ABSTRACT
This paper examines some of the past development strategies, such as industrialization, farm settlement scheme, and several agricultural programs among others adopted by government in Nigeria and aimed to effect the transformation of the poor state of living and infrastructure and the socio-economic wellbeing the country’s rural areas. Although programs and strategies roll over each other with succeeding regimes (military and democratic), yet the high hopes and aspirations of the rural dwellers for better life appear to have constantly eluded them despite the huge budgetary investments on copious formulations and implementations of replete policies and programs put in place. It is estimated that about 75 percent of Nigerians still live in rural areas, and even with awareness of this fact, implementation of the programs under dedicated policy thrusts in order to bring development to this major segment of our population, has continued to lag over decades of effort. Obviously, the mechanisms and/or strategies for sustainable rural development in the Nigerian context abound at least in theory, but, lack of political will, truncated program- implementation, pillage of resources for rural development among others, appear to have crashed the several lofty ideals of rural development designers. It is averred that sustainable rural development strategies especially in lines of agriculture, agro-industrial and agro-allied value chains and businesses, if adequately adopted and adapted in Nigeria, could transform the rural areas to enviable heights in human and socio-economic development. |
KEYWORDS: |
Rural dwellers, strategies, agro-policy implementation, transformation, industrialization. |
