facilities and services, better and more affordable housing, supply of portable water,
and fair distribution of income amongst the rural societies. Although there are
different definitions of the rural development presented by different scholars, it is
imperative to know the scope and frontiers of rural development as a field of inquiry.
Analytically, rural development is directed primarily and wholly towards the total
transformation of the rural communities. Thus, the main essence is to transform the
rural societies to contemporary communities, and the prime goal is to alleviate
poverty and further lessen the continuous migration of people from rural to urban
centres who penetrate every nook and cranny of urban cities in search of a better
means of livelihood.
3.3 Global Scenario of Rural Development Programmes
There have been rural development programme initiatives since the 1950s, but,
conceptually, the programmes were brought to the forefront of development in the
1970s by Robert McNamara, then President of the World Bank (Baah-Dwomoh
2016). It was in 1973, during the World Bank’s board of director’s meeting in
Nairobi, that the worrying condition of the rural poor in the developing countries was
thoroughly discussed and a rescue approach was proposed for poverty alleviation.
The rescue approach, proposed for eradicating poverty amongst the rural poor, was
designed based on an integrated system for rural development specifically. The
World Bank then advocated for rural development initiatives in the 1970s and
specifically named the rural development as a strategy intended to develop the
economic and social life of a particular group of people – the rural poor. The
programme embraced the awareness campaign on the benefits of rural development
amongst the rural poor who were seeking a better livelihood (World Bank 1975).
Later in 1975, the World Bank fully adopted the rural development strategy which
played a leading role in the Bank’s lending during the 1970s and 1980s, which
obviously influenced, in many ways, towards agricultural and rural development
support. Most of these rural development initiatives assist the rural dwellers in many
ways far beyond poverty eradication. It is for this reason that both the Government
and international donor agencies consider rural development initiatives as the means
of enhancing the economic and social life of the people in the rural areas, precisely
the rural poor. Therefore, scholars have foreseen the wide coverage of the ample
benefits linked with rural development to those searching for a livelihood in rural
areas, including smallholders, tenants, and the landless. Even though, right from the
onset, the prime aim of rural development initiatives has been the eradication of
poverty and enhancement of the wellbeing of rural dwellers, it is very important to
design such programmes not only to encourage production and raise productivity to
increase food availability and incomes but also to improve the provision of the basic
social amenities, such as health and education as well as infrastructure. Table 3.1
shows the summary of rural development in the decade hierarchy.
3 Rural Development in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities
35
and fair distribution of income amongst the rural societies. Although there are
different definitions of the rural development presented by different scholars, it is
imperative to know the scope and frontiers of rural development as a field of inquiry.
Analytically, rural development is directed primarily and wholly towards the total
transformation of the rural communities. Thus, the main essence is to transform the
rural societies to contemporary communities, and the prime goal is to alleviate
poverty and further lessen the continuous migration of people from rural to urban
centres who penetrate every nook and cranny of urban cities in search of a better
means of livelihood.
3.3 Global Scenario of Rural Development Programmes
There have been rural development programme initiatives since the 1950s, but,
conceptually, the programmes were brought to the forefront of development in the
1970s by Robert McNamara, then President of the World Bank (Baah-Dwomoh
2016). It was in 1973, during the World Bank’s board of director’s meeting in
Nairobi, that the worrying condition of the rural poor in the developing countries was
thoroughly discussed and a rescue approach was proposed for poverty alleviation.
The rescue approach, proposed for eradicating poverty amongst the rural poor, was
designed based on an integrated system for rural development specifically. The
World Bank then advocated for rural development initiatives in the 1970s and
specifically named the rural development as a strategy intended to develop the
economic and social life of a particular group of people – the rural poor. The
programme embraced the awareness campaign on the benefits of rural development
amongst the rural poor who were seeking a better livelihood (World Bank 1975).
Later in 1975, the World Bank fully adopted the rural development strategy which
played a leading role in the Bank’s lending during the 1970s and 1980s, which
obviously influenced, in many ways, towards agricultural and rural development
support. Most of these rural development initiatives assist the rural dwellers in many
ways far beyond poverty eradication. It is for this reason that both the Government
and international donor agencies consider rural development initiatives as the means
of enhancing the economic and social life of the people in the rural areas, precisely
the rural poor. Therefore, scholars have foreseen the wide coverage of the ample
benefits linked with rural development to those searching for a livelihood in rural
areas, including smallholders, tenants, and the landless. Even though, right from the
onset, the prime aim of rural development initiatives has been the eradication of
poverty and enhancement of the wellbeing of rural dwellers, it is very important to
design such programmes not only to encourage production and raise productivity to
increase food availability and incomes but also to improve the provision of the basic
social amenities, such as health and education as well as infrastructure. Table 3.1
shows the summary of rural development in the decade hierarchy.
3 Rural Development in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities
35