Abstract

Oluwasola O., Idowu, E. O. and Osuntogun D. A.

A major policy omission in Nigeria is the absence of policies deliberately targeted at fostering rural-urban linkage
with a view to improving the income earning potentials of the rural areas through increased output to satisfy the
urban market. This study thus examined the impact of rural-urban linkage on the incomes of rural farming
households in Ile-Ife area of Osun State, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics and regression analytical techniques were
used to analyse data collected from a sample of 200 farmers. The study revealed that 95% of the respondents lived
within 20 km of the city while 85% of the respondents were linked to the city mainly by untarred roads. The
regression analyses revealed that although farm sizes increased away from the city, there is negative relationship
between distance and net income. A kilometer increase in distance away from the city will depress net income by
3%. The study also revealed that while the older farmers tended to locate farther away from the city, age of the
farmer also tended to be negatively correlated with income. The study again revealed that a unit increase in farm
expenditure will lead to 75% increase in net farm income. Although household size normally affected farm sizes
positively, in the study area, it had a negative correlation. The only viable alternative to increasing farm sizes and
hence net income is through investment in new technologies and inputs. These are opportunities which the city
offers the rural areas when properly linked.