CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGRAOUND TO THE STUDY
One of the major characteristics of the developing
countries is the increasing disparity between the urban and
rural areas. This gap according to Igboeli (1992) has its
roots in the neo-classical economic theories which presumed
that “development can be accelerated by concentrating
investments in the cities and that rural poverty will be
ameliorated by the trickle down of benefits from the urban
industrial growth”. With the so-called growth-centred
strategy, the developing countries have continued to witness
imbalances in the living conditions between the urban and
rural dwellers. Consequently, development theories over the
years have been searching for alternative strategies that
One of the major characteristics of the developing
countries is the increasing disparity between the urban and
rural areas. This gap according to Igboeli (1992) has its
roots in the neo-classical economic theories which presumed
that “development can be accelerated by concentrating
investments in the cities and that rural poverty will be
ameliorated by the trickle down of benefits from the urban
industrial growth”. With the so-called growth-centred
strategy, the developing countries have continued to witness
imbalances in the living conditions between the urban and
rural dwellers. Consequently, development theories over the
years have been searching for alternative strategies that
One of the major characteristics of the developing
countries is the increasing disparity between the urban and
rural areas. This gap according to Igboeli (1992) has its
roots in the neo-classical economic theories which presumed
that “development can be accelerated by concentrating
investments in the cities and that rural poverty will be
ameliorated by the trickle down of benefits from the urban
industrial growth”. With the so-called growth-centred
strategy, the developing countries have continued to witness
imbalances in the living conditions between the urban and
rural dwellers. Consequently, development theories over the
years have been searching for alternative strategies that
One of the major characteristics of the developing countries is the increasing disparity between the urban and rural areas. This gap according to Igboeli (1992) has its roots in the neo-classical economic theories which presumed that “development can be accelerated by concentrating investments in the cities and that rural poverty will be ameliorated by the trickle down of benefits from the urban industrial growth”. With the so-called growth-centred strategy, the developing countries have continued to witness imbalances in the living conditions between the urban and rural dwellers. Consequently, development theories over the years have been searching for alternative strategies that would not only accelerate growth but also spread the benefits of development to the rural areas. The distortion of Nigeria’s development pattern has been sufficiently highlighted in the relevant literature. Aboyade (1980) has specifically decried the profound dualism between the urban and rural areas and the proportionate costs and consequences of rural infrastructural lag behind urban modernism. Onimode (1982) has even gone much further to pinpoint the historical origin of the dualism in contemporary Nigeria between the rural and urban areas. According to Onimode (1982:63) some eighty percent of the population in rural areas either had no medical services or made do with rudimentary facilities scattered over wide distances.
Community participation as a development approach for rural socioeconomic development is an alternative to the top – down approach which has failed to yield the desired result because rural dwellers who are target beneficiaries were not carried along initially (Bankole, 2007). The term has been conceptualized in different ways in the literature as either public, people or citizen participation, however they all have the same focus, which is rural development (Oakley, 2000 and Afolayan, 2008). Participation is all about inclusiveness, social justice and common good which shows that rural development is community based when people in communities determine their needs and aspiration. This is because it is realized that by so doing large numbers of marginalized rural people can be „„reached‟‟ effectively by the government and other types of developmental projects supported by international agencies like Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization (WHO and FAO, 2005).
The improvement in living standard of people through popular participation is thus central to the concept of rural development (Adedayo, Taiwo and Medupin, 2001). Therefore, community participation serves as pivot for whatever successful process rural development is trying to achieve in rural communities. Rural infrastructures are indeed the pivot of rural development because they increase rural productivity and income, improve rural living conditions and facilitate spatial integration of rural settlements into national development landscape (Bankole, 2006). Rural development is achieved through tangible projects and resource distribution. Some state is an oil rich area yet cassava farming is a major livelihood activity for rural dwellers. Oil and gas alone have generated 40% of Nigeria‟s national GDP over recent decades but (Adesope, Agumagu and Chiefson, 2000) observed that the spate of youth disturbances is particularly serious in the oil rich region, perhaps because of the low level of rural development leading to illiteracy and inaccessibility to minimum basic facilities and services.
Improving rural development projects is one of the greatest challenges facing many rural dwellers at present. Although Anambra state have already executed and still have some on-going projects as strategies for rural development, the pattern and level of community participation in such projects are yet to be appreciable. Nhlakanipho (2010) also opined that the rural poor have not really participated in sharing the benefits from the enormous development efforts of the last three decades in proportion to their needs. Unless the rural communities are given opportunities to participate in rural development interventions designed to improve their condition of living, the level of spatial inequalities among regions will tend to increase. It therefore becomes of research interest to analyse the processes involved in provision of rural projects in Some local government area, perhaps absence of community participation may be a factor in the under achievement of the desired objectives and this calls for the present study.
When the dust finally settles on everything as it often does, history will be kind to Governor Willie Obiano. And there is just one reason this is so. Since he took over the reins of leadership in Anambra State, Obiano seems to have handed enviable pages to history with each remarkable deed he has done in office. And there is not even the slightest attempt at hyperbole here. This is verifiable!
From his epic stamping out of kidnappers and violent criminals, through the highly acclaimed agricultural revolution, to his turning Anambra into an investment destination and transforming Awka into an emerging beauty, Obiano has left his imprint on the hearts of the people where the greatest pages of history are written.
But even so, Obiano may well have added a great new chapter to the history books when he rolled out the Choose-your-Project initiative for the 181 communities in Anambra State. Under this initiative, each community in the state is at liberty to select a development project that is dear to it, which the state government would execute with a sum not exceeding N20m. Each community has the sole responsibility of deciding what is best for it, determining where to cite the project and supplying the labour that would execute it. The state government merely provides the specification and ensures the strictest compliance to standards and commitment to the contractual terms of each project.
Introduced in the middle of the raging recession, the Choose-your-Project initiative seems a most unlikely scheme to be undertaken by any government in Nigeria. Most state governments have yet to fully understand the economic realities of recession and seem totally unprepared to tackle it. However, Governor Obiano has not only spent time in studying it but has gone ahead to roll out an initiative that would make his government squeeze out funds for capital intensive projects.
Against this backdrop therefore, the Choose-your-Project initiative is unique. A bold challenge to governments at all levels to rise beyond the common pale. But perhaps more importantly, it is a whole new development paradigm in governance!
Under this scheme, different communities in Anambra State opted for different projects according to their scale of preference. Some communities in the state including Umueri, Nkpunando-Otu, Anaku, Agulu and others are some beneficiaries of this scheme whose projects have already been completed. Some of these communities have already started putting these facilities to use while many of these projects are in advanced stages of completion.
Where there is a delay, it is mostly due to either indecision or lack of agreement on what to choose by some communities or lack of consensus on where to cite the projects. Fortunately, these projects have taken off in most of the communities. As a result, most breadwinners in these communities who are involved in the construction of these projects are able to put food on the table.
All things considered, what actually sets the Choose-your-Project initiative apart is not necessarily the timing of its implementation. Nor is it the obvious benefits it brings to the low income households who supply labour to the various construction sites. To my mind, what stands the initiative out is the new vista it opens in democratic governance in Nigeria.
I am impressed by the very fact that the initiative seeks to bring equity to governance; to make sure that every community in Anambra State has a government presence or the symbol of affection from the government in its domain. It ensures that everyone is given a sense of belonging and that every community in Anambra State matters to Governor Obiano and his team. This is ingenuity at work!
It must also be mentioned that beyond the need to touch every community with a government presence is the fundamental question of choice. The scheme allows each community to decide what is best for it. There is no arbitrary imposition of a white elephant project by a presumptuous government who postures as though it understands the needs of the people better than them.
There is something democratically liberating in being asked to choose what is best for one. Nothing can be exhilarating than the freedom of choice! In its finest manifestation, democracy should give us the liberty of choice. Democracy should offer us freedom from the tyranny of executive omniscience and arrogance; the assumption that the masses are not wise enough to know what’s best for them.
On the strength of this initiative alone, Governor Obiano appears to be breaking away from the mould of archetypal leaders who whimsically determine what is best for everyone. He is boldly and competently pointing out a new future for democracy in the developing world. Obiano’s model of Bottom-Up development paradigm will make for a good case study in the school of developmental economics and a fitting model for countries that desire a new approach to governance that tilts slightly away from the Western model that presupposes that the elected representatives of a people know what is best for them at the grassroots level.
And this is why the buzz is on about Governor Willie Obiano!
1.2 Statement of the Problems
Rural development projects placed so much emphasis on participation of the communities or beneficiaries because of multiple merits of participatory approach hence some studies have been conducted on the subject. Olisa and Obiukwu (2005) saw community participation as an important element to speedy socio – economic transformation of rural areas therefore it cannot be over looked. Afolayan (2008) examined community participation in infrastructure provision using medium sized communities in Kwara State. The study revealed that a high level of community participation in projects such as schools, electricity, roads, water, market/stalls, health facilities and town halls influenced the functional structure in medium sized communities. The United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP) Niger Delta report (2006) also referred to community participation as the process that unites the efforts of the people themselves with those of the government authorities. Dzinavatonga (2008) investigated community participation and project sustainability in rural Zimbabwe using Sangwe communal land in Chiredzi as a case study. The author employed purposive sampling technique for interviews with key informants in the community and random sampling in selection of communities in the wards for the field survey. The author‟s findings revealed that there is a need for the government and non – governmental organization (NGOs) to facilitate the creation of a community based network programme that ensures the participation of the rural communities in project planning and implementation. However, facilitation does not mean the facilitators dictate to the communities what to do but provide the necessary conducive environment for the community to institute this community-based network programme. This is because it is through such network the rural communities participate actively in the realization of sustainable projects in the state.
Although community participation is at the centre of rural development and should be one of the foremost pre-requisites in development process both from procedural and philosophical perspectives, none of these studies Adesope et al, 2000; Adedayo, 2000; Oyebanji, 2000; Ofuoku, 2011; Ogunleye and Oladehinde, 2013) have focused on rural communities in Anambra state. In view of the statement of research problem, the following questions are posed: –
- What types of socio – economic development projects are embarked upon by the communities in the study area?
- What is the contribution of the community to rural projects in the study area?
iii. What is the level of community participation in rural projects?
- How are the rural community projects maintained in the study area?
- What are the constraints to community participation in sustainable development projects?
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- What are the forms of participation of the rural community in the development projects?
- How does the community projects are being sustained/maintained in Anambra state?
iii. What are the constraints to community participation in rural development projects in the study area?
1.4 Purpose of the Study
The aim of this study is community participation in sustainable rural development in some association in Anambra state. However, the specific objectives of the study are to:
- To identify the forms of participation of the rural community in the development projects?
- To examine how the community projects are being sustained/maintained in Anambra state
iii. To examine the constraints to community participation in rural development projects in the study area.
1.5 Significance of the Study
Community participation is essential for rural development project of Nigeria and the developing countries in general because the idea is to improve the rural human condition. Community participation has also been perceived in various sectors of the economy to mean improvement in the quality of life of the rural communities which can be further classified as socioeconomic development which include education, health, water, electricity etc. (Obateru, 2003).
This study is necessary because findings will assist Anambra state government, traditional authorities and other development agencies such as community workers to consider different approaches of involving rural dwellers in their rural development projects. Various stakeholders would identify the role which they might play at the beginning of the development process to prevent obstacles that lead to poor community participation. Community members would also contribute by suggesting strategies which the community leaders can use to regain and maintain the sustainability of the community.
It is further hoped that the findings of this study serve as a frame of reference for the development programmes which are taking place in rural areas, be helpful to government, policy makers, development agencies in identifying the necessity of community participation in their project cycle, help in the modification and re – strategizing on how participation approach could be used in problem solving efforts towards improvement of the quality of rural life. The study will form a database for future studies and serve as important reference materials for planners, multilateral organizations, non – governmental organizations (NGOs), foundations and others interested in rural development particularly in Anambra state, south east and the Nigeria as a whole.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The essence of this research work is to study Community participation in sustainable rural development:. The research intends to focus on Anambra state.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
In the course of writing and carrying out this project work, the research encountered many difficulties; some errors in the results of the research and from external sources of data collection. These are factors standing as constraints thereby limiting the effect of the research result.
Among these are, time finance , scope and use of wrong statistics in data analysis, due to time limit, the research work is a time consuming one. A lot of time is taken to observe the subjects.
Most times the behaviour of the staff changes even when they are aware that they are being observed by the researcher, this is by taking their behavior. The researcher also observed that these senior staff some time give true and false information in order to cover their branches.
At sometime the research work lasted over two months due to large scope of area of the study.
1.9 Organization of the Study
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows. Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (background of the study), statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, significance of the study, scope of the study etc. Chapter two being the review of the related literature presents the theoretical framework, conceptual framework and other areas concerning the subject matter. Chapter three is a research methodology covers deals on the research design, area of the study, population of the study, sample and sampling techniques, methods of data collection, instruments for data collection, reliability of the instruments, validity of the instruments, distribution and retrieval of instruments and methods of data analysis. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study
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