RURAL-URBAN POLARIZATION AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA
Abstract
The drive for development is desirable for any society given the benefits it renders to the citizen. Such benefit will only be equitable if all segments of the society are core beneficiaries. In this paper, the dichotomy that exists between the rural and urban centres in Nigeria is explored and data from reliable sources such as the World Bank and International Labour Organization were used in driving home our arguments. In the analysis, this paper has revealed that there has been a significant polarization between the urban and rural areas as reflected in key indicators like literacy rate, access to electricity, access to good water, and access to sanitation. This polarization exists irrespective of the fact that the rural population has been accounting for a greater proportion. This lack of balanced development has led to massive rural-urban drift which has exacerbated further socio-economic problems in the Nigerian society. It is critical to learn about the activities that rural residents engage in and to identify the problems that inhibit their communities' development. This will help to erode the high polarization existing between the rural and urban areas.
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