Abstract:
This study envisioned to give perceptiveness of the causes, challenges and coping strategy of
youth rural-urban migration. The objective of the study is to explore factors that motivated
youth rural-urban migration, the challenges faced by youth migrants at their place of
destination and their coping strategies how they resolve their challenges. The study
employed a qualitative research approach and purposive sampling technique. The sample
size for this study was 17 participants for in an in depth-interview, five key informants and
14 participants in focus group discussion guided by semi-structured instruments. Data
Collection Techniques including in depth-Interviews, focus group discussion and the key
informant interview was employed to get relevant and sufficient data. The research study
found that the full picture of causes for rural youth migration are variously multifaceted.
These include, family circumstances, such as economic problem, divorce, education, early
marriage, the loss of a parent,, lack of employment opportunities, conflict and insecurity,
peer influences that were the major causes for rural youth migrants. The result of this study
also exemplify the multifaceted challenges affecting rural youth migrants. These consisted
of, Job insecurity, high cost of living, housing problem, abuses and having personal
identification card (ID) are the most challenging issues. Findings from this study further
indicated that even though they are encountered with several challenges, they have
attempted to apply different strategies to cope their challenges to overcome their hardship.
These comprises, Borrowing money from friends, sharing room, religious beliefs, collecting
over left food from restaurant, using holy water for health and using river water for hygiene
were among their coping mechanisms. The study recommends that the federal government
and regional governments are expected to consistently implement a dependable legal and
institutional framework for the control of rural youth migrants and provision of necessary
support for the migrated youth.
