Urbanization and Its Social Vices in Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue XI, November 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Urbanization and Its Social Vices in Nigeria

John, Wajim¹, Adamu, Dauda Garba², Shimfe, Harry Grace³

^1,2,3Department of Sociology, Federal University, Wukari, 200 Katsina-Ala Road, P.M.B 1020 Wukari, Nigeria

Abstract: – This scholarly paper examined Urbanization and its Social Vices in Nigeria. Urbanization is a population change from rural to urban areas, and the steady increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas. The interplay of both “Push and Pull” factors at the points of origin and destination stimulates migrations. The push factors, which cause migration, include political fear, unemployment, poor medical facilities etc. Similarly, the pull factors are the desire to better life, job opportunities, improved living conditions, desire for qualitative education, better housing, improved medical care and a good network of roads among several others. Majority of others who migrated from rural to urban areas that have no jobs to do became more impoverished to the point of becoming social misfits otherwise known as area boys and girls. Crimes and insecurity; poverty and unemployment; and environmental problems are social vices of urbanization in Nigeria. Secondary sources of data collection were used for this scholarly paper. Amongst other recommendations it is recommended that, government should give more attention to the social plights of rural dwellers in order to reduce their mass exodus from the rural areas to urban areas.

Keywords: Urbanization, urban area, rural area, migration, Nigeria

I. INTRODUCTION

A combination of the growth by densification and growth by expansion approaches presents a useful framework to understand the processes of urban development that occurred in post-independence Nigerian urban areas (Ogu, 2005). Growth by expansion often occurs at the edges of existing urban areas and refers to the appearance of new parts of a city. It emerges when disconnected developments and residential settlements that do not form part of urban areas start to be incorporated into city limits due to physical expansion pressures (Atu et al., 2012). This process is supported by diminishing commuting distances to the urban core, which allow the ever-expanding absorption of discontinuous settlement on the periphery into an existing urban fabric. This process of growth and urban change integrates a diversity of settlements, ranging from housing estates, educational facilities and industrial sites to unplanned residential developments on urban fringes progressively incorporating peripheral settlements (Ogu, 2005.).

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