Introduction

Rural development in Nigeria constitutes a fundamental problem. Over the years,

rural development has been neglected. Rural areas are regarded as abodes of
diseases, superstition, poverty, lethargy, low income and low productivity. This
problem, which is primarily due to government non sustainable policy action
towards rural transformation, is responsible for the poor state of affairs among
rural dwellers in Nigeria. (Ayanate)

The development of rural areas constitutes an important sector in any nation’s

economy and their rapid development and modernization have gained the
attention of policy makers and governments globally. This is due to the fact that a
majority of the population lives therein.

Woji posited that Rural Development is the process of improving the quality of life
and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated
and sparsely populated areas.

Rural Development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of land-

intensive natural resources such as agriculture and forestry. However, changes in
global production networks and increased urbanization have changed the
character of rural areas. Increasingly tourism, niche manufacturers, and
recreation have replaced resource extraction and agriculture as dominant
economic drivers.The need for rural communities to approach development from
a wider perspective has created more focus on a broad range of development
goals rather than merely creating incentive for agricultural or resource based
businesses. Education, entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social
infrastructure all play an important role in developing rural regions.

Problems in development of rural areas

Giobari opined that rural areas are outlined several typical problems. Low income
and employment are among the main problems inherent in the rural areas. They
emerge in several aspects: problems with the labourforce, low labor productivity,
lower prices of agricultural products.
According to Ayanate the following are the problem of rural development

Typical feature of the rural areas is the surplus of labour force due to fewer jobs
that are opened. Most new jobs are for unskilled workers, so the wages and
nature of the work are unattractive. Workers with higherqualification migrates to
the cities. In rural areas remains peoples mostly in These problems can be solved
by creating more employment opportunities and extra income for the people of
these regions.
Problems of the laborforce are the most serious and difficult to solve because
they affects people with their skills, initiatives and opportunities
Besides unemployment, another problem is the depopulation of the rural areas
and strong aging.

In rural areas there is also low labor productivity, which may be increased by
introducing more modern technology, upgrading skills of workers, providing
better working conditions. One of the reasons for lower income of the people in
rural areas are the low prices of agricultural products. Thanks to market forces
demand for basic goods grows up more slowly than that of luxury goods and
services. Sometimes purchase prices are maintained intentionally low, when
there is only one buyer (or group of purchasers) in agricultural production. To
solve this problem at least partially, many farmers are trying to increase their
income by processing the raw material and production of finished products, i.e.
closing the production cycle. In many regions is not developed cooperation of
farmers. Second group of problems are associated with poor working and living
conditions in the rural areas due to underdeveloped infrastructure and public
services. In the state of infrastructure - roads, water supply and sewarage,
electrical and communications networks, is more than poor. This situation,
together with the low quality of health and education, is the main reason for
migration and depopulation of rural areas.
Solving these problems is possible through close cooperation with local
government authorities which make efficient the use of opportunities provided by
EU for regional development.
Another problem is economic insecurity generated by the realization of
agricultural production. The market economy mechanisms increases the role of
supply and demand as factors that dictates the prices of agricultural production.
The adverse natural conditions are also a factor for inconsistency in people's
incomes. State of the environment further reduces the quality of life in rural
areas. Much of the agricultural land in Nigeria are polluted with pesticides or by
industrial plants, making it difficult to produce quality and healthy products.

Prospects of rural development

According to woji the following are the prospects of rural development

Education should be Made Compulsory – The government must make education

compulsory for everyone. Good schools should be opened in villages and the
government should ensure that no child in any village remains uneducated.

Adult Education – Adult education should also be promoted. Night schools must
be opened for this purpose and adults must be encouraged to seek education.
This is of utmost importance as only when the adults are educated they would
understand the importance of education and educate their children.

Roads must be Built – Roads and bridges should be built so that there is proper
connectivity between the villages and cities. This will encourage the farmers and
artisans to expand their business and make healthcare facilities easily
approachable to villagers.

Power Supply a Must – In today’s times, it is impossible to grow and develop a

region if there is no power supply or constant power cuts. This is one of the most
basic things needed to progress in any field. Thus, the government must ensure
that people in villages are not devoid of it.

Sanitation Facility – In order to maintain proper hygiene and good health, it is

essential to have good sanitation facility. The government must promote the need
to have a good sanitation facility and must also ensure each village has it.
Better Healthcare Facilities – There is a dire need to provide good healthcare
facilities in every region. The government must ensure that every village is
equipped with good hospitals and well educated and experienced healthcare
staff.

Conclusion
There are a number of serious problems being faced by the villagers. People in
the villages are devoid of various facilities which are a hindrance to their
development. The government must make efforts to facilitate the villages with
modern facilities so that the people living in those areas can also enjoy a clean
and comfortable life.

References
Woji S 2019 topical regional issues Kings publishers ikeja

Ayanate.E 2013 impact of rural development Royal printing press portharcourt

Giobari .K 2003 The Government and the people obodo enterprises Garki