Rural development in Niger-Delta: a case for citizens’ health and safety

Abstract

The quest for rural development and urbanization of communities in Niger-Delta, an oil-rich zone of Nigeria, due to influx of people and over-population, has brought about some untoward consequences to the unsuspecting rural dwellers. The community dwellers as a result, suffer unavailability of land for farming and housing due to indiscriminate sale of land. Ensuing from all these are endangered and extinct bio-species, endangered bio-diversity, heavily polluted environment, high female prostitution due to poverty, druggism and increased crime rate, denigrated and desecrated religion and cultural values, among others; all of which have led to relative unsafe and unhealthy rural dwellers. All these sad effects of improper rural development are grossly condemnable by the various statutes of international communities and Nigeria. They are also condemnable by the Christian religion. These have led to postulation of a model that represents all these, which is called perilous chain model. However, the way forward as a remediation for proper rural development according to internationally acceptable best practices have been suggested in this study, and they include timely and proper ruraldevelopment plan and its strict implementation; siting poverty alleviation projects in the rural areas and enforcement of good laws on rural development and environment protection, among others. However, this concept is strictly better applicable by those who have not yet sold their land portions.