Citizen participation for development in Nkwerre : isu local government area of Imo State

The ineffectiveness of rural development P91icies in developing
countries to palliate problemfll such as decline agricultural
productivity, · rural :to urban migration, unemployment, .. hi,gh
marginal propensity to import foreign manufactured goods,
accumulating foreign debtfll ~ unfav~abie balance of ~ayments,
have engaged the attention of governments in many of :the third
world nations. For instance, in the 19601s, a period.
referred to as the development dec~de, it was thought that
p~centage increases i~ a c9untry•s gross domestic product
invariably constitutes development_. The .idea wa\5 that n~t
increases'in grosa national product (GNP) will, foll,owing 1:1\e
multiplier effects of government efforts and the tricki~own
th!:M)ry, enhance the quality .of\ife of the rural peoples~ This
conception was found to be at· variance with:regard to  of the economies of many developing ~ations. 2 In the
wOrds of Patrick Ollawa, "after more than a decade of experimentation
with this str~tegy, none of the African States conc~ed
call, be ~aid to have achieved evem a mo~cum of balanced g~owth"•.
Wh~t:was rea,lly achieved w~s uneven "growth without deve:J_opment."