Urbanization and Poverty in Ilorin

Abstract

This study examines urbanization and poverty in Ilorin to explain the dynamics of urbanization and poverty in Nigerian cities that have received scanty scholarly attention. Though, studies on urbanization in Nigeria have suggest that urban poverty is a post-colonial development, nonetheless, it has become a social phenomenon, particularly in Ilorin with a high risk of poverty and homelessness, thus creating inequality among social groups and individuals. This paper using a qualitative research method of primary and secondary sources of data collection and interpretation reveals that urban poverty is a reflection of rural poverty in unemployment and poor infrastructure, resulting from exclusive, unsustainable social and economic policies that encourage rural-urban migration; while expectations for social and economic opportunities are inadequate and not feasible. It also revealed that urban problems, like poverty, are a societal problem that is more noticeable now in cities than in rural areas, more visible because of their spatial concentration in inner-city neighborhoods. The need to address urban drift and develop rural areas through adequate provision of social infrastructure would help create a sustainable environment and reduce poverty and rural emigration.