Integrated Rural Development Planning in Nigeria : A Spatial Dimension.

Abstract

In Nigeria's more recent policy for regional planning, integrated development, failures have far exceeded successes. This paper attempts to suggest that the chief fault lies not so much in the aim of the projects as in the whole concept of rural development planning. In trying to raise the level of rural economic development and satisfy the material needs and aspirations of the rural masses, adequate attention has not been paid to the structure of spatial relationships. This therefore calls for a new strategy which not only improves the lot of those in rural areas but also involves a spatial logic that directs attention to areal integration. More specifically, the paper gives a brief background of rural Nigeria, assesses the performance of some past rural planning endeavours, and focuses on the importance of the spatial component of integrated rural development planning. Bibliogr.