CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
This unit introduces the topic of community development. It is intended primarily for students who have an interest in the topic, the main aim of this unit is to acquaint learners with the basic concepts of community development. In order to understand community development (CD) it should be stated that it means different things to different people. It is founded on voluntary and healthy interdependence, mutual benefit and shows responsibility. In recent years, CD tends to have involved local people seeking and taking advantage of opportunities identifying and using their assets or working together to solve problems. Community development has its root in several academic disciplines including Sociology, Economics, Psychology and even Architecture. The interdisciplinary approach of CD offers several advantages, such as providing a holistic view of CD. CD is a structured intervention that gives communities greater … over the conditions that affect their lives. Though this may not solve all the problems faced by a local community, but it does build up confidence to tackle such problems as effectively as any local action can. CD looks at the level of local groups and organizations rather than with individuals or families. The range of local groups and organizations representing communities at local level constitute the community sector. Furthermore, CD is a skilled process and part of its approach is the belief that communities cannot be helped unless they themselves agree to this process. CD has to look both ways not only how the community is working at the grassroots, but also at how responsive key institutions are to the needs of local communities.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In Nigerian society today, most people don’t want to participate in community development programme due to some negative factors such as cultural, socio- economic, awareness, planning, and religions among others. But empowering people to become aware of the importance of community participation will help to eliminate the inhibiting factors. Government is expected to provide basic need such as good drinking water, good road, health care delivery system, better agricultural and literacy education including effective security of lives and property. This has not been obtainable. Therefore people must come together as a social unit to develop their community by removing or doing away with their differences that serve as great factors that affect community participation in community development. The state government has a great task of providing people with necessary company tool for community participation in order to achieve community development programme. Community participation in the country come in with the intention of making communities to develop and to supplement government effort in providing basic human need to the people. The objective of community development programme is to achieve social, economic, political emancipation and progress of our communities. It is the fact that the process of community development programme cannot be sustained without people`s participation which need effective mobilization of people toward community participation in order to achieve community development.