Assessing the Socio-Economic impact of rural-urban migration: Nekemte Town in Focus.

Abstract

In developing countries like Ethiopia rural-urban migration is an image that distresses development in both urban and rural areas. This study aimed to examine Socio Economic effect of Rural-Urban migration: The case of Nekemt town. A total of 155 participants in the study were selected by purposively.In purposive sampling method, the researcher proposes the sample with a purpose in mind and selects the best respondent by his judgment to get relevant information. .In order to attain the proposed objectives instruments like questionnaire, key informants interview and FGDs were employed. To analyze the collected data both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. More specifically, quantitative data analyzed by using Regression and correlation analysis with the help of the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 and whereas the qualitative data analyzed by narration (discussion).In Nekemt town the price of everything is increased from time to time as the number of rural-urban migrants increased in the town. According to the finding informal sector is expanded in Nekemt town. Street vendor is become common in this town. Street vendors affect both life of the society because the trader sells contraband material with low price. Other traders those trade legally and pay tax for government affect by this illegal trade. The other one is commercial sex is expanded in this town. Most of the women those participated in commercial sex are rural migrants. Crime was highly expanded in Nekemt town. Most of these crimes are committed by rural-urban migrants. As the number of migrants increased the number of unemployment’s also increased. Unemployment may lead youth to commit crime to survive the life.In this town the number of urban population is increased as the number of rural urban migrants increased. There was scarcity of social service because of rural-urban migrants increased in this town.To solve the problemGovernments and other private sectors should create awareness among societies to minimize the number of rural-urban migration in the study area.Migrants should create new job in rural area rather than migrate in to this town. If they create job by expanding irrigation in rural area they may get better income than that they can get in the town.Government must ensure rural development policy to modernize agricultural activities that change the life of rural residents.