Rural-Urban Migration and Differential Access to Social Services in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Rural-urban migration has emerged as a significant demographic force reshaping social 
service landscapes in rapidly urbanising Nigerian cities, yet its differential impact on 
migrants versus urban indigenes remains insufficiently examined, particularly in Kaduna 
Metropolis. This study investigated rural-urban migration and differential access to social 
services in Kaduna Metropolis. Guided by Lee's push-pull theory, the Harris-Todaro 
migration model, and social exclusion theory, the study adopted a cross-sectional survey 
design. A stratified random sample of 384 participants, comprising 192 rural-urban migrants 
and 192 urban indigenes, was drawn from three local government areas within Kaduna 
Metropolis. Data were collected using a structured, validated questionnaire and analysed 
through descriptive statistics and inferential tests, including independent samples t-tests and 
chi-square analyses, at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed statistically significant 
disparities across all service domains: healthcare access (t = −18.46, p < .001), educational 
access (t = −14.92, p < .001), and water, sanitation, and housing access (t = −21.37, p < 
.001), all favouring urban indigenes. The most acute gap was recorded in water, sanitation, 
and housing. Poverty, lack of identity documentation, geographic marginalisation, language 
barriers, and limited awareness of entitlements were identified as principal structural 
barriers disproportionately affecting migrants. The study concludes that rural-urban 
migration intensifies social service inequality in Kaduna Metropolis and recommends rights
based, community-sensitive, and structurally informed social work interventions involving 
government agencies, social workers, and non-governmental organisations to bridge 
identified service access gaps.