Public Policy Implementation and Community Development in Rivers State: a Case Study of Emohua Local Government Area
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The major objective of this study is to assess the effect of public policy implementation on community development in Nigeria. While other specific objectives are:
- To examine the effect of public policy implementation on community development in Emohua local government of Rivers State.
- To investigate the effect of government programmes on poverty reduction in the rural communities.
- To identify the impact of public policy on primary health care service in Emohua local government of Rivers State.
- To identify problems and challenges of implementing public policies in Emohua local government of Rivers State.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
NIGERIA’S RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES: AN OVERVIEW
Development issues occupy an important position in the minds of scholars, policy makers and development experts especially as it affects Third World Societies. No wonder then that the concept of development has been subjected to several meanings and interpretations. In spite of the several definitions, the meaning of development has evolved from its narrow conceptualization with economic growth expressed in aggregate economic indicator of GNP or per capita income to a more broad-based conceptualization as a multi-dimensional process involving changes in structures, attitudes and institutions as well as the acceleration of economic growth, the reduction of inequality and the eradication of absolute poverty. The meaning of rural development has also evolved over time in line with current realities. According to the World Bank (2000), rural development is understood as strategies and policies designed at improving the economic and social life of a specific group of people – rural poor. Wikipedia (2014) describes rural development as the process of improving the quality of life and economic well being of people living in relatively isolated and sparsely populated area. Historically, efforts at developing rural areas have been pursued since the colonial times. The concern has been to transform the mostly agrarian society in order to reach a common set of development goals based on the capacities and needs of the people. Policies aimed at the improvement of the rural areas and pursued by various governments (federal, state and local) have been put in place and pursued particularly since 1960s. Ering (2012) and Ebong (1991) have both maintained that Nigeria rural communities have ever before the advent of colonization indulge in various forms of community self-help schemes such as construction of village moats, shrines, village squares, markets and a host of other activities. In other words, development activities have been part of Nigeria’s cultural heritage. But the institutionalization of modern rural development schemes can be traced to the 1920s when the British colonial office adopted the strategy of community development as a special development model for the rural areas of all colonial territories. The concern then was to make up for the short comings of traditional British school system by imparting skills such as carpentry, house building, shoe repairing, etc in community development centres. After Nigeria’s political independence in 1960, federal and regional governments vigorously pursued conscious and deliberate policies of transforming rural policies. In the 60s, the federal and regional governments were preoccupied with the establishment of farm settlement schemes. This policy thrust gave rise to the various farm plantation spread across Cross River State and other states of the federation. The prime objective of these development policies was to prevent the exodus of youths from villages to the urban areas. However, this failed because they were largely incoherent and uncoordinated efforts and programmes within individual settlements. In 1976, another rural development policy was rolled out, it was the Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) and was a major rural development policy of Murtala/Obasanjo government. The concern at this time was to bring down the escalating prices of food items and arrest the rate of food importation (NZirim, 1985). But it turned out to produce more millionaires at the expense of rural farmers. The next policy that was initiated by the Obasanjo regime was the establishment of River Basins and Rural Development Authorities in 1978.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to public policy implementation and community development in Rivers state
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information public policy implementation and community development in Rivers state. 200 staff of selected primary health care in Emohua local government of Rivers state was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain effect of public policy implementation and community development Emohua local government of Rivers state. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of public policy implementation on community development in Nigeria
Summary
This study was on public policy implementation on community development in development Emohua local government of Rivers state. Four objectives were raised which included: To examine the effect of public policy implementation on community development in development Emohua local government of Rivers state, to investigate the effect of government programmes on poverty reduction in the rural communities, to identify the impact of public policy on primary health care service in development Emohua local government of Rivers state, to identify problems and challenges of implementing public policies in development Emohua local government of Rivers state. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected primaries health care. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made lap technicians, senior staff, junior staff and security men were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The development of rural Nigeria as a matter of deliberate policy for the entire societal development remains a central problem to policy makers. A review of past policies and approaches to rural development in Nigeria show that there were bedeviled with a number of problems. At the centre of these problems is the human factors that have been washed with, the need to get rich at all cost. People for whom development programmes and projects are planned for and particularly the none involvement of women in development process. An alternative approach to Nigeria’s rural development must take into consideration all the factors identified above and the stakeholders. In other words, it must be participatory. There is also the lack of involvement on the part of the by way of carrying the people along at every stage of will do this magic
Recommendation
(a) Target beneficiaries should be involved at the formulation stage in order for them to have an input in what affects their lives. This will also give them a sense of belonging and, therefore, a sense of commitment.
(b) Attention should be paid to both the manpower and financial resources which will be needed to implement the policy.
(c) There must be effective communication between the target beneficiaries and the implementors of policy programmes.
(d) The culture of discontinuing a policy once there is a change in government should be discouraged because even though government comes and goes, administration is continuous. There should be continuity in policy except if the policy is found not to be useful to the people.
(e) Provision should be put in place for adequate monitoring of projects, as poorly monitored projects will only yield undesired results
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