ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on to the changes occurring in the growth and spatial distribution of Nigeria's population since the end of the Second World War. It analyses the nature of these changes in terms of migration by major ethnic group, area and volume. The chapter describes certain major consequences of this migration, including rapid urbanization, rural depopulation and a widening disparity of development from area to area. It assesses the planning response of government to the resulting problems of development, and suggest ways of improving that response. In northern Nigeria, four States which have become net exporters of population face similar financial problems. By contrast, Kano and North-Central States, which together embrace the central core-area excluding Jos, are financially strong, net importers of population and enjoy diversifying economic bases. For example, the first Nigerian National Development Plan contained no national strategy for urban and regional development.
