An evolution of public policies for rural development in Nigeria

Abstract

The rural area of Nigeria has long been recognized as very basic to the attainment of the overall national development. This is because of its association with highly valued land uses including farming, grazing, lumbering, forestry, hunting, fishing, mining and settlement among others. Despite these, the rural environment in Nigeria experiences socio-economic difficulties which make their inhabitants to be highly deprived. Since political independence in 1960, however, several policies and programmes have been put in place with a view to overcoming rural underdevelopment. This paper examines a range of these strategies and evaluates the extent of their success. An improved citizen mobilization and participation approach is therefore suggested as the most realistic means of achieving the goal of rural development.