International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue XII, December 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
Dynamics of Wage prestige and Implications on Rural-urban Migration in Nsukka Area of Nigeria
Ugochukwu Simeon Asogwa
Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
Abstract: Rural-urban migration is an aspect of internal migration. Humans are known to have migrated extensively throughout prehistory and human history and the movement of people in modern times has remarkably continued under various forms. This paper examines wage prestige as a factor influencing rural-urban migration in rural communities in Nsukka, Enugu state, Nigeria using a total of 40 (25 males and 15 females) eligible participants from 30 years and above. The study adapted purposive and snowball sampling techniques with in-depth interview as the method of data collection. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the elicited data. Result showed that many migrants were averse to self-employment. It was found that most rural migrants majorly seek salaried work that guarantees job security. Among other findings, the study found a correlation between education and migration. The study findings therefore highlight how the dislike for self-employment has increased the prestige attached to wage labour and the attendant implication on rural-urban migration. It heralds the need for urgent government intervention in rural areas.
Keywords: wage prestige, rural-urban, migration, unemployment, self-employment, aversion.
I. INTRODUCTION
The connectedness between migration and economic advancement of individuals has continued to attract the attentions of researchers across the globe. Migration follows a number of patterns on space dimension which include urban-urban; urban-rural; rural-rural and rural-urban (Eze, 2016). According to Amrevurayire & Ojeh (2016), migration affects people with economic, social, educational and demographic peculiarities. Farrell (2017) noted that human migration from rural to urban settlements is a widespread phenomenon in developing countries. The act of rural dwellers leaving the traditional agricultural sector in order to enhance their economic activities to be able to meet their livelihood needs in urban areas is an important part of the development process in developing countries (Umar et al., 2018). Ango et al. (2014) however stressed that migration as a global phenomenon is caused not only by economic factors, but many other factors such as cultural, social, environmental, political, health among others. Aworemi et al. (2011) identified three categories of factors that are perceived as responsible for rural-urban migration which include those related to the need for education and acquisition of skills in various vocations; those related to the lack of desirable job opportunities in rural areas and finally; those factors relating to social, such as inadequate amenities.