was a rapid deterioration of the rural economy leading to chronic poverty and food insecurity (Mini, 2000). These arise mainly due to the excessive drain of youth from the rural populace thus leaving only the older and aged members to constitute the labour force of the rural area.
Migration to urban areas is placing increasing pressure on local governments‘ ability to respond to the social service needs of urban populations. This is a worldwide challenge; in 2028 over half of the world’s population will be urban, and in Africa, the urban population is set to double between 2000 and 2030 (UNFPA, 2007). On-going migration to urban areas is placing pressure on limited appropriate housing, resulting in increases in the numbers of urban residents now found to reside in informal housing. Informal settlements present a range of health and development challenges to governments, including access to water, sanitation, housing, and adequate health services, including HIV services (Ambert, 2006; Jassey, & Thomas, 2007).
Apart from smoothing income flows by providing employment during the agricultural lean season, temporary migration to urban centres is undertaken for increasing disposable income which is then invested in a variety of production and consumption uses. However, the relative importance of migration is highly contested specifically concerning its effects on the local economy and poverty reduction.
The movement from rural to urban areas makes a negative impact on the quality of rural life especially when such migrants carry away their needed consumption into the city. The migration of young adults from the rural areas also placed a greater burden on the farmers. For farmers to cover the same area of land as when he had extra assistance, they must work much longer hours thus depriving them of some time for leisure or participation in various social activities. The trend of the movement of the rural people into the city has also militated against the national development in the country. The stage of rural development in any nation is labour intensive, able-bodied men who should till the land for the agricultural process have abandoned their role in the development of the rural community, and have engaged themselves in petty trading in the urban areas.
According to Baskerville (1994), some rural communities like Eastern ObolumCommunity have been experiencing a drift of their population into neighbouring cities and towns particularly Uyo, Port Harcourt, and Lagos. This migrating population comprises mainly people ages between 15 and 35 years. These people make up the largest proportion of the required manpower in these areas. This movement obviously led to the reduction of the workforce and consequently a decrease in the developmental output of the area.
Furthermore, the reduction in output has brought about less income and a gradual increase in the poverty level. Although these problems are of larger dimension, pervasive, and are continuing unabated, not many governments have launched any regular research programme to monitor the trend of the movement of their subjects on a sustainable basis. Thus the motivation of this research is to find out ways of reversing rural-urban migration through the development of the rural area in Akwa Ibom State.
Effect of Reversing Rural-Urban Migration through Rural Development in Akwa Ibom State
1.2 Problem Statement
In the last decade, Akwa Ibom State has witnessed a high rate of urbanization particularly in Uyo, the capital of the State. Uyo is the main destination, accounting for 37 percent of internal migration(Mfen 2012). Even though the government has made strides to develop the socio-economic and infrastructure in rural areas of the state through various initiatives such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the skewed developmental pattern has led to youths migrating to urban areas. This has posed developmental challenges to both rural and urban areas because of increasing pressure on human labour in the rural area and pressure in the urban areas on social services such as water, education, health, and housing. Theoretically, this phenomenon can have negative repercussions on local productivity in rural areas due to limited labor availability. The researcher, therefore, finds it imperative to undertake research to identify the underlying causes of this phenomenon as there is a general dearth of information in this study area.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of reversing rural-urban migration through rural development taking a case study of Akwa Ibom State as a case study. Specifically, the study sought to:
- Find out how the provision of educational opportunity influence rural-urban migration.
- Determine the influence of industrialization of rural areas on rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State.
- Determine the effect of decentralization of government ministries and parastatals in Akwa Ibom Station rural-urban migration.
- Determine the effect of youth and women empowerment and the rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State.
Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:
- To what extent does the provision of educational opportunities influence rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State?
- To what extent does industrialization of rural areas influence rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State?
- To what extent does the decentralization of government ministries and parastatals in Akwa Ibom State influence rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State?
- How does youth and women empowerment influence rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses were postulated to guide the study:
- There is no significant influence of the provision of educational opportunities on rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State
- There is no significant influence of industrialization of rural areas on rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State
There is no significant influence on the decentralization of government ministries and parastatals in Akwa Ibom State
- There is no significant influence of youth and women empowerment on rural-urban migration in Akwa Ibom State
- Significance of the Study
Study outputs are important as they will contribute to the growing literature on rural-urban migration both in Akwa Ibom state and the country at large. The study will be beneficial in the following ways;it will help the government to understand why youths are emigrating and therefore craft the necessary policies and strategies necessary to reduce these problems. The study will also help the government to know the benefit of educating its rural populace through the establishment of educational institutions such as universities and vocational colleges.
The finding of the study will help political stakeholders and government to channel funds allocated toward community development to be justified through the establishment of cottage industries. The results could also be used by local government administrators as they see the need to decentralize government ministries and parastatals to rural communities in other to avail the rural dwellers the opportunity to be gainfully employed. State and federal policymakers will find the findings of this study relevant by knowing what their communities believe to be necessary elements of community development. This could also assist them in prioritizing what funding or partnerships to pursue to enhance community development efforts in their districts and constituency. The findings of this study will serve as reference materials for other researchers who may wish to conduct research in this study area or a related subject.