Urbanization, Career Choice and Increasing Child Neglect in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State

Abstract

The study examined Urbanization, Career Choice and Increasing Child Neglect in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. The research inquiries were sourced from the framework of 400 respondents who constituted the sample size. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data in this study. Specifically, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Co efficient (r) and t tests were used to test the hypotheses formulated in the study. Out of the 400 copies of questionnaire distributed in 14 wards of Emohua Local Government Area in Rivers State, 387 copies were retrieved and 381 copies (i.e. 95% response rate) were found useful for data analysis. The study found that to a large extent urbanization influences career choice of the respondents and that career choice has effect on child neglect. Some of the key strategies identified by the study for effective urbanization, career choice development and reduction of child neglect in rural areas include: Slowing down population increase, improving rural conditions, creation of jobs by government in rural areas, effective family planning and improving the economic sector in rural areas. The study also found that there is lack of coordination among stakeholders engaged in tackling the impacts of urbanization on children and youth. The study identified the key problems or causes of urbanization, career choice and child neglect to include: Lack of funds to execute household programmes, Lack of employment opportunities, failure to integrate practices with career/family objectives, lack of planning for career choice/family goals, non government co-operation on socio-economic issues for the citizenry and family structure/decisions and poor capacity utilization. The major Reasons for Respondents’ Relocating to Urban Centres include: Circumstances do not favor them to remain in rural area and achieve their educational/career objectives, urban cities have more quality of life facilities than the rural areas and to generate enough resources to bring up their children/family appropriately. Urbanization in Nigeria has since the 20th and 21st centuries been in the increase. From the test of the hypotheses it is evident and conclusive that: There is significant relationship between urbanization and career choice of the respondents, there is significant relationship between career choice and child neglect, and there is significant relationship between urbanization and child neglect. The study therefore recommends: the strengthening of the capacity of unemployed rural dwellers - through credit and agricultural extension services, increasing opportunities for employment in rural areas and promoting rural development - through improved productivity, reactivation of village industries, providing education/training and embarking on effective coordination of stakeholders in rural areas.