Community-driven Development Strategy for Sustainable Infrastructure

Abstract

Many border communities are far from city centres and obscured from the mainstream of development. This can foster environments where insecurity, criminality, and certain anti-state activities thrive unabated, thereby posing a real danger to the sovereignty of the Nigerian State. Akamkpa Local Government Area in Cross River State is one such border territory. This research studied the border communities in the Akamkpa local government area to assess the contributions of government-driven infrastructure intervention projects in the development of the communities. The study is aimed at evolving an appropriate strategy for integrating border communities into the mainstream of development in Nigeria. Four border villages closest to the Cameroon border with Nigeria were chosen for the study through purposive sampling. The primary source of data collection was through a questionnaire survey, which was administered randomly to forty household heads in the communities studied. Analysis of the data was by a combination of simple descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The findings of the study showed that the provision of basic infrastructure and services in the study area has remained grossly deficient, notwithstanding the government infrastructure intervention policy currently in place. The results of the survey further showed that residents would like to have a say in infrastructure planning and delivery in their communities, which is presently not the case. The study concludes by proposing a strategy of community participation in a sustained regime of infrastructure and service provision by relevant agencies. This is believed to have the potential to positively impact their livelihoods, improve the security and integrity of their borders, and create the right atmosphere for patriotism to thrive.