ASSESSMENT OF RURAL INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA: FOCUSING ONDO STATE COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

Abstract

projects to succeed, communities need to actively partake in the designing, implementing and sustaining the projects that affect their condition of living. This study was conducted to assess the impact of rural infrastructural projects in Ondo State from 2009 - 2014 using the bottom-up approach through the Ondo State Community and Social Development Agency (ODCSDA), to redress the problem of top- down approach. A multi-stage sampling technique was used. In the three (3) senatorial districts that constitute Ondo State, Six (6) local government areas (LGAs) were selected from eighteen(18) local government areas on the basis of two (2) local government areas from each of the senatorial districts, and six (6) Communities were purposively selected from each of the local government areas based on the presence of fully completed and functional projects, ten (10) respondents were randomly selected in each of the communities making a total sample size of sixty (60) respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean score, Pearson correlation and relative importance index (RII) were used to analyze the data. Results of the study showed that more than eighty percent (80%) of the respondents’ rate of participation was high in terms of project identification, planning, implementation, contributing money, labor and material, monitoring, joint planning, delegation of authority and consultation. There is reduction in water-borne diseases, acquired additional skills, reduction rural-urban migration, increase in school enrolment and increase in the income of respondents. The location of project was convenient for beneficiaries, the quality and standard of projects were high unlike previous projects and also the projects will be well secured and maintained. The result showed minimal challenge in terms of illiteracy, poor and inefficient leadership, inadequate awareness, difficulty in paying 10% community contribution and insufficient fund from government. Respondents generally had a favourable perception of projects sustainability. Test of relationship showed that the level of community’s participation and level of sustainability of infrastructural projects are significantly related (r = 0.408; p = 0.030). Based on these findings from the study, it is recommended that government at all levels (Federal, States and LGAs) should emulate or adopt the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach of Ondo State Community projects to succeed, communities need to actively partake in the designing, implementing and sustaining the projects that affect their condition of living. This study was conducted to assess the impact of rural infrastructural projects in Ondo State from 2009 - 2014 using the bottom-up approach through the Ondo State Community and Social Development Agency (ODCSDA), to redress the problem of top- down approach. A multi-stage sampling technique was used. In the three (3) senatorial districts that constitute Ondo State, Six (6) local government areas (LGAs) were selected from eighteen(18) local government areas on the basis of two (2) local government areas from each of the senatorial districts, and six (6) Communities were purposively selected from each of the local government areas based on the presence of fully completed and functional projects, ten (10) respondents were randomly selected in each of the communities making a total sample size of sixty (60) respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean score, Pearson correlation and relative importance index (RII) were used to analyze the data. Results of the study showed that more than eighty percent (80%) of the respondents’ rate of participation was high in terms of project identification, planning, implementation, contributing money, labor and material, monitoring, joint planning, delegation of authority and consultation. There is reduction in water-borne diseases, acquired additional skills, reduction rural-urban migration, increase in school enrolment and increase in the income of respondents. The location of project was convenient for beneficiaries, the quality and standard of projects were high unlike previous projects and also the projects will be well secured and maintained. The result showed minimal challenge in terms of illiteracy, poor and inefficient leadership, inadequate awareness, difficulty in paying 10% community contribution and insufficient fund from government. Respondents generally had a favourable perception of projects sustainability. Test of relationship showed that the level of community’s participation and level of sustainability of infrastructural projects are significantly related (r = 0.408; p = 0.030). Based on these findings from the study, it is recommended that government at all levels (Federal, States and LGAs) should emulate or adopt the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach of Ondo State Community and Social Development Agency in implementing development projects for sustainable rural development in Nigeria.