CHALLENGES IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND WAY FORWARD IN NIGERIA
1Alimi Baba Gana and 2Bintu Kachallah Galadima
1Department of Agricultural Technology Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
2Department of Sociology and Anthropology University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
E-mail: bgalimi@yahoo.com
Abstract: This paper discusses the challenges of rural development in Nigeria. Several studies were conducted to examine the factors inimical to rural transformation and development in Nigeria. Yet rural development and transformation efforts in Nigeria are still not effective to achieve success. This study observed that the protracted and deep-rooted state of socio-political, economic and infrastructural decay that has affected nearly all Local Government Areas in Nigeria for a decade has had a profoundly negative impact on the wellbeing of entire Nigerians. It is argued that unless state and federal governments address the lapses associated with rural development, the entire population and the Local Government Areas will continue to be under-developed and possibly the situation might be grave in the near future. The findings of the study revealed that majority of the respondents upheld the paper hypotheses advanced. That lack of consideration of rural peoples’ “need” and “wish” in developmental programmes or projects matter; poor leadership,mismanagement and corruption by key local government and programme or project officials; lack of patriotism and awareness on the benefits and importance of the programme/projects by the people of the communities; lack of competent and prudent mind chairmen or administrators to manage the local government resources; and inter and intra communal conflicts among others are some of the challenges responsible for present under-development of rural areas in Nigeria. Research survey method with aid of accidental and judgmental sampling technique was used to obtain information. A sample of (160) respondents spread across various Local Government Areas from the six geo-political zones of the country were selected to form the study samples. Chi-square statistics was applied to interpret and distinguish the respondents’ opinion. Recommendations are made to correct the lapses for future progress to achieve developmental objectives.