This paper examines the selectivity of migrants, and spatially quantifies
the impacts of rural-urban migration on socioeconomic development of
rural communities of Southeastern Nigeria. Data for the study were
generated using questionnaire and key informant interviews. Fifteen
(15) local government areas (LGAs) were randomly selected for this
study and each of the LGAs represents a geopolitical zone out of the
three geopolitical zones in each state of Nigeria. From each of the
LGAs, fifty (50) migrant-sending rural households were randomly
selected and used for the study totalling seven hundred and fifty (750)
households. Descriptive statistics were used to highlight the pattern of
rural-urban migration, and multiple regression analysis used to estimate
the impacts of migration on socioeconomic development in the study
area. In addition, Chi-square and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to
examine the relationships between the impacts of the migration and
various locations in the study area. The results of the analyses show
that rural out-migration is selective of males, especially those aged
between 20-39 years. Migration also contributes significantly, but in
different magnitudes towards socioeconomic development across the
states in the study area. The results of this study also categorized the
study area into areas of relatively low, moderate and high impacts of
rural-urban migration. Based on the findings, recommendations such as
meeting the infrastructural needs of the rural communities are made.