Influence of Agrıcultural Service Provision on Rural-Urban Migration in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted in Delta State, Nigeria. In the study, a two-stage conditional likelihood procedure and new data from Delta State, Nigeria were used to identify the correlation of rural-urban migration at the individual, household, and community levels, with special attention on agricultural services. Two surveys were conducted to get the data. The first set of data were sourced from Delta State Agricultural Development program (DTADP). The data included household and community level survey which were meant to assess ways of making agricultural service provision effective for small holder farmers. The survey was carried out in six (6) local government areas (two (2) from each agro-ecological zone) from the month of February to June, 2011, and data on markets, agricultural service provision and infrastructure were included in the survey. The second data were sourced from survey which covered 450 households (10 randomly selected household per community) from 45 communities (15 communities per LGA) in three (3) of the originally surveyed local government areas (one (1) from each agro-ecological zone)which were revisited in May 2012. The three Local Government Areas were selected to represent differences in agricultural productivity and level of agricultural service provision. Households in the most densely populated communities in Delta Central Agricultural Zone looked better off than Delta North and South agro-ecological Zones in terms of proximity to market, infrastructure and agricultural services. In all the agro-ecological zones, males were more prone to migration than females. In terms of level of education, there were significant differences between migrants and non-migrants. The results of the econometric analysis are in consonance with the theories of human-capital and network variables and assets, that these variables are salient correlates of rural-urban migration. While considering endogeneity of agricultural services, the findings indicated that agricultural service improvements which have the objective of reducing economic isolation of rural communities have the capability of promoting mobility of labour and free up farm labour for rural-urban migration by reducing costs of transaction and production.

Keywords

• Rural-urban migration
• Delta State
• Nigeria
• agricultural services
• economic isolation
• spatial integration.

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