Chapter 3
Rural Development in Africa: Challenges
and Opportunities
Abdullahi Nafiu Zadawa and Abdelnaser Omran
Abstract Rural development comprises development programmes and initiatives
intended for enhancing living standard of the rural dwellers. The initiatives are
usually taken by local authorities, local and international donor agencies, and related
non-governmental organisations. In Africa, this is perhaps because statistical evidence shows that over 80% of the population of most African nations reside in the
rural areas. This is a conceptual study aimed at assessing the challenges and
opportunities of rural development in Africa based on related literature. Rural
development theories were reviewed which include integrated rural development
model, sectoral development model, urban development model, and industrial
development model. Agriculture has been the most prominent occupation among
major rural dwellers in Africa, yet rural development is accepted as much broader
than agricultural development, because some other activities associated with rural
development provide a substitute to agriculture and serve alternative sources of
income and means of survival to the rural poor. As a whole, agricultural development could still serve as a main contributor of rural growth up to the present time,
and it continues to serve a significant role in poverty reduction.
Keywords Rural development · Africa · Challenges · Opportunities
3.1 Introduction
The mission of realising the desired rural development in Africa has remained a
critical issue. This is perhaps because statistical evidence shows that over 80% of the
population of most African nations reside in the rural areas (Nwagboso and Duke
2012). In most African countries, rural communities constitute the greater
A. N. Zadawa (*)
Quantity Surveying Department, School of Environmental Technology, Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria
e-mail: nafiuzadawa@gmail.com
A. Omran
Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Bright Star University, El-brega, Libya
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. Omran, O. Schwarz-Herion (eds.), Sustaining our Environment for Better Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7158-5_3
33
Rural Development in Africa: Challenges
and Opportunities
Abdullahi Nafiu Zadawa and Abdelnaser Omran
Abstract Rural development comprises development programmes and initiatives
intended for enhancing living standard of the rural dwellers. The initiatives are
usually taken by local authorities, local and international donor agencies, and related
non-governmental organisations. In Africa, this is perhaps because statistical evidence shows that over 80% of the population of most African nations reside in the
rural areas. This is a conceptual study aimed at assessing the challenges and
opportunities of rural development in Africa based on related literature. Rural
development theories were reviewed which include integrated rural development
model, sectoral development model, urban development model, and industrial
development model. Agriculture has been the most prominent occupation among
major rural dwellers in Africa, yet rural development is accepted as much broader
than agricultural development, because some other activities associated with rural
development provide a substitute to agriculture and serve alternative sources of
income and means of survival to the rural poor. As a whole, agricultural development could still serve as a main contributor of rural growth up to the present time,
and it continues to serve a significant role in poverty reduction.
Keywords Rural development · Africa · Challenges · Opportunities
3.1 Introduction
The mission of realising the desired rural development in Africa has remained a
critical issue. This is perhaps because statistical evidence shows that over 80% of the
population of most African nations reside in the rural areas (Nwagboso and Duke
2012). In most African countries, rural communities constitute the greater
A. N. Zadawa (*)
Quantity Surveying Department, School of Environmental Technology, Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria
e-mail: nafiuzadawa@gmail.com
A. Omran
Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Bright Star University, El-brega, Libya
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. Omran, O. Schwarz-Herion (eds.), Sustaining our Environment for Better Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7158-5_3
33