The movement of people from villages to cities has led to congestion, especially the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), even though it has been attributed to lack of basic amenities in the villages. Patience IvieObhafuoso writes
For 20 year-old,Oluwatoyin, life in the village was hell. He could not stop imagining a new phase of life, considering the hardship, stress and marginalization he had to go through in the village just to sustain a living.?
An indigene of Ilado community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State,Oluwatoyin had lived all his life in the village. He grew up without even the privilege of seeing the four walls of a classroom due to the financial status of his poor parents.
Due to poor his background, he had no better experience to share about life aside the routine farming, going to fetch water from the stream and hunting.
This deprived lifestyle left the 20 year old with the thought and dream of finding a better life in the city someday. To him, there was no better future in the village order than remaining a poor farmer.
Some of his peers who had migrated to the city return, sometimes during festive periods like Christmas and Salah, to share their experiences of the city.
?They narrate how they drink cold water from the fridge, watch television and about the tall, beautiful buildings in the cities.
?For, Oluwatoyin, his earnest prayer to God on a daily basis was to make a way for him to the city.
Ondo State is one of the states in South West Nigeria. It is one of the eight oil producing states in the country.
Successive governments in the state have tried to alleviate poverty as well as discourage rural-urban migration.
Presently, the state government has embraced the opportunity offered by the federal government seeking the assistance of the World Bank to implement Community and Social Development Projects (CSDP).
?CSDP is concerned with the challenges of prevalent poverty in Nigeria as well as developing an overall strategy for growth and poverty reduction in the country.?
The project is also expected to provide special programmes for the vulnerable and highly marginalized groups, as well as others affected by external or endogenous shocks.
Federal Project Support Unit official (FPSU), Hajara Sami, said that the project is projected at creating an appropriate enabling environment by providing a roadmap for a sound relationship between local government councils and communities.
The project is ongoing in 27 states of the federation, assisted by the World Bank and co-financed by the federal government and the participating states.
The states are, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe and Imo.
Others include Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo,Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara
Recently, this young man’s dream of a better life came to reality even without necessarily moving out of the village as the LGA indicated interest in the project by providing its requirement after which the state government had paid its counterpart fund of N100m.
The project coordinator of Ondo State Community and Social Development Agency (ODCSDA),? BosunOgundipe, said the agency has disbursed about N288m? for projects ranging from rehabilitation of roads, providing electricity,? class rooms blocks, health centres, drilling of boreholes, construction of civic centres and? town halls.? “This is about 95 per cent-100 per cent completion of the first phase and the ongoing second phase of the projects, while each community is expected to contribute 10 per cent of the project sum.”
He added that the project was kick-started in the state on November 20, 2009. The state government has so far contributed N200m as its counterpart fund.
While summing up the workings of the project, Mr. Ogundipe revealed that there are 4857 communities in the state and they have receipt of over 400 expressions of interest from desiring communities across the state for CSDP interventions.
?He said that they have facilitated PRA/CDPs Formulations in 119 Communities in 16 LGAs, which include,Ondo West, Ondo East, Ondo- West, Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo, Odigbo, Okitipupa, Idanre, Owo, Irele, Akure North, Ose,? Akoko NE, Akoko NW, Akoko SE, Akoko SW, Akure South and Ilaje LGAs.
He revealed that more than 300 communities in the state are direct beneficiaries of the project while project implementation is ongoing and completed in 50 communities.
The chairman of the board, FunshoAdeneye,who showed enthusiasm over the project, said,? “Ondo State government is proud to say that the project is impacting positively on the lives of the people and is serving as a veritable source of dividends of democracy.”
At Ilado community, the construction of a skills acquisition centre has been completed by ONCSDA. Oluwatoyinrevealed that the community had never had such an opportunity.? “Before the intervention of ONCSDA, anyone who wanted to acquire such skills would have to travel to the city.
But right now, a community civic centre and a concrete deep well have been completed in addition to the skill acquisition centre.
According to one of the teachers at the centre,. Prince Oladele Olalegun,? “after the completion of the skills acquisition centre, it was equipped with sewing machines, hair-barbing materials and hair dressing equipment. We also have a shoe and soap making section.??
“Currently, we have about 11 students with a fee of N2,500 for every six months while they are expected to learn for two years.
The CPMC auditor, Pastor Gabriel Oduduwa, said that the essence of the civic centre is to give the youths in the communityaccess to social life.
He said, “It will avail our children the opportunity to come together, interact and get eased from the routine of farm work, going to the stream and market activities without necessarily moving out of the village,” he said.
According to him, the opportunity will go a long way to discourage the youths in the community from relocating to the city since they have to walk a long distance to the stream before getting water, adding that they could learn any skill within the community and have access to social life.
Also, a community hall and a health centre have been completed at Ago Ireti, a leprosy community in Akure North LGA while the ICT centre is still ongoing.
The CPMC chairman, Mr. Tunde Fayemi, explained that beside the already completed and the ongoing projects, the CPMC has also chosen a computer centre for the benefit of the people so that they wouldn’t have to go to the city before they can be computer literate.
Commending the efforts of the state government, he stated that the present government has really been of great help to them.? “We have been neglected in the past but the present governor has visited us here and has increased our allowance to N8,000. He has even gone as far as giving our children job opportunities so as to enable them assist us given our health situation.”
Highlighting the impact of the project, Ogundipe stated that it has fostered conflict resolution and unity, increase in rural area schools enrolment and enhanced of literary level, increased access to healthcare services as well as decrease rural-urban migration.
He revealed that among other benefits, the communities are empowered to execute future developmental projects while LGs are now incorporating CDD policies into their budget and project implementation plans e.g. Ondo West and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo LGs.
He however identified the challenges as initial delay of LG support of their LGRCs, Inaccessibility of remote rural communities, delay in replenishment by WB/FPSU and Local Governments not responding promptly to fulfilling commitment when projects are completed like deployment of staff to basic health centre.
?