Rural and urban interdependencies in Nigeria: survey results from two Igbo villages

Abstract

This paper discusses the socio-economic characteristics of two Nigerian Igbo villages as revealed in a survey administered in May 2001. One of these villages (Umuluwe) is a more traditional rural Igbo community while the other (Obigbo), a more modern one, is located close to Port Harcourt, a major Nigerian city. Migrants from Umuluwe were among the founders of Obigbo and these two villages maintain a symbiotic relationship with each other. They differ significantly in age structure, gender representation, occupations, and income flows, and must be considered as a unified whole. This paper presents survey results documenting the interconnections between migration, traditional Igbo institutions and the pressures of modernisation. The dual village strategy (symbiotic relationship) shows how the two villages, Obigbo and Umuluwe, cope with economic change while maintaining traditional institutions and beliefs.