the characteristics of a settled community of sojourners rather than a community of circulatory migrants. Many were already doing well in their businesses. But the world economic depression of the early 1930’s saw the economic gains of the early years go down the drain. However, as the recession years passed by, the prosperity that came along in the 1940s and 50s made a remarkable imprint on Igbomina as ownership of houses with corrugated iron sheets, became a status symbol found in most Igbomina villages. By this time there was great glamour and prestige associated with migration especially to Lagos. It was seen as rite-de-passage, to be a real man (enlightened) you have to have been to Lagos at least once. Nearly all of the earliest migrants were exporting their strength and not their skill and were going to work as labourers. Petty trading accounted for more then fifty per cent of the occupational group as they graduated from labourer work. As the early days of migration passed by, a good many Igbomina migrants took permanent residence in Lagos. They were no longer returning home at the end of dry seasons. The peculiar characteristic of early migration, when the number of times visits were made to Lagos determined ones social status among the people, became old fashioned. “civilised” Gradually, a community of Igbomina settled migrants emerged at various locations on Lagos Island. Their places of early settlement were Ereko, Enu Owa, Ebute-ero, Obanikoro, Onala, Princess Street, Dosunmu, Idumagbo, all of which played host to them on arrival. Early migrants lived a closely knitted life. The pattern of settlement was such that village community members lived very close to each other or sometimes lived in single room apartments. This not only ensured personal security for all, but also implies a direct transfer of the traditional socio-cultural life practised at home to the new environment. Such jointly acquired apartment was often the Mecca of every new migrant arriving in Lagos from home. They came
the characteristics of a settled community of sojourners rather than a community of circulatory migrants. Many were already doing well in their businesses. But the world economic depression of the early 1930’s saw the economic gains of the early years go down the drain. However, as the recession years passed by, the prosperity that came along in the 1940s and 50s made a remarkable imprint on Igbomina as ownership of houses with corrugated iron sheets, became a status symbol found in most Igbomina villages. By this time there was great glamour and prestige associated with migration especially to Lagos. It was seen as rite-de-passage, to be a real man (enlightened) you have to have been to Lagos at least once. Nearly all of the earliest migrants were exporting their strength and not their skill and were going to work as labourers. Petty trading accounted for more then fifty per cent of the occupational group as they graduated from labourer work. As the early days of migration passed by, a good many Igbomina migrants took permanent residence in Lagos. They were no longer returning home at the end of dry seasons. The peculiar characteristic of early migration, when the number of times visits were made to Lagos determined ones social status among the “civilised” people, became old fashioned. Gradually, a community of Igbomina settled migrants emerged at various locations on Lagos Island. Their places of early settlement were Ereko, Enu Owa, Ebute-ero, Obanikoro, Onala, Princess Street, Dosunmu, Idumagbo, all of which played host to them on arrival. Early migrants lived a closely knitted life. The pattern of settlement was such that village community members lived very close to each other or sometimes lived in single room apartments. This not only ensured personal security for all, but also implies a direct transfer of the traditional socio-cultural life practised at home to the new environment. Such jointly acquired apartment was often the Mecca of every new migrant arriving in Lagos from home. They came
Transition-of-Rural-Migrant-To-urban-Society.docx