Marriage migration, a neglected form of long-term mobility: a case study from Ilorin, Nigeria

"This article examines the evidence for and possible significance of marriage migration in and around the city of Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, Nigeria, which has a population of about 400,000." The study "reveals a movement of rural women to marry into wealthy polygymous compounds in the city and the return of some of these women to their rural natal compounds later in life. This movement may be an explanation for the high proportion of women in indigenous towns, and perhaps also in some newer medium-sized settlements. It can also be seen as a reflection of the unequal and exploitive relationship between the towns and their rural hinterland."