ABSTRACT
The study investigated youth participation in Community Physical Infrastructural Development Projects in South East, Nigeria. The study specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of rural youths, identified the status of selected community physical infrastructural development projects, examined various developmental projects executed by development agencies, assessed perception of the youths towards these developmental projects, assessed the factors that motivates the youths to participate in these developmental projects, ascertained the levels of participation in different stages and selected community infrastructural development projects and identified problems limiting youth participation in developmental projects. Multi-stage random sampling technique was employed in the selection of 400 hundred respondents from three randomly selected States out of the five States in the South-East, Nigeria. Data for the study were collected using questionnaires and Focus Group Discussion and analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics (ordinary Least Square regression analysis, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Ducan Multiple Range Test). The socio-economic characteristics results revealed that the majority (73%) of the respondents, were male, while 27% were females, mean ages of 28 years, 36% acquired secondary education, 43% were into farming, 57% were single, had mean monthly income of N65, 000.00 with mean length of residency of 13 years. The results on status of projects showed that facilities such as culverts (54%), market (66%), rural electricity (47%), boreholes (33%), school blocks (75%), health centers (29%), roads (76%), drainages (32%), oil palm mills (100%), pens/battery cages (25%), silos (71%) and bee hives (21%) were completed. The result indicates that 24.7% of the projects were executed by Community-Based Organisations. The youths had positive perception ( =2.8) towards community physical infrastructural development projects, had high motivation ( = 2.8) and participated actively ( =2.9) in stages and in selected infrastructural developmental projects ( =2.0) in the study area. The result showed that age (11.75), education (2.65) and length of residence (13.28) influenced participation of youths in community physical development projects in the study area. The results showed a positive relationship between the motivation, perception and participation of youths in community physical infrastructural development projects at 5.0% level of probability. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient results also showed a significant and positive relationship between perception and factors motivating participation at 5.0% levels of probability. The Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) result showed a significant difference in youth participation in community physical infrastructural projects in Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra States. Non encouragement from government, sentiment in project locations and politicizing the projects were major problems identified by youths in participation in community infrastructural development projects in the study area. The study therefore recommends that incentives should be given to the youths as motivation to participating more projects, be involved in decision making and awareness on the benefit of youth participation in community projects.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
page i
Declaration ii
Certification
iii
Dedication
iv
Acknowledgements v
Table
of Contents vi
List
of Tables x
List
of Figures xi
Abstract xii
CHAPTER 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1
Background of the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of Problem 9
1.3
Research Questions 13
1.4
Objectives of the Study 14
1.5
Hypotheses of the Study 15
1.6
Justification for the Study 15
1.7
Scope of the Study 17
1.8
Definition of terms 18
1.9
Limitations of the Study 19
CHAPTER 2
2.0
LITERATURE REVIEW 21
2.1 Conceptual
Review 23
2.1.1
Definition and Characteristics of Youths 23
2.1.2 Sustainable
Development Goals and Youths 24
2.1.3 Youth
Participation 28
2.1.4 Types
of Youth Participation 29
2.1.5 Relevance
of Youth Participation to Rural Development 30
2.1.6 Challenges
to Youth Participation 31
2.1.7 The
Concept of Rural 34
2.1.8 The
Characteristics of a Rural Area 35
2.1.9 Importance
of Rural Area 39
2.1.10 Problems
of Rural Areas
41
2.1.11 Community
Development 41
2.1.12 Principles
of Community Development 42
2.1.13 Conceptualization
of Infrastructure 43
2.1.14 Classification
of Infrastructure 44
2.1.15 Infrastructural
Development and Rural Transformation 45
2.1.16 The
General State of Infrastructure in Nigeria 47
2.1.17 Situation
of Infrastructure in Rural Communities in Nigeria 56
2.1.18 Factors
Responsible for the Present State of Infrastructure 58
2.1.19 Role
of Infrastructure in Rural Development 62
2.1.20 Rural
Development in Perspective 64
2.1.21 Rural
Community Development 68
2.1.22 Concept
of Agricultural and Rural Development 69
2.1.23 Factors responsible
for Agricultural Development 73
2.1.24 Concept of Policy 75
2.1.25 Policy
Formulation 76
2.1.26 Nigeria’s
Agriculture 76
2.1.27 Agricultural
Policy 78
2.1.28 Features
of a Policy 80
2.1.29 Steps
to Policy Formulation 82
2.1.30 Revamping the Agricultural Sector in
Respect to Agricultural Policies 83
2.2 Empirical
Review 109
2.3 Theoretical
Review 112
2.3.1 Sherry
Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation 112
2.3.2 Wilcox
Participation Theory 114
2.3.3 Roger
Hart Youth Participation Theory 115
2.3.4 Local
Participation Theory 116
2.4 Conceptual
framework 118
CHAPTER 3
3.0 METHODOLOGY 121
3.1
Study Area 121
3.2 Population of the Study 128
3.3 Sample and Sampling Procedure 129
3.4 Data Collection 130
3.5 Validity of Instrument 130
3.6 Reliability of Instrument 131
3.7 Hypothesis Testing 132
3.8 Measurement
of Variables 132
CHAPTER 4
4.0
Results and Discussion 137
4.1
Socio-economic Characteristics of
the Respondents 137
4.1.1 Sex
137
4.1.2 Age 137
4.1.3 Educational Level 138
4.1.4 Occupation 138
4.1.5 Marital Status 139
4.1.6 Monthly Income of the Youths 139
4.1.7 Length of Residency 139
4.2 Selected Infrastructural Development
Project 141
4.3 Projects executed by Development Agencies
in the Study Area 143
4.4 Perception of the Youth toward
Infrastructure Development
Projects in the Study Area 144
4.5 Factors Motivating Youths Participation in
Community Physical
Infrastructural
Development Projects 148
4.6 Involvement of Youth in Community
Infrastructural Development Project 152
4.7 Factors Influencing Youths’ Participation
in the Community
Infrastructural
Projects 153
4.8 Distribution of Respondents based on
Constraints to Community
Participation in Infrastructural
Development 157
4.9 Regression Estimates of the Relationship
between the Socio-economic
Characteristics of the Rural Youths
and Participation in Community
Infrastructural Development Projects 159
4.10 Bivariant Correlation Analysis of the
Relationship between Factors that
Motivate Youth
Participation and their Level of Participation 162
4.11 Bivariate Correlation Analysis of the
Relationship between Factors
Influencing Youth Perception and Participation 163
4.12 Bivariate Correlation Analysis of the
Relationship between the
Perception of the
Respondents and Factors that Motivates Participation 164
4.13 ANOVA (DNMRT) Showing difference in the levels of
participation
of youths in community development projects
across the states selected 165
CHAPTER 5
5.0 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations 167
5.1 Summary 167
5.2
Conclusion 169
5.3 Recommendations 169
References 171
Questionnaire 183
Appendices 190
LIST OF TABLES
3.1 States in the South-Eastern
zone with their Population Index 128
3.2 Selected
States, Local Government Areas and Communities in
South
– East Geo-Political zone of Nigeria 130
4.1 Socio-economic
Characteristics of the Respondents 140
4.2 Status of Selected
Infrastructural Development Projects 142
4.3 Percentage
Distribution of Projects executed by Development
Agencies 143
4.4 Perception
of the Youths toward Infrastructure Development
Projects
in the Study Area 147
4.5 Factors Motivating Youths
Participation in Community
Physical Infrastructural Development
Projects 151
4.6 Involvement of Youths in
Community Infrastructural
Development Project 152
4.7 Factors Influencing Youths’
Participation in the Community
Infrastructural Project 156
4.8 Distribution of Respondents
based on Constraints to Community
Participation in Infrastructural
Development 158
4.9 Relationship between the Socio-economic
characteristics of the Rural
Youths and Perception
Towards Community Infrastructural Development
Projects. 161
4.10 Bivariate Correlation Analysis
of the Relationship between
Factors that Motivate Youth Participation
and Level of
Participation 162
4.11 Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis of the
Relationship
Between the Youth Perception and Participation 163
4.12 Bivariate Correlation Analysis
of the Relationship between the
Perception of the Respondents and Factors
that Motivation to
Participate in the Developmental Projects 164
4.13 ANOVA (DNMRT)
showing
Differences in the Level of
Participation of Youths in Community Development Projects
across the States Selected 166
LIST OF
FIGURES
2.1 Conceptual framework for
explaining youth participation in
agricultural and
rural physical infrastructural development
projects 120
3.1 Map of Nigeria 123
3.2 Map of South East 124
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The
nation’s progress and development depends to some extent on growth,
modernization and development of rural areas. Without sound rural development,
there can be no balanced National economic development. For any change to be
considered as development, such change must denote progress and must result to
the upliftment of quality of human life (Ayanwuyi et al., 2014). However, since rural development is important in the
direction of self-help, a way of improving rural areas is by understanding the
role played by youth in the development of rural areas. Farinde (1999) defined
youth as the time a person’s latent powers and attributes are developed to
their highest potential, and also when intellect is at its sharpest and energy
is at its promising. Rural youths are both young males and females between 15
and 30 years, who own their existence and identity to their rural area and
whose family life depends directly on agriculture that, is those who live and
function in rural setting (Ekong, 2010).
Youth participation refers to involvement
of youths in responsible, challenging actions for planning and/or
decision-making activities affecting them which is extended to others i.e.
outside or beyond the youth participants themselves (Cornwall, 2010). Adesope
(2007) notes that it is only through participation that adolescents develop
skills, build competencies, form aspirations, gain confidence and attain
valuable resources. This confirm the views that participation is a product and
strategy in so far as it is a means of helping youth develop a consciousness of
issues that affect other youth. It encourages building networks and linkage
with other stakeholders to help promote their assets and strengthening their
capabilities.
Hart (2015) in his report
noted that 18 percent of the world’s population comprised persons between the
ages and 15-24, that is an estimated 1.061 billion, the majority, (85 percent)
live in the developing world. The World Youth Development Report 2017 indicates
that the developing world’s 1.3 billion young people are its next generation of
economic and social factors. Missed opportunities to prepare the next
generation will be extremely costly to reverse, both for young people and for
the society.
Rural development is a process of
structural changes in the increasingly complex economics, social culture
technology and sphere of rural environment. It aims at improving the standards
of living and quality of life in equitable, sustainable and efficient way
(Lissete, 2000).
In Nigeria, problem of poverty has for a
long time been a cause of concern to the government. Attention has initially been
focused on rural development and town planning as practical means of dealing
with the problem. Youths in Nigeria suffer unemployment due to lack of
opportunities, physical and psychological challenges resulting to poverty
(Ajani etal,2015).
Unemployment creates a wide range of
social ills and young people are particularly susceptible to its damaging
effects namely, lack of skills, low self-esteem, marginalization and wasting of
enormous time resources. These problems associated with unemployment can be
solved by empowering the youth through agricultural development projects which
will enable them have opportunities for self-employment in agriculture and
other sector in the rural economy (Ajani et
al, 2015). According to World Bank (2013) the bulk of rural population has
high level of illiteracy and unemployment is generally poor. About 50 percent
of developing world population is youth estimated at about 1.2 million of age
between 15 and 24.
Adesope (2007)
stressed that the different categories of life have their definitions and
classification of people as youth. He stressed that while in social sciences,
youths are able-bodied persons within the age range of 15 and 59 years, in the
traditional settings, a youth is considered as any person who has attained
puberty, that is, between 13 and 18 years. Generally, studies have shown that
youths fall within 18 and 30 years and this has always been the general guide
for the definition of youth (Adesope, 2007). The age range of 15 and 39 years
will be classified as youths in the work. The active participation of these
youths in agricultural and rural development is very important because they
have potentials to contribute actively and productively in community and rural
development processes.
A community can be referred to as a
“city”, “town” or even “village” where we live (Community Development Journal,
2014). Communities are defined in terms of physical locations with boundaries
that are understandable and accepted by people, or in terms of a group of
people having common interests, cultural heritage, language, social norms, and
accepting a belief system. In the course of man’s interaction with nature, he
can belong to more than one community. An individual can be a part of a
neighborhood, sharing their interests with them, and at the same time belonging
to a religious group within the neighborhood sharing their beliefs and
interests like those of progressive unions, among others. This is a typical
illustration that a man can belong to more than one community at the same time.
It is imperative to note that the major essence and importance for one to
belong to any community is the fact that his/her interests are attained and met
in that community and he/she has accepted the interests of other members of the
said community.
Community development is a process
where community members come together to take collective action and generate
solutions for their common problems. Community development programmes are
geared towards bettering the community wellbeing; their economic, social,
environmental and cultural welfare. These programmes often evolve from
collective action being taken at the grassroots (group) level. The groups that
engage in community development include the women, men and the youth. Community
development programmes range from small initiatives within a small group
(youth, women, men groups) to large initiatives that involve the broader
community.
According to Flo and Smith (2016), community
development always seeks to improve the quality of life of its dwellers with
collaborated effort. Community development programmes and projects can be
classified as follows:
Social and infrastructural
development programmes and projects such as: rural roads/transportation, water
supply (increased access to safe water) and sanitation, development and
equipment of health centres, development of market points, drying shades and
collection stores, rural electrification, etc.
Productivity development: This
aspect emphasizes more on increase in agricultural productivity, Provision of
improved seedlings and planting materials for the people, and provision of
extension services to the dwellers.
Environmental development programmes
and projects: These may include the mitigation and control of natural disasters
such as flooding and disease outbreaks by the cleaning of water ways, soil
erosion mitigation and control, climate change mitigation, etc.
The improvement of the livelihood
and living conditions of the rural poor through capacity building/training in
health, sanitation, and control deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis,
etc.
Job creation through empowerment
packages.
Effective community development
results in mutual benefit and shared responsibility among community members.
Community development helps to build community capacity in order to address
issues and take advantage of opportunities, find common ground and balance
competing interests. Community development which is a strategy doesn’t just
happen. It always requires both a conscious and conscientious effort to do
something (or many things) to improve the community.
The term “development” often carries
an assumption of growth and expansion. During the industrial era, development
was strongly connected to increased speed, volume and size. However, many
people are currently questioning the concept of growth for numerous reasons – a
realization that more isn’t always better, or an increasing respect for
reducing outside dependencies and lowering levels of consumerism. So, while the
term “development” may not always mean growth, it always implies change.
Development can be defined as a process of sustained increase in total and per
capita income accompanied by structural transformation and modernization of
structural environment. Development does not only imply the growth of per
capita or real income, but also its distribution which entails the
establishment of administrative framework that would ensure that the
development is sustained.
Development can be seen when there
is an increase in the per capita income of a community or a nation. When more
people are having more income, there is a reduction in unemployment in the
region or community, the economy or channels for income generation are expanded
or diversified, the basic amenities or requirements of the community members
are met and the community will be at peace, etc. The community development
process takes charge of the conditions and factors that influence a community
and changes the quality of life of its members. Community development is a tool
for managing change. It is not a quick fix or a short-term response to a
specific issue within a community. It is not a process that seeks to exclude
community members from participating, and it is not an initiative that occurs
in isolation from other related community activities. Community development is
about community building and as such, the process is as important as the
results. One of the primary challenges of community development is to balance
the need for long-term solutions with the day-to-day realities that require
immediate decision-making and short-term action.
Rural development, of which
community development is one of the approaches can simply be defined as a
process whereby concerted effort are made in order to facilitate the
significant increase in rural resource productivity with the central objective
of enhancing rural income and increasing employment opportunities in rural
communities. According to Pyakuryal
(2005), Community development can be viewed as an
approach to rural development. Community development focuses more on
interacting human beings within a geographical boundary, whereas rural
development embraces more an ecological perspective. Pyakuryal (2005) further
stated that Community development can be viewed as 'self-help” approach to
rural development. Under the 'self-help' philosophy of development, there
is an attempt to enlist and inspire the people in the determination of
desirable change in goals and in the implementation of programme to bring about
the desirable change.
The
population of Nigeria has steadily been on the increase with a growth rate of
1.65% between 1950 – 1955 to 2.50% between 2000 – 2005 and has attained a
growth rate of 2.67% between 2010 and 2015 (UN, 2015). According to the World
Bank (2017), Nigerian population as of January, 2017 stands at 189,597,325
people which is 2.55% of the total world population. The country ranks 7th
amongst countries with high population. Nigeria with the population growth rate
of 2.59% in 2017 is expected to have a population of over 190 million in 2017.
Over 50% of that population reside in rural areas of the country. According to the
Nigerian Demographic Profile (2016), the population of the dependents is more
than half of the country’s population. From the report, the population of
youths in Nigeria as at 2015 stood at 60 million (between the age bracket of 15
and 39 years). When properly harnessed, this will elevate the country from
being a developing nation to a developed one (World Bank, 2017).
According to “Get Youth on Board Toolkit” (2010), youths are
important participants in the implementation, monitoring and re-direction of
programmes. Youths are one of the greatest assets that any nation can have. Not
only are they legitimately regarded as the future leaders, they are potentially
and actually the greatest investment for a country’s development (Federal
Government of Nigeria, 2011). Olujide (2008) stressed that youths are imbued
with special characteristics which stir them up to bear and play major roles in
development. They have the ability to initiate action, and they possess less
fear of failure, greater physical strength, among others.
Currently,
there are over 1.2 billion persons between the age range of 15 and 24 in the
world (DFID-CSO Youth Working Group, 2010).
About 1 billion of this number lives in developing countries alone. This indicates
that youths constitute a serious development opportunity, as well as a
challenge particularly in developing countries. The imperative of youth
participation in community development programs/projects considering the
numerical strength is an unlimited window in which a larger and younger
workforce who can drive economic development faster and play a significant role
in national, security, leadership and social development of their communities.
Experts argued that, it will be impossible
to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly on zero poverty and
hunger, improved well-being and environmental sustainability, if the youths are
not properly in cooperated into the projects. Concentrated efforts on the
development on Nigerian rural communities have led to the implementation of
several infrastructural development projects in the country with the aim of
improving the standard of living of the rural dwellers. The development of
communities is a dynamic process involving all segments of the locality, including
the often-overlooked youth population. Youths represent a vast and often
untapped resource for immediate and long-term development efforts. They also
provide an invaluable resource for project planning and effective evaluation.
As youths are brought into and connected
with community development projects that they have often times been excluded
from, they participate actively and contribute in decision-making at multiple
levels. As youths are engaged in more sustained positive relationships with adults,
other youths, and community development experts, we come to realize that they
are valued citizens of their communities. Such collaboration and participation
may lead to skill enhancement, empowerment and confidence-building which will
prepare them for active community development services in the future.
These large numbers of young people are an
opportunity, an asset, and investment. Youth participation in development
strengthens young people’s abilities to meet their own subsistence needs,
prevents and reduces vulnerabilities to economic, political and socially
unstable environments, promotes ownership and sustainability of interventions, helps
gain entry into target communities and builds up trust and social capital.
1.2
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Involving youths in rural
development projects is a sure way of attaining sustainable development. As the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have being set and running, youths should
be engaged and involved to play a pivotal role if these goals are to be met by
2030. In the set SDGs, there are no direct goals on youth development. That is to say that youth should cut across
all the goals from zero hunger to quality education to gender inequality to all
of them. According to Bojanic (2017), despite the
transformative nature of the agenda as a whole, the goals still don’t have a
strong enough reference to or focus on youth, youth participation, and
investment in youth or rights of young people. It’s a fact that the primary
responsibility for implementing the agenda rests with governments. The success and strength
of rural projects like educational projects, water projects and health projects
depend on youths (Burr, 1996). The political will to involve youth in decision
making processes is often lacking and the perception of some people that the
“young” are problems and not assets to be used for development should not be
taken (Akpabio, 2005). The majority of the agricultural and rural development
policies and programmes being formulated in Nigeria are yet to consider the
challenges faced by the youths involved in these programmes.Community development
involves the mobilization of members in efforts accrued at socio economic
development (Alocha et al. 2017).
Several studies revealed that youths are participating in
developmental projects (Okwoche et al.,
2012; Angba et al., 2009;
Muhammed-lawal et al., 2009; Olujide,
2008; Ayanwuyi et al., 2007, Akinboye
et al., 2007; Brennan et al., 2007; Ajani, et al., 2015 and
Nwankwo, 2015). It was revealed in Nwankwo, (2015) that youths participated in
all levels of the project implementation with a positive mean score of 3.84 in
Abia state Community and Social Development Project (CSDP). It was revealed in
Akinboye et al. (2007) that youths
were involved in rural development, which is a positive approach to
agricultural development.
Olujide (2008) investigated the attitude of
youths towards rural development projects in Lagos, Nigeria and found that the majority
of the youths belonged to youth organizations but failed to assess the level of
involvement of youth in developmental programmes in their areas. Ajani, et
al (2015) examined the empowerment of youths in rural areas through
agricultural development programmes is of the opinion that though efforts has
being made by government to reduce
poverty and vulnerability through the introduction of Youth Employment in
Agriculture Programme (YEAP), and other programmes, the rural youth programmes
have not given the desired results. This could be due to the non-involvement of
rural youths in the creation, implementation and maintenance of these
programmes.
For Muhammad-Lawal et al.,(2009) who analysed the technical efficiency of the
youth-in-agriculture programme in Ondo state, Nigeria, it was discovered that
the youths portray low technical efficiency for agriculture. The researchers
attributed this to the poor carriage of the youths in the programme. Ayanwuyi et al.,(2007) assessed the youth level
of participation in rural community projects in Surulere L.G.A, Lagos state,
Nigeria where they affirmed that lack of government assistance hindered the
youths from participating actively in these programmes.
According
to FAO (2017), the majority of rural youths are employed in informal economy as
contributing family workers, subsistence farmers or unskilled workers. These
rural youths are employed under casual or seasonal work arrangements and face
unsafe, often exploitive working conditions that compel many to migrate to
urban areas. These rural youths are not equipped with the education and skills
that are needed to move agriculture forward and they are not given the
opportunity to participate in decision making for these programmes. World Bank
(2014) opines that agriculture is up to four times more effective than other
sectors in reducing poverty as it matters to the future of development. To
this, it suggests that there will be no meaningful development if agriculture
is not developed. World Bank (2014) further stressed that agricultural research
needs young brainpower and therefore calls for youth engagement in agriculture.
On the other hand, there can only be a meaningful development in agriculture if
the youths are given the opportunity to participate actively in the
developmental programmes. ILO (2014) suggests the involving of youths in
agriculture.
Bringing
the fore-going to bear, there is need to give the main actors due opportunity
to gain control over local conditions and to harness resources through effective
leadership at the community levels. Community members who have the capacity to
do something to enhance their quality of life are portrayed as having the
ability to think, to decide, to plan and to take action in their lives.
Therefore, in any community development projects both economic and individual
growth must be given equal attention to ensure that the process of community
development achieves its due balance (continuity and sustainability through
adequate participation of all the stakeholders). Theokas et al. (2006) and Jennings et al. (2006) are of the opinion that
the objectives of community development projects cannot be fully achieved
unless youth and other people in the community actively and meaningfully
participated in them.
Given
that the youth population is on the high side in Nigerian communities, projects
directed at them become imperative and with their full, active and frequent
participation. Youths in Adesope (2007) have been noted for active involvement
in community affairs, greater social property, faster reaction, time, and
innovativeness. It has become necessary to investigate their level of
participation on infrastructural development projects in South-East Nigeria. An
understanding of the level and extent to which youths in South-East Nigeria
participate in community infrastructural development projects is a strong
indicator to access the success of such projects.
1.3
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This
research provided answers to the following questions:
i.
What are the
socio-economic characteristics of rural youths in the study area?
ii.
What is the status of the
infrastructure in the community?
iii.
What are the various developmental
projects executed by development agencies in the study area?
iv.
What is the perception of
the youths towards these developmental projects?
v.
What motivates the youths
to participate in these developmental projects?
vi.
What is the level of the
rural youths’ participation in different stages of community infrastructural
development projects in the study area?
vii.
What is the level of participation
in selected projects in the study area?
viii.
What are the problems
that limit the youths from participating in the developmental projects?
1.4
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
broad objective of the study was to evaluate the participation of youths in community
infrastructural development projects in communities of South-East Nigeria with
the following specific objectives; to
i.
describe the
socio-economic characteristics of rural youths in the study area;
ii.
identify the status of selected
community physical infrastructural development project in the study area;
iii.
examine various
developmental infrastructure executed by development agencies in the study area;
iv.
assess perception of
youths towards these developmental projects;
v.
assess the factors that
motivates the youths to participate in these developmental projects;
vi.
ascertain the levels of
rural youths’ participation in different stages of community infrastructural
development projects in the study area;
vii.
ascertain the levels of
the rural youths’ participation in selected projects in the study area; and
viii.
identify problems that
limit the youth from participating in the developmental projects.
1.5 HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
The
following hypotheses of this study were tested;
H01:
There
is no significant relationship between selected socio-economic characteristics
of the respondents and their perception towards community physical
infrastructural development project in the study area.
H02: There is no significant
relationship between factors that motivate participation in the projects and
their level of participation.
H03: There is no significant
relationship between youth perception towards community physical infrastructural
development projects and their level of participation in such projects.
H04:
There
is no significant relationship between perception of respondents towards
projects and motivation to participation in the developmental projects;
H05:
There
is no significant difference between the youths’ level of participation in
community physical development projects across the States.
1.6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
The result of this study
will reveal the socio-economic characteristics of the youths, which is an
important factor in project conception till implementation stages, also results
on status of the projects, and donor agencies in the provision of those
projects will give policy, makes an insight on the road to success. Again
perception of the youth towards participation and extent of youth participation
will enable policy makers to strategies methods of involving them to
participate more.
Youth participation in projects that
affect and are for them, especially those of rural development is very vital if
the projects are to be efficient, effective and sustained. Youth involvement
and participation in community infrastructural development projects has being
found to be veritable in the strive for overall national development. It is,
therefore, very important to involve and make sure that youths participate in
such projects. The major reason for this study is to examine youths’
participation in rural development projects in the south-eastern zone of
Nigeria.
Youths are to be involved from the
decision-making stage – at the inception of the projects to the evaluation and
subsequent maintenance of the projects. The innovativeness, skillfulness and
industrious characteristics of youths in the zone is one that has to be
efficiently harnessed. This study is of immense benefit to policy makers,
development organizations and agencies both on the foreign front and/or the
local front. This study has enabled us know the great and abundant skills
inherent in the youths which will make them invest more in the youths in the
zone.
This study has shown the
perception of the youths in the zone towards community infrastructural
development projects which is their natural driving power to always strive to
better their lives. The results from this study has shown the extent to which
youths participate in developmental projects in their communities, the
developmental projects in the zone and the areas which more efforts are to be
placed for there to be an all-round development of the zone.
Policy makers, developers
and the government at all levels will benefit immensely from this study as it
will serve as a tool kit for enhancing the rural areas. It has provided a pool
of data with which government will use to make rural development policies. Moreso,
this study has shown the contributions of youths in the rural areas to rural
development, their needs for rural development and also help to check
rural-urban migration which is detrimental to rural development.
Provide data for
researchers in the future as it will form bedrock for future research. Youth
participation in the community infrastructural development projects will help
solve the problem of unemployment which is ravaging the society now. To this
end this study has shown possible areas to which concerted efforts are required
so as to create more employment opportunities in the society.
1.7
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
study was conducted in South-East Zone, covering three States out of the five States
that make up the zone, Abia, Ebonyi, and Anambra. The study focused on youth
participation on community physical infrastructural development the status of
the projects and the perception of the youths towards rural development
projects.
1.8
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Community
Development: A process by which people in a
community come together in groups, harness, mobilize and utilize all their
available resources, both human and material, for the purpose of transforming
their socio-physical environment, for the ultimate improvement in the quality
of life of its members (Nwosu, 2009).
Community:
Geographical locations where people live such as city, village or town. It is
physical location with precise boundaries.
Employment:
Employment is a relationship between two parties, usually based on a contract,
one being the employer and the other being the employee.
Infrastructural
development: Underlying basic physical, social
and institution forms of capital which enhance rural dwellers product,
distribution and consumption activities and ultimately, the quality of their
life.
Participation:
The act of working with others in making value judgments and determining course
of action within a social situation and structure. It can be described as the
degree to which the benefactors of a programme or project are involve/engaged
in the activities of the programme/project.
Physical
Infrastructure: refers to the basic physical
structure required for any economy to function and survive.
Physical infrastructure:
refers to the basic physical structures required for an economy to finding and
survive such as schools, health centres, rural roads, rural electrification
project, bridges, erosion control project, fish pond project etc.
Rural
development: Is an integration of improving the
quality of lives of rural people through social, economic, political and spiritual
development of the poorer people in the society.
Youth
participation: refers to the process of involving
young people in institution and decision that affect their lives (Checkoway and
Guiterrez, 2006). For the purpose of the study, youth participation refers to
the involvement of youth in meaningful development activities inside and
outside their communities.
Youth:
Youth is best understood as a period of
transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence. The Nigeria
National Youth Policy defines youth as anyone between the ages of 15 and 39.
1.9
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
In
the course of this study, the researcher encountered a lot of issues. There
were many communities in South-East zone. Reaching each community to organizing
the youth for Focus Group Discussion and administration of questionnaire took
to project sites and non- compliance of some youths is responding to questions
were also some of the constraints encountered.
In
order to overcome the problems the researchers hired the services of some
extension agents in those communities. The extension personnel directed them on
how to meet the elders of the communities who created awareness about their
visit.
With
the help of the extension personnel and some of the elders, traditional calendar
were checked to fix date for meeting the youths. First, each youth leader met
and with the researchers and a detailed description of developmental projects
going on in those communities were enquired, donor agencies, how the youths are
being participated problems encountered.
Dates
for FGD were fixed for each community which lasted for 2 weeks. At the end, all
the communities were visited, administered questionnaires and retrieved them at
the end of the exercise.
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