PROVISION OF RURAL INFRASTRUCTURES OYO STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

The study on provision of rural infrastructures was carried out in three Local Government Areas of Oyo State Nigeria. The provision of rural infrastructure can be seen as part of the public and public capital base providing the institutional environment in which agriculture operates. This implies that infrastructural constraints can lower or suppress the productivity level and slow down the rate of commercialization in agricultural sector. The study therefore attempts to assess the level of provision of infrastructures within the agricultural setting in Oyo State. A simple random technique was used to select required respondents. Well structured and validated questions were used to elicit required information. The data collected were analyzed through descriptive statistics, frequency counts, percentage and mode. The results showed that storage facilities are not provided, social infrastructure such as hospitals, maternity centers, health centers, and schools are poorly staffed and funded by all the tiers of governments. It was found that provision of infrastructures served as incentives for increased economic efficiency and productivity of the rural dwellers. It could be deduced from the study that the participation of the Local Government as the third tier of funding and providing infrastructures was high and commendable, while community and individual participation was low. Both Federal and State Governments also recorded poor participation. It is therefore recommended that all tiers of government should involve in the provision of infrastructures in the rural areas. Non-governmental organizations should also be given opportunity to do so.