ABSTRACT

The paper examines education and rural development in the 21st century in Nigeria with emphasis on
the institutions, agencies, policies and strategies employed to bring about the much needed rural
development in the country. It goes further to assess the impacts of the various efforts made by both
the domestic and foreign governments and international organizations, institutions, agencies and non-
governmental organizations to bring about real development at the grassroots level. In the attempt to
do this, clarification of concepts like development, rural areas, and rural development was carried out,
which formed the theoretical basis of the analysis. It was found out that efforts made by the Nigerian
government though several strategies like the nation’s development plans from colonial era to date
which were ex-rayed did not bring about meaningful development. Similarly international
organizations and regional strategies have not lead to any significant improvement in the living
conditions of the rural dwellers and rural development in general. It was also found out that a number
of issues such as corruption and mismanagement, faulty planning from above rather than bottom-up
approach; pursuance of the colonial and neo-colonial economic and social policies which were anti
people among other factors led to failure of the rural development efforts. The paper therefore
concludes among other things that for rapid and sustained rural development to take place, the
lopsided and urban based development process must be reversed to rural-based and bottom-up
approach, government to continue to create conducive environment for rural development to thrive,
change of attitudes and orientation by all and sundry, particularly the leadership class in Nigeria in
order to minimize corruption and mismanagement of resources. Therefore, for rural development to
be realistic and enduring, these measures should be given priority attention, especially at the
implementation stages. Education is fundamental to growth and development, and serves as a
critical
index in measuring the progress of the development agenda. Therefore, deliberate efforts
should be made to develop the sector, particularly in rural areas. This will include the
provision of educational infrastructures and facilities, sustainable curriculum and policies,
the employment of more teaching staff, and strengthening oversight functions on
educational facilities and scholarship for students. Education is the most powerful tool for
reducing poverty, ensuring peace and stability .

INTRODUCTION
Education in rural areas requires first reviewing the characteristics of the rural sector, particularly in
developing countries, and then considering the place of education in the current rural development
debate. To a large extent, rural areas have been neglected in development policies. Similarly, the rural
dimension of basic education issues in most developing countries was largely overlooked in the 1990s.
However, much has been written on the place of agriculture in primary education and on the impact of
education on farmers’ productivity. In other words, looking at education in the context of rural
development and food security is not in itself a new approach. What has changed lately is the context in
which rural development takes place, the conceptual framework in which it is conceived and the ways
explored to link the rural environment to learning. This first chapter attempts to set this factual and
conceptual background. Basic facts and figures help in understanding the need to devote more attention
to rural areas. It is estimated that for the next two decades, the majority of the population living in
developing countries will continue to be rural. This implies that, during this period, the development
challenge will continue to be related to rural trends and conditions. Consequently achieving the targets
set by the international community for the year 2015, notably regarding poverty reduction and basic
education, will require particular emphasis on rural areas. One important aspect of the debate on
agriculture in basic education is the question of whether it leads to increased agricultural productivity.
There has often been an assumption that there is a direct causal link between education and agricultural
productivity. Whilst the contribution of education to poverty reduction is widely acknowledged, it
remains difficult to quantify education’s contribution to economic growth. 36 Education for rural
development: towards new policy responses Agriculture has been ‘taught’ in schools in many countries
for a long time, with varying degrees of success in terms of the outcomes expected from its inclusion in
the curriculum. The value of agriculture as an intrinsic part of the rural school curriculum where it has
been implemented either as a manual activity, added on to the school curriculum (Benin, Burundi,
Colombia, Congo, Gambia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia, to name but a few), or as a distinct
subject area in the curriculum (for example Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda,
Swaziland and Tanzania) has been hotly contested for many years. The debate on primary school
agriculture quieted somewhat towards the end of the 1990s. Agriculture is often not seen as a priority
area due to the many constraints which, in the past, obstructed its effective delivery in primary schools.
However, thinking about the contribution of education to development extends far beyond the school
context. As early as the 1970s, the notion of ‘basic education’ was defined in a much broader sense
referring to the acquisition of knowledge and know-how in complementary fields such as food, nutrition,
hygiene, health, family planning, etc. Hence, the discussion on education and rural development
included various forms of non-formal education, including adult literacy programmes. The rapid review
provided by this first chapter is necessary to remind us that the issue of education and rural
development is a recurrent theme. While recognizing the uniqueness of the present context and the
renewal in rural development concepts and approaches it is important to keep in mind the lessons
learned from past efforts to enable education to play its role in rural development . The findings indicate
that various education programs, formal and non-formal have played a great role in the improvement of
the living standard of the people around the hospital. On the other hand the contribution of education
has been evidenced in the capacity building to the majority of the population that have been possible
through education programs. This was highlighted by the number of people that have passed though
Haydom Primary School, Dr. Olsen Secondary School, Nursing school, The vocational/trade School,
Ngwandaq Primary School as well as by the working population that have been going through in-service
training for various professions in the hospital. The life standard of the educated working population is
used as a role model to the rest of the illiterate community and continues to build the positive attitude
towards education.

Development The concept of development is very difficult to define because it is value loaded. It is often
equated with economic growth or economic development. Indeed the two concepts are often used
interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. Economic development is an essential
component of development, yet it is not the only one. There are many other aspects of development.
According to Rodney (1972:9), he defines “development” as: “a many-side process. At the level of the
individuals, it implies increased skills and capacity, greater freedom, creativity, self-discipline,
responsibility and material well being”. On the other hand Todaro (1977:96-98) says that: Arabian
Journal of Business and Management Review (Nigerian Chapter) Vol. 2, No. 2, 2014 19 Development
must therefore be conceived as a multi-dimensional process involving changes in structure, attitudes
and institutions, as well as the acceleration of economic growth, the reduction of inequality and the
eradication of absolute poverty. In essence, development must represent the entire gamut of changes
by which the entire social system, turned to the diverse basic needs and desires of individuals and social
groups within the system moves away from the conditions of life regarded as materially and spiritually
“better”. This means that development involves the reorganization and reorientation of the entire
economic and social system. This also involves, in addition to improvement of income and output,
radical changes in institutions, social and administrative structures as well as in popular attitudes,
customs and beliefs. The implication of these two definitions is that “development” goes beyond
economic indicators. It is both a physical process and a state of mind. The institutions or structures like
construction of railways, schools, hospital etc are aspect of development. The second aspect of
development is that the people must change their attitudes for good. Also, Seers (1969:3) asked certain
questions regarding the concept of development. He says that: The questions to ask about a country’s
development are therefore, what has been happening to poverty? What has been happening to
unemployment? What has been happening to inequality? If all three of these have declined from high
levels then beyond doubt this has been a period of development for the country concerned. If one or
two of these problems has been growing worse, especially if all three have, it would be strange to call
the result development even if per capita income doubled. It therefore means that development per se
can not be tied to economic advancement only but a general improvement in the living conditions of the
people over time. Development is also aimed at improving the living conditions of the people through
the effective management of both the human and materials resources. Thus, Gana (1986:2) noted that
“Development concerns the capacity and creative capability of a people to effectively transform the
natural resources of their environment into goods and services through the imaginative and practical
application of their creative talent and productive power”. This implies that the people must be
empowered to be able to meet their basic needs of food, housing, health, transport, education,
employment, reduction in poverty level and increased per capita income among others. This is what is
lacking in the rural areas of Nigeria and else where in Africa where about eighty percent of the
population live in the rural areas. A critical examination of the definition of “development” by the
scholars quoted above means that “development” must necessarily include, the reduction or elimination
of poverty, illiteracy, disease, malnutrition, joblessness, etc. It is a programme which has the objective
and strategy aimed at transforming the citizens in the rural areas from being the victims of poverty,
ignorance and disease into a contented human begins, able to earn an income capable of sustaining a
reasonable standard of living for themselves and their families. It also means the Arabian Journal of
Business and Management Review (Nigerian Chapter) Vol. 2, No. 2, 2014 20 ability to provide the basic
necessities of life such as food, jobs, affordable and accessible health care, good roads, water, electricity
and education, among many other things for the people. Rural Area The word “rural” connotes a place
with agricultural orientation; the houses are farm houses, barns, sheds and other structures of similar
purposes. In the opinion of Olisa et al (1992:65) population is the main characteristic that differentiates
rural from urban areas, especially in the developing countries. In this regard, in Nigeria an area with a
population of 20,000 people and below is classified as a rural area. However, this is not adequate to
explain a rural area. Therefore according to Olisa et al (1992:65): The main features of rural areas are
depression, degradation and deprivation. Many rural villages are immersed in poverty so palpable that
the people are the embodiment of it. In most rural area in Nigeria, basic infrastructure where they exist
at all, are too inadequate for meaningful development. In other words, the rural areas lack virtually all
the good things of life like roads, medical and health facilities, portable water, electricity etc. As pointed
out above, these characteristics are not limited to rural areas alone but are also found in urban areas in
Nigeria and other developing countries. The people engage in subsistence agriculture, their standard of
living is very low, earning only a few thousands of naira annually, they are poorly served by almost all
public amenities and they generally show considerable resistance to change in any form. Rural
Development The concept of rural development or community development will be used
interchangeably to mean the same thing. The scope of the concept of rural or community development
is very wide. It is a multi-dimensional process involving such areas as agriculture, health, education,
provision of rural infrastructures, social life, political and economic issues, commerce and industry,
among others, and their integration with the national economy. Since the scope of the concept is wide it
is the pivot on which a sound national development in all its ramifications can effectively be achieved. It
is, however often assumed by policy makers and development planners that rural development is
synonymous with agriculture. To correct this impression, it is very necessary to carry out a detailed
conceptualization of the concept by scholar in the field of rural development. Since the concept of “rural
development” is very wide in scope, it is necessary to write about an integrated approach to the
definition of the concept. Thus, according to the United Nations (1976:4): The concept of integrated
rural development implies that it is a composite or comprehensive programme for rural development in
which all relevant sectors such as agriculture, education, housing, health and employment are conceived
as interlinking elements in a system having horizontal as well as vertical linkage in operational and
spatial terms. According to Aziz, (1999), the concept of rural development should be viewed as a holistic
concept, which recognizes the complexity and inter-relatedness of the many variables which influence
the quality of life in rural areas. It is a complex process, which involves the interaction of economic,
social, political, cultural, technological and other situational factors. Arabian Journal of Business and
Management Review (Nigerian Chapter) Vol. 2, No. 2, 2014 21 Hence for the actualization of the
concept, these factors have to be integrated with local government policies and plans with the
objectives of improving the quality of life of the people in the rural sector. Furthermore, according to
Mabogunje, (1981), rural development is concerned with the self-sustaining improvement of rural areas
and implies a broad based re-organization and mobilization of the rural masses so as to enhance their
capacity to cope effectively with the daily task of their lives and with the changes consequent upon this.
In the opinion of Gana, (1996), rural development is important not only for its impact on rural places
and people but also for its contribution to the over all development of the nation. In the Nigerian
experience where the bulk of the people and land are rural, and where the level of rural output is very
low, rural mobilization provides the quickest and most direct route to national development. This would
require the adoption of appropriate technology for raising rural productivity and efficient utilization of
resources, creation of efficient transport network for rural and urban areas to ensure easy
transportation of agricultural produce for massive food production and supply of industrial raw
materials. It is to be observed that the ambit of rural development is very wide indeed, and it requires a
comprehensive approach. It includes generation of new employment, more equitable access to arable
land, equitable distribution of income, widespread improvement in health, nutrition and housing,
creation of incentives and opportunities. It also involves the ability of the local government to create
wider opportunities for individuals to realize their full potentials through education and sharing in the
decisions and actions which affect their lives.

Education, economic
development, physical
and social
infrastructure play an
important
role in rural
development. Rural
development is also
characterized by its
emphasis on
locally produced
economic
development
strategies. In contrast
to urban regions,
which
have many
similarities, rural
areas are highly
distinctive from one
another. For this
reason there are a
large variety of rural
development
approaches used
globally. Rural
development actions
mostly aim for the
social and economic
development of the
rural
areas. The term is not
limited to the issues
for developing
countries. In fact
many of
the developed
countries have very
active rural
development
programs. The main
aim of
the rural
government policy
is to develop the
undeveloped villages.
Education
contributing to rural
development must be
locally controlled,
practical, applied,
proble
Education, economic
development, physical
and social
infrastructure play an
important
role in rural
development. Rural
development is also
characterized by its
emphasis on
locally produced
economic
development
strategies. In contrast
to urban regions,
which
have many
similarities, rural
areas are highly
distinctive from one
another. For this
reason there are a
large variety of rural
development
approaches used
globally. Rural
development actions
mostly aim for the
social and economic
development of the
rural
areas. The term is not
limited to the issues
for developing
countries. In fact
many of
the developed
countries have very
active rural
development
programs. The main
aim of
the rural
government policy
is to develop the
undeveloped villages.
Education
contributing to rural
development must be
locally controlled,
practical, applied,
proble
hts, and take
greater control of
decisions affecting
their lives, providing
trained
manpower in rural
areas, linking rural
and urban sectors,
providing employment
and
income opportunities,
increasing labor
force productivity,
and developing
leadership.
Rural development
aims at finding the
ways to improve the
rural lives with
participation
of the rural people
themselves so as to
meet the required
need of the rural
area. The
outsider may not
understand the
setting, culture,
language and other
things prevalent in
the local area. As such,
general people
themselves have to
participate in their
sustainable
rural development.
Relevant, locally-
controlled educational
programs play key
roles in
rural development in
developing nations.
Education has a
desirable controlling
influence
over development of
the rural individual,
family, community,
and society, leading
to
reduce

Role of
Education in Rural
Development
Ritu Chandra
Assistant Professor
Department of
Humanities
and Social Science,
SRMU, Lucknow
Abstract:
Education is the
mirror of the
society and is the
seed as well as
flower of the
socioeconomic
development. It
transforms human
beings from
ignorance to
enlightenment, from
shades of social
backwardness to light
of social amelioration
and a
nation from
underdevelopment to
faster social and
economic
development. The
general conference of
UNSCEO in 1964
recognized that
“illiteracy is a grave
obstacle to
social and economic
development .
Education is the true
alchemy that can
bring India its next
golden age. The
motto is
unambiguous: All for
knowledge, and
knowledge for all.
Keywords:
Education, Rural
Development, RTE,
UEE, SSA
Introduction
Education is a dynamic
process that starts
from birth. A child is
surrounded by parents
and other siblings
and experiences his
surroundings and
responds. The
surrounding
environment, the
physical and social
environment imparts
information and the
child tries
to learn from that
information and
responds. From those
responses we assess
whether
his/her development
is normal, abnormal
or extraordinary.
Different children at
the
same biological age
respond differently
to the same
environment. Rural
development generally
refers to the process of
improving the quality
of life and economic
well-being of people
living in relatively
isolated and sparsely
populated areas.
However,
changes in global
production networks
and increased
urbanization have
changed the
character of rural
areas.
Need of Education
for Rural
Development
Education, economic
development, physical
and social
infrastructure play an
important
role in rural
development. Rural
development is also
characterized by its
emphasis on
locally produced
economic
development
strategies. In contrast
to urban regions,
which
have many
similarities, rural
areas are highly
distinctive from one
another. For this
reason there are a
large variety of rural
development
approaches used
globally. Rural
development actions
mostly aim for the
social and economic
development of the
rural
areas. The term is not
limited to the issues
for developing
countries. In fact
many of
the developed
countries have very
active rural
development
programs. The main
aim of
the rural
government policy
is to develop the
undeveloped villages.
Education
contributing to rural
development must be
locally controlled,
practical, applied,
problem
Education, economic
development, physical
and social infrastructure
play an important
role in rural
development. Rural
development is also
characterized by its
emphasis on
locally produced
economic development
strategies. In contrast to
urban regions, which
have many similarities,
rural areas are highly
distinctive from one
another. For this
reason there are a large
variety of rural
development approaches
used globally. Rural
development actions
mostly aim for the
social and economic
development of the
rural
areas. The term is not
limited to the issues for
developing countries. In
fact many of
the developed countries
have very active rural
development programs.
The main aim of
the rural government
policy is to develop
the undeveloped
villages. Education
contributing to rural
development must be
locally controlled,
practical, applied, proble