THE EFFECTS OF “PERMANENT MIGRATION” ON THE ECONOMY OF OWERRI PROVINCE, EASTERN NIGERIA, 1950-1967

This paper focuses on internally generated economically motivated or modern migrations within Eastern Nigeria in the twentieth century, especially from 1950 to 1967 and its effects on the economy of Owerri Province. From the dawn of colonial rule in Nigeria, modern migration was characterized by rural-urban drift in diverse forms. It emerged as a consequence of the development of a money economy, which created employment opportunities in the new centres of development. During the period, migrant labour became coterminous with ‘wage’ labour because of the intrusion of people from the rural areas to the new centres of commerce for the purpose of wage employment. However, as from the end of the Second World War, “permanent migration” began to manifest in Eastern Nigeria in general and Owerri Province in particular. ‘Permanent migration’ denotes those migrants who left the rural areas and settled permanently in the towns, unlike the seasonal and short-term rural-urban migrants. Against this backdrop, this paper examines the causes, characteristics, factors that enhanced permanent migrations; and its effects on the economy of old Owerri Province. The paper adopts the thematic historical and eclectic methods and diverse sources of data in its analysis; and argues that activities of the ‘permanent migrants’ had both positive and adverse socio-economic effects on Owerri Province. It recommends proactive measures that if implemented could curtail ‘permanent migration’, which is still prevalent in current Imo State of Nigeria till date.