The Socio-Economic Benefits of Rural-Urban Migration: A Study in Foron District of Jos Plateau, Plateau State, Nigeria

This work looked at the socio-economic benefits of rural-urban migration in the Jos Plateau with focus on Foron district of Plateau state, North Central Nigeria. Adopting survey research design, household questionnaires were used to obtain data from 5 villages and 170 households that supplied information on 233 rural out-migrants. The results of the study were presented and analyzed using tables, graphs and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (rP). The results of the study shows a high rate of economic contact between migrants and their source regions as 92.27 % of them visited home in the course of a year and majority of them for the purpose of bringing money home.85.84 % remitted money and over 70 % remitted food stuffs and other provisions.77.69 % of the migrant-sending households confirm that their families have been better off as a result of remittances from migrants. It was equally found a decrease in frequency of monetary remittances with increasing period away from source region. This was found to be statistically significant. It is recommended a re-education and re-motivation of urbanites towards remitting steadfastly necessary resources back home to continue to maintain and improve the welfare of their rural households.