RURAL-URBAN DRIFT: IMPLICATION FOR COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
I. Dialoke
Department of Industrial Relations and Personnel, Management
College of Management Sciences
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State Nigeria
Email: finejoe86@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The predominant numbers of Nigerian People are rural inhabitants who are preoccupied with agricultural farm work and fishery. Also most of the rural dwellers were not favored by the government, hence no presence of basic infrastructural needs that can assist in their day to day living within the rural environs. The study through theoretical investigation was able to deduce that the causes of rural-urban drift in Nigeria hinges on outburst in population growth, lack of basic, social services such as water, electricity, hospitals, roads, etc. In addition lack of information services, poverty and illiteracy were not left out as among the factors that has debilitating effects on community and rural development. In order to overcome this horrible factor that has attendant consequences on community and rural development, the rural inhabitants tend to advance to urban centers where more job opportunities and social amenities are ubiquitous at every corner of the city. Succinctly, the paper highlighted the consequence effects (Positive and negative) or otherwise implications rural-urban drift has on community and rural development in Nigeria. It then concluded that there is no definitive statement on whether rural-urban drift is beneficial or non-beneficial to community and rural development in Nigeria.
