Community driven development approach: driving force for sustainable infrastructural development in rural communities

Abstract

Reflection on the Nigerian Government experiences in rural development showed that not much has been achieved. There exists a sharp contrast between policy formulation and its implementation.The main objective of this study is to empirically determine the level of community involvement and participation in developmental activities in the Niger Delta rural communities, assess the impact of infrastructures on their living conditions and finally to identify the antecedents of unsustainable infrastructural facilities in the region.Survey approach was used to obtain data from six communities across 3 oil producing states in the region using a total of 300 questionnaires. The findings revealed that community inputs and interest are not put into consideration by the government (NDDC) in designing and implementation of developmental projects particularly in the area of infrastructure.In the same vein, there is a lack of community interest and needs in projects identification and execution. However, the paper has offered an insight and understanding on the relevance of community driven developmental approach for successful implementation and sustainability of infrastructures especially in rural communities