THE ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACTS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN PLATEAU STATE

Abstract

The Rural Communities In Nigeria Since Independence To Date Have Experienced Gross Underdevelopment, This Has Manifested Itself In The Rural Areas In The Form Of Unemployment, Poverty, Illiteracy, Prostitution, High Mortality Rate, Kidnapping, Banditry, Boko Haram Insurgency, Corruption, Poor Educational Facilities, Robbery Among Others. These Social Vices Continued To Manifest In The Communities Despite Government Intervention With Several Policies And Programmes. The Inability Of Government At All Levels To Solve These Fundamental Problems That Affects Rural Populace, The People In These Communities Decided To Organise Themselves
Into Community Development Associations To Address The Challenges That Affect Them. The Methodology That Was Used In This Research Work Was Descriptive And Qualitative Using Thematic Analysis. The Data Were Derived From Both Primary And Secondary Sources. The Study Revealed That Community Development Associations In Plateau State Have Contributed To Rural Development. The Study Showed That The Proliferation Of Community Development Associations In Plateau State Was As A Result Of The Failure Of Government Policies And Programmes Tom Address The Needs Of The People At The Grass Root Level. The Research Work Recommends That People Should Form Self-help Associations To Bring The Much-needed Public Goods In The Rural Areas. The Need To Organise A Formal Dialogue Between The People And Rural Development Partners To Establish A Meaningful Rural Development Policy.