Social And Community Development, Problems And Challenges

Social And Community Development, Problems And Challenges
Abstract
The study is an attempt to identify the various impediments on the way of government to development and transform the community areas in Nigeria and to try to re-engineer the process by way of offering/ suggestion/possible solutions. The research study is a cross sectional survey research method, which is further subdivided into other types e.g. case study, sample and correlation. The study has been concerned with understanding the divergent view of scholars regarding community development in the country. I have also attempted to show that not even the recent adaption of the local government tier of government as a veritable agent of commonly transformation has been able to adequately tackle the problem the problem of community development. Also the research has identified the need to closely and adequately monitor community development projects, ensure mass participation on policy making and policy implementation, planned development, as opposed to haperzard and planless development without clearly identifiable targets and again adequate funding of the government among others as definite panacea for result oriented community development policies. Similarly, there is the need for surgical overhaul of local government administration as presently operated. In conclusion, government should establish legal and structural frame work for the execution commonly development programs. It may encompass celebration of cultural day bestowing chieftaincy titles well to-do individuals should be encourage in our communities especially in Nasarawa local government area. I will also suggest that research be carried out to check the syndromatic problems of rural-urban migration.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
Community development policies in Nigeria over the years have shown that our policy makers have either not really understood the problems of community, ray. Community developments are deliberately ignoring the problems of community development in Nigeria. Even the nongovernmental organizations (Ngos) that are community focused have somehow fallen into the same trap of government act of insensitivity; misplace priority and outright ignorance about the plight of the community poor and community development. Both the government and some of these voluntary agencies often underestimate the quantum of the problems, which comfort the community people in Nigeria. They are attracted to and trapped in urban “cores” which generate and communicate their own sort of knowledge which community “peripheries” are isolated and neglected (chambers 1983). They try to visualize community development according to their own experience, which is urban-based, and therefore lacking in content and form, what constitutes the real kernel of community development.
Consequently, the apparent failure of successive community development policies in Nigeria is to be expected in the light of the foregoing analysis more worrisome, however, is that while this act of government neglect an often selfishness to tackle headline, the problem of community development poor is being multiple, with no end in sight and this is the midst of plenty makes his case miserable as succinctly put by the English proverb which says what the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve about (chamber-1983).
Indeed the case of the community poor in Nigeria is the case of poverty in Nigeria is the case of poverty in the midst of plenty and that is why it is more painful and call for serious concern especially the government and the non-governmental organization involved in community development effort.
There are plethora definitions as to what constitute community development.
Professor v. Diejomoh (Udo 1984) sees community development as a process of not only increasing the level of per capital income in community areas, but also the standard of living on such factors as food and nutrition, health, education, housing, recreation and security knowing this is important step towards addressing the problems of community development genuinely.
Robert n. Mcnamarah (1976) in his forward to 1978 world development report, is “trapped” in what he terms as absolute poverty, a condition of life so characterized by malnutrition, illiteracy, disease, squalid surrounding, high infant mortality and low life expectancy is to be beneath any reasonable definition of human decency inspite of the remarkable changes recorded in the countries of the south in recent years.
Community development policies in Nigeria over the years have not succeeded in achieving the desired goals by way of uplifting and improving the material living conditions of the community poor inspite of the resources that have been put into the sector and attempt to point the way out. This research study does focus on Nasarawa state.
1.2 statement of the problem:
The worrisome living condition which people live in communities in Nigeria have found themselves today inspite of a government they can call their own has naturally compelled the need to looking into why this is so, especially that the world, particularly in thecountries of the south, in the test century has witnessed monumental progress in all spheres of life. Questions likes: is the community man actually lazy and therefore brought upon himself (human being) the present predicament or that deprivation is normal and therefore not two bad as believed by some people agitate the mind and continue to beg for answers. It is the plight of the community dwellers are not only suspect, but they constitute a smokescreen, perhaps from imperialist to confuse the people and subject them to further misery and perpetual state under-development in Nigeria. That is the question we shall attempt to answer in this work.
It is instructive to note that beginning with the colonial times many development plans have been evolved in the country. With varying interest and attention on community development yet without significant changes.
Details of these shall come in the later part of this work, but suffice it to say that the excruciating community problems which an average Nigeria is going through today leading to a multicity of other problems such as available deprivation, suffering and death make this research a compelling starting point to find out why we are, were we are today and perhaps where we may go from here.
1.3 Research Questions:
The following are the research statement.
- To what extent has government effort toward the development of the community areas in Nigeria over the years succeeded in improving the living condition of the community people?
- What is the level of involvement of the community people in project initiation and implementation?
- Are there any impediments on the way of government on its determined effort to develop the community areas? what are the impediments.
- What positive roles has Nasarawa local government played as an agent of community transformation to develop its community since its creation?
- Are there any development targets the local government? What are they and how does the local government intend to achieve them?
- Are there problem militating against
1.4 Objectives of the Study.
The study is an attempt to identify the various impediments on the way of government to development and transform the community areas in Nigeria and to try to re-engineer the process by way of offering/ suggestion/possible solutions
The research study will focus on the development plan in the problem of community development in the country which have attempted to tackle the problem of community development in the country and to what degree of success, on the basis of which we shall point the way forward.
1.6 Significance of the Study.
The significance of the research work is on community development and administration right from the colonial time till date in their various attempted to develop community areas. Have failed to achieve the desired goals. Thus it is imperative for researchers and scholars interested in the study of Nigeria politics and administration to venture into this area to find out what has gone wrong with government effort in this direction and how to possibly correct it. The studies will after a good starting point of discussion as to why there is into liable level of community problem in Nigeria and interestingly how this co-exist with affluence. What this means is either that the government is not doing enough to improve the living condition of the community areas and render them more vulnerable to deprivation and available deaths.
1.7 Scope and Limitation of the Study.
The research study centered on community development and the problem envisaged or encounter in the course of this research work include difficulty involved in reaching some of the sample village due to poor road, network.
Consequently in a attempted to solve this problem the researcher had to make do with what was really available in travelling to such areas namely boardly of open vans knows in some places as “Akworekura” while in extreme situation motorcycles population called “Achaba, Okada or going” depending on which part of the country (Nigeria) are come from.
Similarly, due to the hypocritical attitude of government to the plight (community). It was not easy to get their attraction and the readiness to talk to the researcher.
There was the general problem of time frame or constraint faced in the cause of the research work, the lecture (whenever it become necessary) because like earlier stated the research work was carried out side by side with may class work needless to say that the approach, the problem of time was conveniently put to rest
1.8 Definationof Terms:
in order to enhance a better group of the subject issue the discourse study it is important for us to after some explanation and interpretation of some of the basis terminology used in the study.
Local Government
(United Nation in 1959). Sew local government as “a political sub-division of a nation which is constituted by law and has sub-stantial control of its local affairs, including the power to imposed tax
Orewa and Adewumi (1992) also sew “local government as a system of local communities and towns. Which are organized to maintain law and order provided some limited range of social services and co-operation of the inhabitants in joint endeavors towards the improvement of their conditions living “going further they asserted that the local government provides the community with a formal organization framework which enable them to conduct their members for the general public?
Development
Rodney (1972:9-10) development is a process whereby the people of a society increase their capacity of satisfy their needs through the explanation of the resource within their environment by organizing the abilities and energies of the people to exploit such resources. What this means in essence is to portray development as a process dual and multifaceted phenomenon that involves changes in the material life of a people.
Community
G.O.H. Cole (1920) community means “ a complex social life, a complex including a number of human being living together under conditions of social relationship bound together by a common, however constantly changing stock of convention, customs and tradition and conscious to some extend of common social objects and interests”.
Sutherland and Maxwell (1961:316) defined community as “a local area over people are using the same language, conforming to the same norms feeling more or less the same sentiments and acting upon the same professor.V.Diejomah (udo 1984) defined community development as the process of not only increasing the level of per capital income in community seas, but also the standard of living of the community population either the standard of living measured on such factors as food, nutrition, health, education, housing, recreation and security.
Tanzania model
(Doctor Nyeyere). Before Nyeyerebecome president of Tanzania he frequent Tanzanians that when independence comes they would need to exert themselves more than ever before. The common salutation was “Uhum” which means freedom and response was “ Nakazimeaning ( and work). Every person old or young embraced the idea upon independence the people responded enthusiastically (actively) to the plea of the president and urgency of community development workers, the politicians and the officials to take up self-help or nation building activities. Project sprang up so rapidly that the government could not cope to meet the effort of the people with material and technological assistance many projects of little use were completed and many useful ones were not completed. Most of the efforts do not contain the essential of self-help; the idea of project execution comes from outside promotions, they were motivated patriotism and political enthusiast.
At the outside of independence (1961) Tanzania leaders recognized the critical element that had to be considered for nation building and thus.
- Expansion of Agriculture
- Public Works (Effective Communication Network)
- HigherEducation.
- Education for Self-Reliance
- Freedom and Development
The president stressed that development, means developing themselves so that there may be change in their own interest. He pointed out that if development is for greater freedom and well being of the people then it cannot result from force. He contended that decision making and willing action can take place only if people understand their needs know how to meet these needs and have the freedom to decided and act upon them.
- A structure for local and national development approach was formed.
- An operational and administration scheme was made for useful association and joint effort between people and government.
- Village development committee was organized to promote local planning and action by people.
- District rural development and planning committee were formed to amalgamate the plans of people and government into useful local action.
- Regional development committee ware given the task of representing the interest of government at the level.
- National committee of ministers and officials was formed to given overall credence and guidance to the entire effort.
The government officials and technical’s of each district council whose task was to prepare development plans based on the needs and desires of the people expressed through the village development committee.
The typical functions of district councils had been to collect taxes enforce law and carry out the general duties of government at local level. It was recognized that not all council or council members were well versed in development planning and implementation, but with the adviser delegated to work with them, they were expected to develop experience. The major improvement in principle was that planning was made to be the responsibility of those who had to carry it out.
The Ujaman Programme
Ujamanis a Swaliliword for the political ideology development in Tanzania by dr. Nyerere. It is after translated as “togetherness” and is a kind of socialism which encourages economic productivity to benefit the whole nation.
Inujaman some farmers may work on their individual farms but plantation and small factory for processing the cotton people gave their labour free.
Project
j. A king defined project as an optimum set of investment oriented action by means of which a defined combination of human and material resources expected to cost a determined.
koleman defined project as a scheme or a part of a scheme for investing resource which can be reasonable analyzed and evaluated as independent inits.
The world bank- defined project as a proposal for capital investment to developed facilities to provide goods and services, which increase the aggregate consumption benefit to people plans.
Robert m. (years not stated) defined plans as “a comprehensive and general in its description of the development of a community or a given location” planning can be described as the general and comprehensive guide to policy for many year in to the future.
G.oolayonwa (2000) defined plan as a means of achieving the set objectives. Plan has time dimension depending on the level at which the plans are made. Top level plan use to be long range covering many years ranging 5-20 years, at middle level, the range may be between 2-3 years to a year, long term plans are usually called strategic plans, while medium range plans usually called tactical plans and short range plans operating plans.
Rural transformation.
ProfessorMichaelTodaro(1991) defined rural transformation as the psychological, political, economical and cultural transformation from an archaic way of life to something modern that raise the quality of human life.
Integrated rural development (IRD)
(Chaton1981) defined integrated rural development as a multidimensional strategy for improving the quantity of life for rural people. It is based on the assumption that the socio-economic framework of the traditional rural system is absolute, so integrated rural development strategies are designed to change this framework and promote structural changes. A strategy, which is gaining ground in many countries, as the
Chapter Five
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Summary of Findings
The researcher has attempted to show that why rural development policies in Nigeria over the year have failed to achieve their desired objective as largely because of the inability of our policy makers in to country to properly come to terms with what constitute the problems of the community people because there is a wrong conceptualization of the problems, wrong theories, wrong approaches and wrong policies have more often been adopted to tackle it.
Consequently, the problem even with the adoption of strategy of making deliberate provisions for community development though the various development plans in country.
Similarly, I have also attempted to show, and this is also established by the research, that not even the recent adaption of the local government tier of government as a veritable agent of community transformation in the country has been able to adequately tackle the problem the problem of community development.
This is largely because, as clearly shown by the research, policy initiation and implementation by most local governments areas in the country are done without the involvement of the benefiting communities, while the problems of inadequate funding of the local government, the pervasive issue of corruption and mismanagement of public funds, lack of clearly set target, poor monitoring of projects as well as the absence of good leadership amongst others at the local government level constitute a big slumping block to whatever good effort government may put into developing the community areas using the local government system.
In chapter one, the activities of local government (Nasarawa) and their impact on the socio-economic development of community areas in Nasarawa local government areas are considered.
In the second chapter, available literatures on community development were received. It was viewed on related studies carried out by several scholars. The review has been concerned with understanding the divergent view of scholars concerning community development. Also the chapter looked at the aspect of theoretical framework on community development.
The third chapter, major concerns is to present the methodology employed for the study. Methodology is the most essential segment of any scientific research to guarantee the reliability as well as the validity of the research funding. In attempt to collect data, historical records of the activities of Nasarawa local government where examined. These where supplemented with interview (questionnaire). The questionnaire where distributed in three zones of the local government namely Udege, Loko and Nasarawa respectively to represent the entire population.
In chapter four, it is concerned with the presentation of findings and interpretation. The study established that Nasarawa local government did not engage in activities that cut across education, health, agriculture and provision of infrastructure. This is a result government ignore partnership with the local government administration in implementing development programs in the community areas.
5.2 Conclusion
in conclusion, it is very important to mention this salient pant that over and above all other factors that tend to frustrate our development efforts generally and community development policies in particular is the vestiges of colonialism and neo-colonialism hovering over the country as well as “the dependent capitalist nature of Nigeria” which tends to give more attention to urban development to the detriment of community development.
Thus, if the country must come out of the deadwoods of community development in a true sense of it, then we must like rightly pointed out by EzeaniEtal, (1995) cut ties with the international capitalist system through a fundamental restructuring of the entire socio-economic foundation of Nigeria. That way we would be paving way for genuine and rapid community transformation in the country.
In the light of the general principle of community development, it would seem that problems have arisen or are arising daily because of the nature of the communities and the attitude of people who are not willing to accept responsibilities and innovations. However if community development is to be used as a means of developing facilities and services of both the urban and rural levels with a maximum effectiveness, economy and enthusiasm then, there is much to consider. The approach would be targeted efforts should be made by the local administration to deduce growth and to provide social and economic services and infrastructures with the fullest participation of the people. The central concept of community development in this research work suggests that the operation goals of community development certainly extend beyond any particular sector. The projects and programmes embrace wide range and mix of activities to raise agricultural output, to improve health, and education to expand communication and to improve housing etc.
5.2 Recommendation
It is apparent and almost certain from the foregoing analysis that for a sustainable community transformation in the country to be attained, something more fundamental has to be done.
In this regards, there is the need to re-appraise our perception of what really constitute community development and if we must continue to use the local government system as a basic instrument of attending to the painful problem of community underdevelopment in the country, there is the need to surgically overhaul local government administration as presently operated.
There is also the need to entrench the ideals of good government of the local level through the deliberate promotion of noble issues such as accountability transparency and probity. The leadership at the local level must imbibe this and try to lead by example, to make the system work and serve as efficient and effective instrument of rural development.
Similarly development at the local level must be planned while clearly set targets must be identified and pursued to the letter.
In addition benefiting communities should not be left our of project initiation and efficiency in the implementation process. Equally, there should be proper monitoring of projects during the after execution to achieve optimum results.
Moreover, there is the need for sufficient and adequate funding of the local government if they must perform and really serve as agents of commonly transformation in the community dwellers on the importance of their involvement in the community development programmes.
The local government should encourage inter-communal interaction that will promote exchange of ideas for social economic and cultural development of the community people
The local government should also encourage, promote and fund research in the area of community development. Effective planning and mobilization of people in the community through the existing structures e.g development associations’ religion and other organization e.g women, youth and social clubs should also be encouraged in community areas.
Communities should start with small projects which provide welfare services and that can success before embarking on big projects.
The people as the beneficiaries of development initiatives should have the responsibility for the content and process of this initiative for self-reliance and any assistance offered should be geared towards enabling them seize the initiative for self-sufficiency.
Launching of appeal fund, inform of assistance from individuals groups, philanthropists, community leaders, well wished, religious leaders and boards of industries. This form of beginning is supported by all tiers of government. It may encompass celebration of cultural day bestowing chieftaincy titles well to-do individuals should be encourage in our communities especially in Nasarawa local government area.
In conclusion, government should establish legal and structural frame work for the execution commonly development programs.
5.3 Suggestion for Further Study
- I wish to suggest that is similar research of this nature be carried out in other local government at large.
- Similarly research on other variables such that affect community development should also be carried out.
- I will also suggest that research be carried out to check the syndromatic problems of rural-urban migration.
- A similar research could be reported on the impacts of community development in Nigeria.


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