Labour Migration and Rural Transformation in Nigeria

Abstract

Urban development since the colonial period in Nigeria has led to a rural-urban migration pattern in the post-independent state. A return labour migration process with implications for rural development has, however, accompanied certain socio-economic and political events in Nigeria in the 1980s. This paper highlights some factors that have impaired the rural transformation prospects of the new migration trend.

Globalization and the Trade Union Movement in Nigeria

“…The effects were massive retrenchment of workers, adverse labour market conditions due to high unemployment and job insecurity, reduction in union membership and union density, reduced union funds, lethargy for unionism due to tight labour market and wide spread job insecurity (Onimode,1991;Otobo, 1992;and Onyeonoru, 1994).…”

Spatial–Temporal Differentiation and the Driving Mechanism of Rural Transformation Development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

“…Based on the connotation characteristics of rural transformation development, this paper refers to the research results of the rural transformation development evaluation index system. In this paper, the evaluation index system of the rural transformation development level of The Yangtze River Economic Belt was constructed from the dimension of "population-land-industry" [33,34] (Table 1). 1 Population development transformation.…”

Rural – Urban Migration in Nigeria: Implications for Development and Social Order in the 215t Century

“…At this juncture, it is pertinent to say that though this particular trend of migration was disrupted due to certain events that took place between the early part of the 1980s to about 1992, several evidences show that the rural -urban trend have since picked up in such a dramatic form that projections suggest that the number of those living in town and cities will reach 100 million (approximately 67% of the entire population) by 2020 (Department For International Development report, 2004;Egunjobi, 1999 andAsinyabola,2010). Onyeonoru (1994), identified the events that momentarily stalled the rural to urban migration trend as follows. The impact of the world economic recession (necessitated by the oil glut) that became evident in Nigeria around 1981 which led to a decline in the country's oil production from about 2.05 million barrels per day in 1980 to 0,8 million barrels per day in 1985 and a fall in price from $44.4 in 1980 to less than $10 in 1986, Because oil is the mainstay of Nigeria's economy, this led to a resultant decline in Nigeria's foreign reserves and hence a foreign exchange crisis ensued that impacted negatively on the economy, This led the Shagari's administration to introduce certain austerity measures in 1982, one of which is import restrictions of industrial raw materials and spare parts that affected the utilization of installed industrial capacity to fall from full utilization before the economic recession in 1982 -1985 to between 20 -25% in the manufacturing sector.…”

“…According to Onyeonoru (1994), the trend of rural to urban migration witnessed during the colonial period continued in post -independent Nigeria without abating. The trend was further exacerbated by the oil boom of the mid -1970s coupled with a urban -biased development strategy pursued by various Governmental regimes.…”