INFLUENCE OF LIVELIHOOD ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMMES ON RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION IN THE EASTGONJA DISTRICT OF NORTHERN REGION

Abstract

This study assessed the influence of livelihood enhancement programmes on rural-urban migration in the Kijew, Dagbambia, Gbung and Libi communities in the East Gonja District in the Northern Region of Ghana. The descriptive and cross-sectional designs were adopted for the study. A representative sample size of 502 was selected out of the total population for the study. Semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data, including means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages. Bivariate correlation analysis was conducted to identify the relationships. The product-moment correlation coefficient (r) was used for the analysis. Inferential statistical tools like ANOVA, paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test were used in relevant comparisons in the data. The results revealed that the majority of the respondents associated migration with wealth and higher social status. The study also revealed that most of the beneficiaries in the Sheanut Processing Programme and the Fertiliser Subsidisation Programme had either no challenge or very little challenge in understanding the new techniques, whereas most of the participants of the GSOP and RING project had moderate and very high challenge in understanding the new techniques being taught. It is recommended that a more in-depth internal assessment of the programmes be made to bring out their effectiveness on the livelihoods of beneficiaries. More sensitisation of the community members needs to be embarked on given that even most of the income sufficient community members had intentions to migrate for exposure and higher social status.