Abstract

Rural development intervention in Nigeria has emphasized the role of government and their statutory agencies, in driving social and infrastructural development. This approach has led to the representation of rural communities as recipient rather than active movers of development. This project work investigated the dilemma of rural development in Nsugbe Anambra East L.G.A of Anambra State and also examined the activities of traditional agencies in rural development. The study used primary and secondary data. A random sampling technique method was used while questionnaire were used as instruments for data collection. The measuring instrument applied was the (x2) and based on the findings which includes that 54.5% or 180 respondents agree that Nwannebuife age grade group promotes rural development in Nsugbe community in Anambra East L.G.A in Anambra state and 36.4% or 120 respondents strongly agree. With recommendations that the government should help by partnering with these age grade group in rural community development, it also determined the positive and negative role of Nwannebuife age grade in promoting rural development in Nsugbe community, Anambra East L.G.A in, Anambra state.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

During the colonial era, the abundant natural resources in the rural areas were exploited without any attempt to develop such areas. Development projects were concentrated in the few urban centers and any extension of such development effort was to facilitate their administrative convenience. The rural areas served as sources of cheap and most often forced labor. Dike (1992), need that though the road and river ordinance, the warrant chiefs were empowered to order communities to provide up paid compulsory labor for the construction and maintenance of access roads and other services. The different attempts to development culminated in the 1976 local government reforms which main proclaimed objective was to bring government operating at the grass roots, a development process that would improve the lot of the rural populace were triggered off.

Rural sector in Nigeria, public policy was consistently employed and this “increased agricultural development (Hall, 2000, OnokerHoraye and Okafor, 1991 and Tom (1991). The assumption was that increase in agricultural output would lead to rural income and improvement in the livelihood of people especially the Nsugbe Anambra East Anambra state individuals. However, Okpula (1980) disagrees and argues that the prevailing public policy emphasis its increased in agricultural output and productivity as the main goal of rural development, is at variance with the communities perception of which constitutes their development. It is obvious from the above position, that the rural dwellers do not share government as enthusiasm for agriculture development. They frequently do not adopt the type of rural development proposals, programmes and projects that are exposed in the official natural development programmes.