The purpose of this paper was to examine the environmental implication of over
population and rural-urban migration on development in Nigeria. Due to poverty and
under development in rural areas, very many persons have migrated to urban centres
in search of greener pasture thereby putting pressure on exiting environmental
resources. The present excessively un-even population distribution between cities and
town with only a negligible proportion of people living in villages in an index of
economic backwardness of Nigeria as a poor nation. The paper pointed out the
various indicators of underdevelopment to include food shortage, water shortage and
health problem. Today it is very common to hear medical doctors embark on
industrial action against poor welfare and ill equipped medical facilities thereby
leading to crisis in the country while the rich and government officials seek medical
attention outside the country. The paper highlighted the various environmental
implications of overpopulation and rural-urban migration on development to include:
Inadequate fresh water for drinking as well as sewage treatment and effluent
discharge, depletion of natural resources especially fossil fuels, increased levels of
air pollution, water pollution, solid contamination and noise pollution. Deforestation
and loss of ecosystems that sustain global atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide
balance is also another implication. The paper all called on government to
promulgated appropriate laws to check overpopulation and migration. The media
should create the needed awareness on environmental consequences and the same
time educates the public on the need of limited family size. Nongovernmental
organizations are called upon to carry out adequate sensitization and advocacy
within urban and rural areas on the effects of environmental resource pressure.