COMMENTARY ON CURBING RURAL-URBAN DRIFT BY FRED SHAKA-BRAIMAH

TOPIC : CURBING RURAL-URBAN DRIFT. written by: Fred Shaka-Braimah of our Lagos Operations. In the sixties and early seventies, life in the rural areas was worth living and people were comfortable with the environment, despite the absence of basic social amenities. Unemployment was not known and crime rate was relatively low. People hardly see the need to go to the urban areas in search of jobs and other means of livelihood. But today, the reverse is the case as there is a steady increase in the number of Nigerians who abandon the rural areas for life in the cities. Although, this is a general trend all over the world, the drift in Nigeria and indeed most developing countries is incomparable to what obtains in the developed world

This trend, no doubt, has led to the depopulation of most rural communities. In fact in some Nigerian villages, those in the productive age bracket are practically disappearing, leaving behind an ageing and economically unproductive adult population. Agriculture that was the main stay of the nation’s economy has been pushed to the back seat as the young men who ought to be in the farms have all migrated to the cities only to discover that city life is not a bed of roses.

The cities on the other hand are faced with the problem of congestion while the villages are getting depopulated .The result is high cost of living, pressure on existing infrastructure, emergence of slums and rising costs of food items as well as increase in crime and violence.

Often times, the confusion and violence in the urban centres can be traced to the activities of jobless youths who migrate from rural areas in search of white collar jobs to the cities. Generally, it is believed that the major cause of rural –urban drift is the long neglect of the rural areas by successive governments, resulting in the decay in infrastructure, to the extent that the basic necessities of life are not available to the people. According to sociologists, this can be classified into what is known as the ‘PUSH’ and ‘PULL’ factors. The push factors are those things in the immediate environment of the local dwellers that make life miserable and difficult, thereby triggering their desire to migrate to environments that are more friendly and accommodating. While the pull factors are those modern facilities in the urban centres that keep attracting the rural dwellers to the cities such as white collar jobs, hospitals, schools and good roads . To check the problem of rural-urban drift, therefore, there should be the political will on the part of governments for equitable distribution of infrastructural facilities to the rural areas to engender grassroots development.

Also, government should extend its social investment programmes to youths with skills such as hairstylists, Barbers, auto-mechanics and phone repairers whose services are also required in the rural areas.

The states and local governments should step up in their responsibilities in ensuring the welfare and security of rural dwellers by assisting them with vigilante groups to watch over their neighbourhoods. On the issue of unemployment, windows of opportunities should be opened to the youths in rural areas to enable them acquire skills that have direct impact on their immediate environments. For instance the National Directorate of Employment should decentralise its programmes to benefit unemployed youths in rural areas through planned seminars and workshops tailored towards self-reliance

In view of the nation’s desire to diversify its economy from oil dependent to the non-mineral sector such as agriculture, adequate attention must be given to the rural areas which serve as the bedrock for agricultural production. Also, provision for modern farm implements like fertilizer to the rural areas can assist in food production for the country. It is believed that these, when given adequate attention, should reduce the problem of rural –urban drift in the country.

That commentary on CURBING RURAL-URBAN DRIFT was written by Fred Shaka-Braimah of our Lagos Operations. Date of broadcast: 28th August, 2016.