Rural Development Trends In Nigeria: Problems And Prospects

The paper provides an analysis of the Nigerian rural development policies from 1975 to date examining the extent of their success. It clearly explains what rural development is highlighting the basic missions of rural development policies within the time scope. The paper also identified the challenges to successful implementation of the policies pointing out the exclusion of rural dwellers and the imposition of policies on the dwellers as chief among reasons. The paper argue that these policies created dichotomies in the rural areas by creating capitalist tendencies through inequalities as most peasants cannot afford to purchase modern equipment introduced. The paper concludes by advocating for rural dwellers inclusion in drafting of policies and the utilization of local technologies and rural structures for the success of those policies and sustainability.

ural development implies both economic betterment of people as well as greater social transformation. Unfortunately, most of the rural area is yet to be modernized and transited from its traditional isolation to integrate with the national economy. This paper therefore, underscores the problems of rural development in Iwaro Oka-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The first stage in the collection of primary data involves reconnaissance survey of the study area, while the second stage necessitated the administration of questionnaire. Seven zones were identified and twenty questionnaires were administered in each of the zones, making a total of one hundred and forty. Issues such as the infrastructural facilities, literacy level, component of economic activities as well as the people's attitude to modernization and technological innovation were sought in the questionnaire. The study however, adopts descriptive method of data analysis.

The framework of government plans were centered on facilitating the development of urban areas. Consequently, most of these initial infrastructure development efforts in Nigeria were skewed at the detriment of rural areas. This paper is aimed at examining the development plans and implementation vis a vis retardation state of rural environment in Nigeria. It emphasises the need for a paradigm shift in the development of rural areas in Nigeria. This paper utilised information obtained from secondary (existing literature) sources such as journals and other archived materials. A wide disparity was observed between rural and urban areas owing to long-term neglect of the former. It was also observed that policy initiation and implementation was not done with sincerity of purpose among policy makers and programme implementers. This paper therefore recommends the establishment of ministry and department of rural development which will be saddled with the responsibility of transforming the rural areas.

2015

Rural development practice in Nigeria has spanned over 10 decades from pre-independence to the current decade. This paper attempts a time-series review on rural development practice in Nigeria to see what has changed over a fairly long period of time. Various development plan periods have been examined in relation to rural development practice. The review shows that the greater part of public efforts on rural development was subsumed under agricultural development which was more exploitative to the rural resources and residents than improve their quality of life. Although relatively improved understanding of rural development manifested among policy makers beginning in the late 1980s, the paper argues that such understanding surprisingly did not translate into corresponding improvement in rural development practice because of several factors including weak institutional arrangements, corruption and absence of coordinated practice among competing agencies. It is the view of this pape...

The paper is a critical examination of rural development programmes and the challenge of rural underdevelopment in Nigeria. It emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in the development of rural areas in Nigeria. The “development space” between urban and rural areas in Nigeria is very broad (in terms of the provision of economic development, quality of life, access to opportunities, amenities, social services and standard of living). This leads to what is suitably characterized as the rural- urban dichotomy. The rural areas are usually abhorrently mistreated as far as development projects and infrastructures are concerned. The initiatives that have been put in place in order to develop rural communities in Nigeria are diverse and multifarious. This paper therefore considered these policies and discovered that rural development programmes exists on paper and their impacts are not being felt by the supposed beneficiaries. The study used mainly observation, interview and existing literature to discuss the subject matter. Adopting the ‘elite theory,’ rural development policy makers and implementers pursue elite interests at the expense of broader community interests. It identified that Agricultural Development and Rural Development are not the same. The paper recommended the creation of the Federal/States Ministry of Rural Development, Rural Development Plan Implementation Review Centres (RDPIRCs) and Rural Infrastructure Maintenance Agency (RIMA) as units/departments in rural communities where implementation takes place.

The development of rural areas and particularly in developing societies has remained a challenge to policy makers, and developments experts. Policies, programmes and theories aimed at improving the broad socioeconomic well being of the rural poor have been initiated and pursued since 1960. Characteristically, these policies and programmes have had varying degree of successes and problems. The paper adopts the desk research and takes a critical appraisal of policy documents, theoretical models and programmes of government at all levels (federal, state and local governments) and their implication for rural development. The findings of the study show that though a number of policies, programmes have been initiated and executed, and theories propounded, they have tended to serve the interest of the political elite and their cronies to the chagrin of those whom the policies and programmes were planned for. To a large extent, these policies and programmes have made the policy makers richer and in most cases the programmes abandoned and or not sustainable. Based on the findings we recommended an alternative approach to rural development that is, the participatory approach that is infused with elements of conscientisation.

International Review of Administrative Sciences, 1984

Rural development is a multi-dimensional approach by which the productivity, income and quality of life in terms of health, nutrition, education, and other characteristics of satisfactory life of rural people can be improved or transformed. Examples abound in Nigeria since political independence of rural-financial and development projects ranging from health to roads which are executed in rural settlements. Rural development efforts or rural transformation involves the changing of the social and economic structures, institutions, and processes of the rural settings. The exercise should be seen as a balanced development with emphasizes on equitable distribution and creation of gains. The paper introduced the concept of rural development with selected examples of rural development policies in Nigeria. This paper also discussed the factors that have hindered the success of rural development programmes from achieving its aims and objectives of bettering the life of the poor with the consideration of the Marxian political economy theory as it affect the realization of MDGs in Nigeria by 2015 and concluded with the recommendations that the politics of stakeholders in the management of rural development policies to be put off.