CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Rural Development has been the concern of many developing countries for a long time because there have been heavy dependence of the urban centres on the rural sectors (Nwosu, 1981). The growth of the National economy and its inherent strength are therefore, dependent on the performance of the rural sectors. He further stated that the Nigerian Economy had once performed well under the agricultural sector which is predominantly peasant;meaning their involvement and integration in the development process is important for the development of the entire nation.
Moreso,overwhelming majority of the people in the underdeveloped countries live and find their livelihood in the rural areas (Tsebee, 2014). Thus, out of the total estimated population of about 140 million people in Nigeria (NPC, 2006), the World Bank Report (2010) puts about 79,524,370 representing about 60% of the population residing in rural areas. A considerable proportion of the national income is also derived from rural areas as a result of direct economic activities of the rural populace. The contribution this rural majority has been making to the economy of the developing nations is too enormous to be neglected. These have, therefore necessitated policies geared towards the development of the rural areas in Nigeria and other developing countries.
Indeed, the first significant government effort towards planning for rural development in Nigeria was in the third development plan, 1975-1980 (Nwabuoku and Eremie, 1987). The policy of government during the development plan period was to concentrate on raising productivity in agriculture, the predominant occupation of the rural areas and providing basic amenities such as clean water, construction of rural roads, provision of medical services, schools and electricity etc. The guidelines to the Fourth National Development Plan, 1981-1985, re-affirmed that the policy of promoting a more rapid development of the rural areas through a sustained effort to raise agricultural productivity and provide basic human needs such as hygienic water, access roads, medical facilities, electricity etc be continued with.The primary focuses of these development plans were to provide a more geographical spread of development throughout the country.
Rural development has generally being desirous in the world, and particularly in the third world countries since the1980s because governments have realized that except given the seriousness it deserves, and closing the gap between theory and practice in this area, the desired development would be unattainable and the goals of achieving accelerated national development at the rural level will remain elusive. One major reason for this assertion is that bulk of the population lives in rural areas, which is the grassroots where development is most desirous (Aghayere, 2008).
Utaan (2013) had stressed on the importance of developing the rural areas in the underdeveloped countries and Nigeria in particular. According to him, this would enhance productivity in the rural areas and as well raise the incomes of the rural majority, and consequently, rural-urban drift and its attendant ills will be checked.
The importance of developing the rural areas in the developing countries has also been stressed by some eminent leaders in Africa. Kenneth Kaunda, a one time president of Zambia, introducing the Second National Development Plan, 1972 to 1976 opined that: “For us, developing the rural areas is a matter of life and death; though we do not underestimate the problems involved … we must first of all succeed in developing the rural areas no matter our performance in other sectors” (Chambers, 1974:11).
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A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF LOWER AND UPPER BENUE RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT
