Bisola David
The minister of state for budget and national planning, Clem Agba, has highlighted that rural-urban migration results in slums in urban areas and fuels more insecurity.
The Punch reported that the Minister said this during the end-of-tenure news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
“The issues around integrated rural development as enshrined in the National Development Plan 2021–2025 for me is key, and I think that the incoming government should also pay some particular attention to this program because if we are able to resolve the issues around the integrated rural development, we will be solving a lot of urban-related issues.
“Our youth, whether they reside in rural or urban areas, are looking for opportunities; therefore, if those opportunities are offered in the rural areas, we will not experience this huge rural-urban migration, which is the reason why many slums are developing around our urban centers.
“What that means is insecurity because as the slums expand and there are no jobs right away, these guys start engaging in all kinds of vices. They start taking drugs and other substances,” he said.
The minister also continued by pointing out that the absence of development in rural areas has caused a rapid increase in population.
Agba added that rather than concentrating solely on the federal government, Nigerians should challenge local and state governments for improvements in the states.
He further urged Nigerians to watch the progress of capital projects in the country by visiting the citizen-based web program EYEMARK, as he emphasized some of the ministry’s developments and implementations of crucial growth and development for the country.
The minister added that a framework for national monitoring and evaluation was also devised by the ministry.
