EFFECT OF RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION OF YOUTHS ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN OGBOMOSO SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE. NIGERIA

The study examined the effect of rural-urban migration of youth on rural development in Ogbomoso South Local Government Area of Oyo State. Rural-urban migration is a phenomenon that most developing nations of the world are experiencing due to the gross neglect of the rural areas. In Nigeria, the issue of rural-urban migration is quite alarming owing to the discriminatory centralization of facilities in the urban areas as well as widening income gap between the urban and rural areas. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design while purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 300 from Ogbomoso south LGAs. The data collected was tested by using Pearson product moment correlation and ANOVA. The study established that self-help project had significant relationship with youth out-migration (r = .351*, N= 300, P < .05), community economy also had significant relationship with out-migration (r = .277*, N= 300, P < .05), care for elderly had negative significant relationship with out-migration(r = -.182*, N= 300, P < .05) and cultural practices also had significant relationship with out-migration (r = .198*, N= 300, P < .05). The study recommended that; government should decentralize its developmental projects and programmes in order to accommodate the rural areas. Government should make agriculture attractive for rural dwellers so that they could see it as a profitable occupation and there should be economic incentives to promote adaptation of indigenous skills and technologies in the rural areas.