percentage of the population whose developmental needs are not satisfactorily
fulfilled which continuously denies them the chance to prolifically participate in
the development process and enjoy the benefits thereof. African rural communities
have not been benefiting with any significance which is linked with the policy
implementation gap artificially created by the African governments and leaders.
The rural areas have been continuously and consciously exploited and underprivileged to the benefit of the urban areas. According to Aziz (1998), rural development
programmes and policies in most African countries, such as Nigeria, Zambia,
Tanzania, Sudan, the Benin Republic, the Niger Republic, etc., are mostly intended
to aggravate the poverty and sufferings of the rural populace. Nwagboso (2012)
further added that rural development in Africa has remained as a propaganda
mechanism amongst the elites and patricians. As a result, the nature of most rural
development projects in Africa has unrelentingly been influenced by politics. Subsequently, this neglect has resulted in rural communities lacking access to basic
infrastructure and social amenity needs, especially water, food, education, health
care, sanitation, information, and security, as well as the people having a low literacy
level. In the long run, this has led to a low life expectancy and high infant mortality.
The majority of the rural dwellers consider these conditions as harsh forcing massive
migration into urban areas in search of employment opportunities and better life
condition for survival.
3.2 The Concept of Rural Development
Scholars have different understanding of the concept of rural development from the
diverse logical perceptions and philosophical background. Yet, the majority of the
scholars have conceived of the concept of rural development as not only the process
of boosting the per capita income but also as the means of enhancing the standard of
living of the rural areas, generally, such as by providing access for sufficient water,
food, education, health care, sanitation, information, and security. According to the
World Bank (1975), the concept of rural development involves the process of
transforming and monetising the rural community from the inherent traditional
segregation to integration with the national economy. From another similar viewpoint, Ollawa (2011) described rural development as the process of economic
transformation to meet the immediate needs and aspirations of the rural communities
and to support individual and collective incentives to enable them to participate in
the process of development. This economic transformational strategy could embrace
different activities, including upgrading the agriculture sector, the advancement of
rural industrial activities, the establishment of the essential infrastructure and social
overheads, as well as the formation of applicable decentralised structures in order to
allow for mass production (Wilkin 2010). Other scholars, such as Obinozie (1999),
defined rural development as a series of schemes aimed at enhancing the life of the
rural people in the society. This involves innovative agricultural programmes,
employment opportunities, access roads and ease of transportation, health-care
34
A. N. Zadawa and A. Omran
fulfilled which continuously denies them the chance to prolifically participate in
the development process and enjoy the benefits thereof. African rural communities
have not been benefiting with any significance which is linked with the policy
implementation gap artificially created by the African governments and leaders.
The rural areas have been continuously and consciously exploited and underprivileged to the benefit of the urban areas. According to Aziz (1998), rural development
programmes and policies in most African countries, such as Nigeria, Zambia,
Tanzania, Sudan, the Benin Republic, the Niger Republic, etc., are mostly intended
to aggravate the poverty and sufferings of the rural populace. Nwagboso (2012)
further added that rural development in Africa has remained as a propaganda
mechanism amongst the elites and patricians. As a result, the nature of most rural
development projects in Africa has unrelentingly been influenced by politics. Subsequently, this neglect has resulted in rural communities lacking access to basic
infrastructure and social amenity needs, especially water, food, education, health
care, sanitation, information, and security, as well as the people having a low literacy
level. In the long run, this has led to a low life expectancy and high infant mortality.
The majority of the rural dwellers consider these conditions as harsh forcing massive
migration into urban areas in search of employment opportunities and better life
condition for survival.
3.2 The Concept of Rural Development
Scholars have different understanding of the concept of rural development from the
diverse logical perceptions and philosophical background. Yet, the majority of the
scholars have conceived of the concept of rural development as not only the process
of boosting the per capita income but also as the means of enhancing the standard of
living of the rural areas, generally, such as by providing access for sufficient water,
food, education, health care, sanitation, information, and security. According to the
World Bank (1975), the concept of rural development involves the process of
transforming and monetising the rural community from the inherent traditional
segregation to integration with the national economy. From another similar viewpoint, Ollawa (2011) described rural development as the process of economic
transformation to meet the immediate needs and aspirations of the rural communities
and to support individual and collective incentives to enable them to participate in
the process of development. This economic transformational strategy could embrace
different activities, including upgrading the agriculture sector, the advancement of
rural industrial activities, the establishment of the essential infrastructure and social
overheads, as well as the formation of applicable decentralised structures in order to
allow for mass production (Wilkin 2010). Other scholars, such as Obinozie (1999),
defined rural development as a series of schemes aimed at enhancing the life of the
rural people in the society. This involves innovative agricultural programmes,
employment opportunities, access roads and ease of transportation, health-care
34
A. N. Zadawa and A. Omran