LEVEL AND DETERMINANTS OF MIGRATION IN RURAL ANAMBRA STATE (A STUDY ON AYAMELUM LOCAL GOVERNMENT)

ABSTRACT The study examined the level and determinants of migration in rural Anambra State with particular reference to Ayamelum Local Government Area. Development of local governments in a state depends on its ability to manage and deal with challenges that come with development, such as over-population, pressure on facilities (roads, electricity), accommodation problems, environmental pollutions and other implications. Lee’s Theory of Migration, Systems Theory and Ravenstein’s Law of Migration were reviewed in the study, while the systems theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. The sample size of the study was 156 participants selected through multi staged sampling technique which involves the simple random sampling method. Questionnaire schedule and in-depth interview guide were the instruments used for data collection. The findings were manually analyzed using frequency tables and simple percentage. Two research hypotheses were formulated and tested using Chi Square ( ) analysis. The findings indicated that male gender are more likely to migrate than their female counterpart in Ayamelum Local Government Area. There is a significant relationship between respondent’s highest education qualification and their perception of the factors responsible for migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area. The researcher recommended that public enlightenment on benefits of environmental sanitation exercise should be enhanced to stimulate increased participation of residents of Onitsha North LGA. It was also recommended that both the people and government must co-operate. There can be no even development if people do not support government efforts. Likewise if the government cannot communicate to its citizens what it intends to achieve through its transparency and public accountability, then we still have a long way to go.

An Overview of LEVEL AND DETERMINANTS OF MIGRATION IN RURAL ANAMBRA STATE (A STUDY ON AYAMELUM LOCAL GOVERNMENT)

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

Historically, rural to urban migration has played a significant role in the urbanization process of several countries and continues to be significant in scale, even though migration rates have slowed down in some countries (Lall, Selod and Shalizi, 2006). Today almost half the world population lives in cities and the number of people living in urban areas has risen steadily by around 1 million every year (Bahns, 2005). According to a report from the United Nations Population Division (2003), the urban population is estimated to grow at 1.8 per cent per annum, while total population rate is projected to be 1 per cent annually. This would result in an urban population of 5 billion, or 61 per cent, by 2030. The rural population on the other hand is expected to decrease from 3.3 to 3.2 billion between 2003 and 2030.

The burden of rural migration in Anambra State is multifaceted and intertwining. As such, an analyst of one decomposes component or consequence, such as unbearable population, density and other issues within the identifiable cycle of burdens. For instance, in examining the level and the determinant of migration, as it results to increase in population in the urban areas while the rural areas lack development or at the extreme its explosion. Various other subsequent effects are expected to be considered.

Population explosion activates the housing challenge both at micro (family) and macro (society) level. Congestion in household and communities has implications for both the health and psychology of victims. Nigeria cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Onitsha among others are characterized by human traffic, vehicle congestions, environmental pollution, consistent immigration and spurious expansion of territories to accommodate human addition.

Nigeria is a country with over 150,000,000 people (National Population Census, 2006) and the giant of Africa. Most international organization and foreign investors find a good market in Nigeria. Government insensity   to the plight of the rural communities whose major source of livelihood is agriculture has lead to migration of the rural dwellers to urban areas for a good standard of living.

Nigeria, at independence in 1960, was largely a producer and net exporters of primary products. The six major agricultural products then were cocoa, rubber, palm oil, groundnut, cotton and palm kernel (Idode, 1989). Although there existed mining and quarrying activities, these were of negligible percentage and never counted for the economy as whole. In other words, agricultural produce and raw materials constituted the main income for the country. Specifically, the Nigerian states as an exporter of agricultural goods had 17.8% of its total GDP sector for the year 2015 comprising other agricultural commodities (National Bureau of Statistics, 2015). Rural migration has led to uneven development of the country. The urban areas are over-populated while the rural areas are densely-populated, as young men and women leave the rural areas due to lack of infrastructures, social amenities, employment and economic development of the rural areas. According to Nyaba (2009) rural communities are the most important sector of the Nigerian economy indeed the West African regional population. There are several reasons to support the position.

Agriculture and rural development are crucial for the structural transformation and economic development of West Africa region. Agriculture contributes 20% of GDP in Northern Africa and 30% of GDP in Sub-Sahara Africa (Nyaba 2009). The rural population represents an average of over 60% of the total population on the continents about 90% of the rural labour force engage directly or indirectly in agricultural activities for the continents rural people accelerated agricultural and rural development would contribute to greater efficiency, increase household income, improved standards of living and poverty reduction. According to Onah (2010), the poor technology, environmental hazard, high cost of implements due to neglect of agriculture has forced the rural farmers and young people in search of white collar jobs and high rate of rural drift to survive. According to Pell (1981) people who migrate are mainly motivated by the desire to improve their standard of living above what is earlier obtained at home.

Migration is also caused by the desire of people to go to school and acquire knowledge to develop themselves and their environment (Nwanna, 2004). Migration from rural area to urban area has become almost accepted as normal phenomenon in Ayamelumm Local Government Area of Anambra State as many rural dwellers migrate to major urban areas in the state like Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi etc as a result of tertiary institutions some migrate to Awka where federal Universities are located. Those who want to engage in business and entrepreneurship find themselves in Onitsha. Onitsha is one of the largest commercial centres in West Africa, while others go to Nnewi to establish industries where household materials are produced and various auto parts are assembled. Therefore, most of the youth and adult men and women of working age (18-60) have left the rural area which has contributed negatively to economic development of the Local Government Area of Ayamelumm in Anambra State. The elderly men and women are left to provide for themselves with their little farmland since most lands are used to build large mansions with nobody living in it, rather some people are paid to keep watch over their properties. If the rural communities are able to develop the local technology, thereby give way for further development, it will attract government, international bodies, non-governmental organization and other agencies to support development of such area.

Rural migration has affected food production, most of the basic food stuffs are imported from the northern parts of the country even though we have a better climate condition in the eastern region. The inadequate infrastructures and social amenities have also hampered development as most of the programmes and projects are located in the urban areas while the primary beneficiaries do not benefit from the project. In Nigeria, most of the developmental plans are in favour of the urban areas. Business and commercial activities are successful where the market is. The rural areas do not have the market and factors of production are inadequate for economic development in Anambra State. It is on the strength of this situation and occurrences that the research decided to study the “Level and determinants of migration in rural Anambra State with emphasis on Ayamelum LGA.

• Statement of the Problem

Migration has been seen as a response of individuals to better their economic and non-economic opportunities as well as an expectation of increased economic welfare in the urban areas (Mazumdar, 2007). Kinuthia (2003) indicates that it has been established that African migrations especially rural to urban have not demonstrated the same effect for industrialization and economic development as migration has done elsewhere especially in Europe and North America. The classic “push factors” from the rural areas, for example, lack of jobs; famine especially in pastoralist areas; drought; various kinds of poverty and landlessness, have been known to “push” people out of their rural homes in search of better opportunities elsewhere, particularly in the urban areas. The “pull” factors in the urban areas have been the hope to find a job; increase one’s income; educational opportunities; in search of better services and generally to improve one’s economic welfare. Numerous studies have been carried out on the causes of rural migration. While some of the past studies related the causes of rural migration to discriminatory government policies in favour of urban development, response to disparities in income, employment and other socio-economic amenities available within the urban and rural areas, with the urban areas being privileged, others related it to spontaneous, emotional, structural, traditional and some other factors.

According to Iruonage (2009), “Useful natural resources, which can be harnessed for socio-economic development, abound in Nigeria particularly in the rural areas.” Therefore, the migration of youths from rural areas to cities in search of better life, is taking away the potential youths who are capable of developing the rural areas. The inequality between the rural and urban areas in the provision of basic facilities is another major factor responsible for rural-urban migration of mostly youths in rural Anambra State. Most of the rural areas in Anambra state lack basic amenities such as electricity, water, good roads, clinics and good housing. These usually push the youths to migrate to the urban areas in order to access these amenities.

There have been frequent outcries of increased rural migration and the attendant adverse consequences rural migration has left the rural areas affected negatively. Firstly, migrants are in the urban areas for various reasons, either for education or business. Whichever vocation they seek, they are faced with competition. This has led to frustration and psychological problems due to non accomplishment of goals and objectives of migrating to the urban area.  Most of the agencies are responsible for management of the rural migration seem to forget the reason behind their establishment, likewise the personnel recruited into these agencies seem to be unwilling to enter the field to gather information that will assist them in executing the project in the rural areas while creating other policies or programmes that will reduce inflow to the urban areas that are already over-populated.

As the attention of the government is being directed to the urban area, major projects and programmes that ought to be directed to the rural areas are diverted to the urban area. Hence, the rural areas languish in abject poverty, low life expectancy rate, unemployment, lack of social amenities, poor power generation and basic infrastructures which hamper economic development. It is in this light that this study seeks to explore the level and determinants of migration in rural Anambra State, with particular reference to Ayamelum Local Government Area.

• Research Questions

The study was designed to address the following questions;

1. What is the nature and level of migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area?
2. What are the factors responsible for migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area?
3. What are the consequences of migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area?
4. What measures can be put in place to effectively control and prevent migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area?
   • Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this study can be divided into two, the general and specific objectives. The general objective is to examine the level and determinants of migration in rural Anambra State with particular reference to Ayamelum Local Government Area. The specific objectives are;

1. To examine the nature and level of migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area.
2. To determine the factors responsible for migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area.
3. To examine the consequences of migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area.
4. To proffer solution that can be put in place to effectively control and prevent migration in Ayamelum Local Government Area.
   • Significance of the Study

This study has both practical and theoretical significance. Theoretically, the study will add to existing literature on level and determinants of migration in rural Anambra State. This will be very useful to students and other researchers that will in future investigate or do further studies on it. This work stands as a body of knowledge to different people from all works of life especially those concerned with and all those in academics who might want to research further in this area.

Practically, this study is vital to knowledge because it addresses the extent and level at which rural migration takes place and those determinants that lead to such factors. It will enable the government to formulate policies that address the aspiration of both the rural ad the urban dwellers. It will prompt government to review the management techniques of polices and programs in the state to provide a better outcome. It will influence government to go back to agricultural sectors to support oil sector, in order to improve the standard of living of the people and a more even development of the economy.

This study will help in project that will develop the rural area and reduce rural-urban migration while stemming the tide of urban deficiencies.

• Definition of Terms

In this section, the major terms used in this work are defined for easy understanding. The terms are as follows;

Development: this can be defined as the process of developing, growth, directed change.

Economic: this refers to the study of money and its movement.

Economic Opportunity: This means chance for advancement, progress or profit pertaining to an economy.

Environment: Environment can be seen as the natural world, as a whole or in a particular geographical area, especially as affected by human activity.

Globalization: This can be defined as the process by which business or other organization develops international influence or start operating on an international scale.

Infrastructure: this refers to the basic facilities, services and installations needed for the functioning f a community or society.

Industrialization: Industrialization is defined as a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society (an economy where the amount of capital accumulated is low) to an industrial on (a fully develop capitalist  economy)

Migration: this refers to an instance of moving to live in another place for a while.

Policy: this can be referred to as course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual.

Poverty: Poverty is a condition in which a person or community is deprived of the basic essentials and necessities for a minimum standard of living.

Rural: this can be referred to as a less populated, non-urban area.

Strategy: This is a plan of action intended to accomplish a specific goal.

Urban: the process of building towns and cities or making them large or the process of improving the building etc or city.