Rethinking Rural Development Strategies in Enugu State: A case for the Atkinson’ “New Rural” Model

Abstract

This paper provides alternative approach to rural
development in Enugu State. Arguments for rural
development have achieved a consensus status but there
appear to be an unending debate over the strategies of
achieving this noble agreement. This paper joins the debate
by examining the current approach to rural development in
Enugu State with a view of applying Christopher Atkinson’s
“New Rural” Model of rural development in the state. The
New Rural Model designed rural development as four-front
approach- Economic, Sociocultural, Infrastructure, and
stakeholder- led aspects. This paper advocates for the
application of the New Rural Model in Enugu State because
it deemphasized sectoral perspective and promotes place
based perspective. This study reviewed secondary
documents, ranging from government publications,
Newspaper Reportage and journal articles to provide
empirical support for the adaption of the New Rural Model.
The application of Atkinson’s New Rural Model should,
through this paper, expand the literature on rural
development in Enugu State and provide basis for rural
development in the State. The paper concluded that rural
areas in Enugu State will be better developed if the
Atkinson’s New Rural Model is adapted in the state. Hence
the paper recommended that Enugu State government
should promote rural banking services, high-speed
broadband internet services to achieve higher e-commerce
activities; provide primary infrastructure such as
transportation, education, sanitation, healthcare, and
electricity; and finally, encourage participation of other
private and development interests in achieving the goals of
rural development in the State.