Urbanization And Industrialization In Nigeria

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

The aim of this chapter is to introduce the study, Urbanization and Industrialization in Nigeria: A Case Study of Kaduna Metropolis, 1957-2007.To achieve this objective the chapter will be organized as follows: Introduction; the aims and objectives of the study; the statement of the Research problem; Scope of the study; Justification of the study; Literature Review; Theoretical Framework; Methodology of the Study; Limitation of the study; and Notes on Source.

Industrialization can be defined as the extensive introduction of the latest scientific and technological achievements in production in the comprehensive technical re-equipment of the natural economy5. Specifically, in Kaduna this process of introducing scientific and technological achievements in production led to the establishment of a factory equipped with 14,000 spindles and 300 automatic looms, costing the Northern Regional Government £1,250,000 in 1957. Thus, the Kaduna Textiles Limited (KTL) was established6. This was the first large scale manufacturing industry in Kaduna. Subsequently, other large scale establishment that employed many people in the mass production of industrial or consumer goods were also established. These factories include Paper products, printing and publishing, brewery, car assembly plant, Asbestos-Cements Products, Fertilizers and Petroleum Refinery Plant..

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study concerns itself with the relationship between two phenomenon. It focuses on the relationship between Urbanization and Industrialization. Therefore efforts were made to explain how the manufacturing industry contributed to the growth and development of Kaduna metropolis. Hence, the thrust of the argument would be: Problem Statement: In what ways did the manufacturing industry impact on the development of Kaduna metropolis? Research Questions: A number of questions are addressed in this research including (although not limited to) the following: What influenced the location of industries in Kaduna metropolis? How did industrialization impact on urbanization? What has led to the high rate of urbanization in Kaduna metropolis? How was the city administered over time? What is the nature of inter-group relation in Kaduna metropolis? Which settlements developed as a result of the industrialization process in Kaduna metropolis? What caused the industries to decline? The answers to these questions would help us understand the importance of the manufacturing industry to the growth of our urban area. This is significant because it would unfold the nature of rural migration and urban poverty to Kaduna metropolis today.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The primary objective of the study is as follows:

1. To examine the unparallel relationship between the rapid urban growth of the city and its retrogressive industrialization process.
2. To examine circumstance that has led to low income, urban poverty, slums, ghettos and social disorder experienced by residents in the city.
3. The objective is to show that a city is not static; rather it is dynamic with effect from diverse sources such as regional, inter-regional, national and international economic forces.
4. Also, it aims at developing a framework that would enhance a mutually sustainable development for our urban centers.
5. It aims at contributing to the existing researches that have been done in Kaduna metropolis of which other works would lay the foundation basis for the research It aims at using the interdisciplinary approach, techniques and methods in understanding the relationship between urbanization and economic development in Nigeria.

1.4 Research Question

1. What influenced the location of industries in Kaduna metropolis?
2. How did industrialization impact on urbanization?
3. What has led to the high rate of urbanization in Kaduna metropolis?
4. How was the city administered over time?
5. What is the nature of inter-group relation in Kaduna metropolis?
6. Which settlements developed as a result of the industrialization process in Kaduna metropolis?
7. What caused the industries to decline?

1.5 Research Methodology

This study rests on research and theory developed within many disciplines. It draws together the work of historians, sociologists, political scientists, economists, geographers, urban ecologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, architects as well as city planners. This implies that in studying the city, one must not merely ask: „what is it?‟ (facts of urban life, such as concrete buildings, bureaucracies and unemployment rate), but, one must probe beyond the descriptions and the statistics to the broader and deeper reality of urban life. Another aspects of the methodology used is interview. The interviews were conducted in English language and recorded in notebooks. For the various factories visited, the approach was to present a Letter of Introduction to the authorities concerned

Thereafter, permission was granted to interact with officials who provided the relevant information to the study. Besides, the industrial establishment, there were series of discussions with several individuals from diverse backgrounds. Some them were ex-factory workers and others are still working in factories, while some never worked in the factories, but have information of interest on the contribution of industry to the growth and development of Kaduna metropolis

1.6 Significance of the Study

The significance of this study cannot be underestimated as:

1. This study will examine urbanization and industrialization in Nigeria
2. The findings of this research work will undoubtedly provide the much needed information to government organizations, Kaduna state government and academia

1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study was delineated along the dimensions of space and time. Kaduna metropolis was chosen for the study due to the large number of industries established in the Kaduna area, making it only second to Kano in terms of concentration of manufacturing industries in northern Nigeria. Also, the choice of Kaduna for the study is hinged on its position in the politics of Nigeria from its inception and after independence. This is because its position was enhanced by Northern bureaucrats who decided that Kaduna should remain the site of major federal departments and boards. For example, multi-millionaire naira industries like the fertilizers factory, Peugeot Automobile industry, the Kaduna oil refinery amongst others are located in Kaduna. Furthermore, the infrastructural demands of modern manufacturing activities have tended to be concentrated in the Kaduna metropolis. This explains why the thesis focused on Kaduna metropolis instead of Kaduna state as a whole. Actually a case can easily be made for the concentration of manufacturing in metropolitan Kaduna. When we talk of modern manufacturing activities, the industrialization of Kaduna state is synonymous with the industrialization of Kaduna South L.G.A., a densely populated area. Outside this area, there are very few modern manufacturing plants and even such are small-scale manufacturing plants in the state. The period 1957 is significant in the study of industrial growth and development in Kaduna. Prior to this time, the industries were small or medium sizes employing about 10-50 people, but the coming into operation of the Kaduna Textiles Limited in 1957 marked a turning point in the industrial development of Kaduna. Since then, the rate of industrial development in both Kaduna, and the northern region has been fairly rapid. Besides the textile industries, a wide range of other industries also exists. These include paper products, printing and publishing, brewery, a car assembly plant, asbestos-cement products, etc

1.8 Limitation of the Study

This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:

1. Just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data
2. Financial constraint , was faced by the researcher ,in getting relevant materials and in printing and collation of questionnaires
3. Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher