Assessment of traditional institutions in community development Ede Town of Osun State

Abstract

The study examined the roles of the Traditional Institutions in the community development with reference to Ede Township in both Ede North and Ede South Local Government Areas of Osun State as well as bringing the effects and impacts of Traditional Institutions on socio-economic development to the people of Ede land because the role of Traditional Institutions in community development ranged from providing good leadership as custodian and repository of the community, to mobilize physical, human and financial resources for the local development at large. This is germane because of the prevalent of kingship crises in Yorubaland in contemporary times. This paper discovers that regardless of the fact that Ede people lives within Osun West Senatorial District, they retain their political autonomy from time immemorial. Traditional institutions play important role in various spheres of the state and society at large. These institutions existed in the past, and they were necessary for the normal functioning of good society, but now they are being integrated into local governance to play a big role in the state. The paper concluded by providing some recommendations, among others, that Traditional institutions play significant roles in the socio-economic development and infrastructural amenities for the betterment of people in Ede community and a set of harmonized policies remain critical for a successful battle against rural development in Nigeria and traditional institutions should be restructured to adapt to become more effective in the modern context.

Keywords: Indigenous institutions, administration, kingship, community, local governance, development