The study entitled rural youth empowerment: a panacea to rural-urban drift in Ethiope-East Area of Delta State, Nigerians was carried out to x-ray the available economic opportunities for empowering rural youths to curb migration to the city. A purposive random sampling technique was used to select youths from communities with high number of youths who often travel. A sample size of 150 youths was selected and data collected using questionnaire were analyzed using frequency counts, mean and percentages presented on tabular form. The major findings reveals that lack of employment opportunities, lack of social amenities, absence of industries, boredom in agriculture are the reasons for rural-urban drift. The result reveals also that low agricultural productivity or output, overcrowding, slow down of rural development projects, loosening of family bonds, increase crime are the major effects of rural urban drift. To curb rural-urban drift, it was revealed that basic social amenities be provided, quality of education improved, creation of credit and loan schemes, access to productive resources, access to information, industrial modernization, health and nutrition education, access to cooperative/local youth organization and entrepreneurial activities. The above implies that our rural areas could be haven of peace and economic activities, should right facilities be provided.

Keyword: Rural youths, migration, empowerment, urban, agriculture, Nigeria.

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