SELF-HELP ACTIVITIES IN GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT IN EDO SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NIGERIA

SELF-HELP ACTIVITIES IN GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT IN EDO SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NIGERIA Abstract OMIUNU, STELLA EBUN (PH.D) DEPARTMENT OF ADULT AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF BENIN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA CHIKA JOSPHINE IFEDILI (PH.D) DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES AND MANAGEMENT FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF BENIN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA This paper assessed the contributions of Self-Help Activities in Grassroots Development in Edo South Senatorial District of Edo State, Nigeria. The focus was to determine if increased involvement in self-help activities in the area has influenced significantly development activities at the grassroots level. Two research questions were raised and one hypothesis formulated and tested in the course of the investigation. The only hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. A sample size of 186 randomly selected respondents from six local government areas in Edo South Senatorial District was used to collect needed data for the study. The questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. The simple survey research design was adopted for the study. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics for the responses obtained in connection with the research questions while chi-square statistics was employed to test the only hypothesis formulated for the study. The results obtained revealed that the increased involvement of the people in self-help activities has turned the face of grassroots development around. It was reported to have greatly influenced positively grassroots development in the area. The study also justified the view that self-help activities have influenced grassroots development. Based on the findings, recommendations were offered. Keywords: Grassroots, Self-help Activities, People s Involvement, Introduction The emphasis in contemporary development process is on people driven development. This is because development is believed to be more active, dynamic, qualitative and more enduring when the people are involved. People s involvement in development process will undoubtedly make the process and out come more permanent and empower the people in the course of furthering their own development. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 696

The involvement of the people in the development process gives them full control of the process (Anyanwu, 2002; Omoruyi, 2009). The process is expected to become more substantive with maximum local initiative. This underscores the issue of self-help activities in grassroots development. The issue of self-help have to do with the ability of the people to initiate projects and effectively mobilize available resources for the execution of the projects for their own immediate benefits or betterment. It enables the people to identify their own needs, set their own priorities and institute measures for meeting such needs. The involvement of the people in development in recent years have continued to gather momentum. This is traceable to the increasing awareness on the part of the people on the need to embrace change and champion the course of their own development in the course of development, Olaleye (2010). This explains the sustained interest of people at the grassroots to be involved in the management of local affairs. This situation has increased development activities at the micro level. More than anything else, the people appears to have taken full control of the process of development. It would appear that the people have become empowered in the course of transforming communities at the grassroots level. The people have now fully realized that development can only be successfully attained through the combined efforts of the people themselves, government and development gents. The increase in the involvement of the people in local affairs is simply an expression of their faith in their own ability, (Omoruyi, 2009). The efforts of the people in promoting their own development have become more pronounced in the initiation and execution of projects such as COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 697

roads re-habilitation, building of town halls, formation of co-operative societies, maintenance of public institutions and places of religious significance among others. In this regard, Chigwe (2007) observed that people are equally involved in the erection of wooden bridges, the construction of village schools as well as health centres. There is no doubt that the people are involved in undertaking self-help activities for the betterment of their communities. This is a reminiscence and a re-enforcement of the activities that characterized traditional African societies where members of a given community gather and organize themselves to build markets, town halls, construct roads and clear the major foot paths leading to sources of water, ancestral deity homes and maintain the boundaries connecting settlements. This implies that local efforts in development process have blossomed. Statement of the Problem The increase in local activities and level of development, especially at the grassroots level is indicative of increase in self-help activities. People now show greater interest and commitment to the course of promoting development for themselves. There has been a proliferation and a noticeable increase in grassroots self-help development activities. This process have been reinvigorated in recent times and have continued to flourished. It is expected therefore, in the present circumstance, that the increase in people s involvement in development process has given expression in increased self-help activities will impact positively or greatly influence the level of grassroots development. This underscores the need to obtain empirical evidence or data that will enable one ascertain the influence increased participation in self-help activities is having on grassroots development. Hence, the problem been investigated is what influence is increased self-help activities having on grassroots development? COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 698

Purpose of the Study The interest of this study is to investigate and determine the influence of increased involvement of people in self-help development activities at the grassroots has on the level of development. Specifically, the study sought to first, find out if increased involvement in self-help activities has influenced grassroots development and secondly, determine the extent to which it has influenced grassroots development Research Questions In order to achieve the purpose intended, the following questions were raised: 1) Has the increase in the involvement of people in self-help activities influenced grassroots development process? 2) To what extent has increase in self-help activities influenced grassroots development process? The following hypothesis was also formulated and tested: Ho: There will be no significant relationship between increased participation in self-help activities and grassroots development? Research Methodology The population for this study comprised of members of six Local Government Areas in Edo South Senatorial Districts of Edo State. A total sample size of 186 randomly selected, using random sampling procedure was used to collect data needed for the study. A questionnaire titled (Influence of Participation in Self-Help on Grassroots Development Questionnaire), (IPSHGDQ) developed by the researcher was employed for data collection. The instrument was in two sections: A and B. The section A focused on biodata of respondents while the section B addressed issues relating to the research questions and hypothesis formulated for the COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 699

study. The questionnaire was designed along the line of Likert scale of measurement. There were four levels comprising of strongly agree; agree; dis-agree and strongly disagree with a weighted score of 4, 3,2,1 respectively for positively worded items. The instrument was face and content validated using expert judgment approach. In this regard, the expertise of two colleagues in the Faculty of Education, University of Benin was employed. The pilot study conducted using test-re-test procedure to determine the stability level of the instrument in generating the required data, produced a reliability index of 0.75. The group of respondents used for the pilot study were excluded from the main study. The simple descriptive survey method was used to explore the issue since it involves seeking people s views and opinions on the influence of involvement in self-help development activities on grassroots development. The data collected were analysed using simple percentage and chisquare statistics. Results The results obtained from the analysis of the data collected are presented here-under:- Research Question 1: This question states: Has the increase in the involvement of people in self-help activities influenced grassroots development? The responses obtained on the issue were analysed, using simple percentage, and the results obtained are presented in Table I. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 700

Table 1. Distribution of Responses on Influence of Increased in Self-Help Activities on Grassroots Development. (n = 186) S/N Options Frequencies % 1. Strongly Agree 86 46.24 2. Agree 90 48.39 3. Disagree 10 5.37 4. Strongly Disagree - - Total 186 100 Source: Researcher s Field Survey, 2010 The results presented in Table 1 reveal that 86 of the respondents representing 46.24 per cent indicated Strongly Agree on the issue. 90 or 48.39 per cent say they Agree that the increased involvement of the people has influenced development at the grassroots. Only 10 or 5.37 per cent disagreed on the issue. This means that the increased involvement of the people has influenced grassroots development in the senatorial district. Research Question 2: This states: To what Extent has Increased in the Involvement in Self- Help Activities Influenced Grassroots Development Process? The data collected on the issue were also analyzed and are showed in Table 2. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 701

Table 2: Distribution of Responses on the Extent of Influence of Increased Self-help Activities on Grassroots Development Process. (n = 186) S/N Options Frequencies % 1. A very great extent 98 52.69 2. To a great extent 70 37.64 3. To a little extent 15 8.06 4. Not greatly 03 1.61 Total 186 100 Source: Researcher s Field Survey, 2010 Table 2 reveals that 98 or 52.69 per cent of the respondents indicated that increased involvement by the people in self-help activities has very greatly influenced grassroots development. 70 or 37.64 per cent were of the opinion that it has greatly influenced grassroots development. 15 or 8.06 per cent say it is to a little extent. Only 3 or 1.61 per cent stated it has not greatly influenced development at the grassroots level. This means that increased involvement in self-help activities has greatly influenced grassroots development process. Research Hypothesis This hypothesis states that: There will be no significant relationship between increase involvement or participation in self-help activities and grassroots development. This hypothesis was tested, using chi-square statistics and the result is presented in Table 3. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 702

Table 3: Chi-square of Relationship between Increased Involvement in Self-Help Activities and Grassroots Development. Observed Expected Df. Calculated X Int X RM A 25 (25.90) A 35 (43.37) D 47 (71.33) 4 56.19 9.49 Not SD - - Significant Not Significant at P 0.05 Source: Researcher s Field Survey. From the results in Table 3, it can be seen that the calculated chi square value of 56.19 is greater than the critical or table chi square value of 9.49 at 4 degree of freedom at 0.05 level of significance. The tested null hypothesis of no significant relationship was therefore, rejected. This means that there is relationship between increased involvement in self-help activities and grassroots development process. Discussion of Results The analysis of the data collected in the course of this study in relation to the research question number 1, revealed that the increase in the involvement of people in self-help activities has influenced grassroots development. The study established that there has been a very great influence on grassroots development process. It was also found out that there is a strong relationship between the increase in the involvement of people in self-help activities and the level of grassroots development. These findings corroborated the findings of Omoruyi (2010), who reported that rural dweller s involvement in the implementation of development activities COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 703

or projects accounts for the success of the projects and the impact projects have on the living condition of the people. This finding also affirms the views expressed by Lotx, (1992) who observed that self-help activities in traditional Nigerian society made for the increased community development activities at the time. The result also supports, Igboli s (1992) contention to the effect that increase in self-help activities can influence grassroots mobilization which in turn affects the level of grassroots development. This again lays credence to the view expressed by Oduaran (1994), when he posited that the level of development depend on the level of the involvement of the people which can be facilitated through effective mobilization. This shows clearly that the increased involvement of people at the grassroots in the management of their local affairs can greatly influence the pace of development. By implication, therefore, the influence that increase involvement in peopledriven development process can have on the level of development, particularly at the grassroots level cannot be under-estimated. This again, underscores the current emphasis on people driven development strategy. Conclusions/Recommendations This study investigated the influence of increased participation of people on the level of development. The study has proved that there is a dialectic association between increased involvement of people in local projects and the pace of development in such communities. In view of these findings, it is therefore, recommended that:- 1. There is the need to continually encourage members of the communities to be actively involved in self-help development activities. In this regard, efforts must be made to mobilize the people for a more effective and active participation in local activities. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 704

2. The level of involvement of the people must be strengthened and sustained at the grassroots level. In this way, the level of development is maintained. More importantly, managers and implementers of development-oriented programmes or projects must encourage mass involvement. To do otherwise, is to risk success and jeopardize or defeat the essence of mass-oriented projects /programmes. One thing they cannot afford to ignore if they desire success, is the involvement of the people. COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 705

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