CAUSES AND EFFECT OF RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION ON FARMERS’ OUTPUT AND INCOME IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Suleiman Rabiu Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Institute for Agricultural Research/ Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Email: rabiu.suleiman@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The study examined the causes and effects of rural-urban migration on farmers’ output and income in the three senatorial districts of Kwara State. Primary data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire and focused group discussion (FGD). Two hundred and fiftysix respondents comprising of 149 migrant families and 107 non-migrant families were sampled using stratified random sampling. Descriptive statistics and t-test statistics analytical tools were used to achieve the stated objectives of the study. The findings reveal that majority (72.0%)
of the respondents were male, 34.0% were within the age range of 41-50, 62.0% were married, and 69.0% had no formal education. The study also shows that 69.5% of the migrants migrated in search of job opportunities, 35.6% migrated in order to abandon rural farming activities. Results of t-test statistic on the impacts of rural-urban migration on the household output and income of famers revealed that the average output of nonmigrant household was 12213.41 kg and average output of migrant household was 6524.36 Kg. The study recommends that establishment of vocational training centers in the rural areas for training youths by the
government for self-employment and assisted with micro loans as a startup capital after graduation will go a long way to reduced rural-urban migration.
Keyword: Rural-urban, migration, output, Farmers’ income.