Rural-Urban Migration And Urban Youth Unemployment In Nigeria: Implications And Suggestions

Abstract

Nigerian youth are the most affected by the current phenomena of rural-urban migrationin the country. As the youth population in Nigeria urban centers grow, so does the unemployment rate.The paper analysed the situation of unemployed youth in urban Nigeria and also provides some thoughts on improving urban youth employment opportunities. Programmes designed to help include them in the labour marketand\or make them entrepreneurs areexamined.The paper argued that programmes that are customized to give entrepreneurship training to the youth in cities have the potential to help turn the tide.Entrepreneurship training programmes will afford urban youths the opportunity to be employed and also become employers. Yet, such training programmes tend to receive inadequate support and reach relatively few youth.Integrating youth into urban economies through self-employment is vital to the sustainability of urban areas and the welfare of the urban youth. The paper also suggests the urgent need to address the various facts that lead youth from the rural areas to choose life in urban areas.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, youth, unemployment, urban areas, capacity building, Migration