THE PROCESS AND PATTERN OF URBANIZATION AND LABOUR MIGRATION IN NIGERIA
By Anyaele Samuel O.
Mabogunje (1968), defined urbanization as the process whereby human beings congregates in relatively large number at one particular spot of the earth surface. The particular spot is refered to urban centers. Urbanization simply put, is a demographical phenomenon charaterized with the movement of people from the rural settings to permanently dwell in the city (urban areas). Labour migration on the other hand, is the process through which an individual move from an administrative territorial community to another community in order to gain an employment. There are two types of labour migration namely; the contemporary labour migration which is also refered to as oversea or contract workers. Here, an individual migrates for a little period in order to send money back home. And the highly skilled and business migrants; here, people with qualifications like executives, technicians, professionals and its similar prowless move within the international or national labour market to gain employment.
Urbanization process are those factors that facilitates a place to turn into urban center. These factors includes; migration (PUSH – PULL FACTORS), natural increase, government policies, exchange of trade etc.
MIGRATION- migration is a rational movement that invovles a change in place of residence across a defined geo-political boundary. Migration is age, sex, destination and reason selective. Factors that instigates individuals varies between the push – pull factors.
PUSH FACTORS- these are those things within the point of origin that forces an individual to move out from the point of origin to the point of destination. The include; communal conflict, escape from the conformity and provincialism of rural life, poverty, educational pursuit, frustration, natural disaster, war, famine etc.
PULL FACTORS- these on the other hand, are those things at the point of destination that attracts an individual to the point of destination. These attractive factors include; inviting pay, marriage and its dissolution, job transfer, conducive environment, availability of job opporunity etc.
It is imperative to note that migration is “life” and without movements there is no civilzation. No place has ever been developed only by what that particular place possess. There is always need for need for resources both human and materials from outside that vicinity. And the growth of population in towns and cities are largely the result of migration. That is to indicate that migration is a process of urbanization, and migration from either the rural – urban centers or urban – rural centers or rural – rural or urban – urban centers are the patterns of labour migration.
NATURAL INCREASE- this refers to the difference between birth and death rates in a country over a given period of time usually one (1) year. Although this phenomenon do not have a striking impact like migration on urbanization process, it contributes to the increament experienced in the population. And where there are much people in a place, there’s a great tendency of such a place to be urbanized. The National Population Commission (NPC, 2006) stated that before a place could be seen as an urban center, it must be made up of 20000 people.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES – these are actions, programmes, innovations instituted by the government to make governance better. Government policies have a way of urbanizing a place or causing labour to move exponetially. For instance, the creation of Abuja (FCT) in the early 1970’s and the movement of government departments and agencies from Lagos to Abuja, created a new major center of population concentration in the middle belt of the country (Mabogunje, 1972). Other government policies like stopage of bike men in certain areas, provision of social amenities, devaluation of naira, creation of more State or Local Government Area all have a way of making a particular area an urban center.
EXCHANGE OF TRADE – This is the process whereby individuals converge in a particular place in order to exchange various commodities or goods and services among themselves. Trading, have a great way of turning a place into an urban center. Because people from all walks of life, with different family upbring, culture, ethnic groups having different language, travelling from both far and near destinations just to exchange goods and service will one day, decide not go back and settle at the place of exchange. In this case, trade and cosmopolitanism will trigger that area to be urbanized. For example, places like Lagos, Kano, Onitsha in Anambra State, Aba in Abia State all in Nigeria became urbanized through this very factor (trading).
However, it is important to note also that youths and adult male and female move from one administrative territorial community to another community in search of empolyment and greener pastures. And in so doing, both urbanization and labour migration is taking place.

REFERENCE(S)
Mabogunje, L. A (1968) Urbanization in Nigeria, London, University of London Press. Pp 22-25.
Mabogunje, L.A (1972) Urban Land Policy and Population Growth in Nigeria
Nigeria Population Census 2006 Analysis