DEVELOPING THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR TO BOOST RURAL ECONOMY IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

In the early 80s attention began to shift the overall development of the rural economy.  Although agriculture still remained the mainspring of interest in rural sector. Regional government however became the principle agent of rural development attempting to strengthen and diversify the base of the economy and also to improve social welfare and services. As trend in the quality of life in developing nations became clearer in 1990s, rural sector became a major concern of the national government, a more comprehensive policy were adopted such as agricultural development projects [ADP] The River Development Authorities [RDA] and the green revolution .

The first integrated approach to develop the rural areas was the establishment of the directorate for food, road and rural infrastructure in 1989.This represents a more fundamental approach in solving rural problems, although it has it shortcomings. This programme has since been preceded by other equality viable and substantial programmes most contemporary scheme are successors to earlier, invariably unsuccessful and usually prematurely aborted programme.

At present, the need to enhance the overall and rapid development of the rural sector of the economy has become important in other to facilitate the development of the national economy. The slogan "rural development" has become almost a household word and the subject matter is so popular that is sure to be mentioned somewhere in the Nigeria media each day of the year.

In Nigeria after independence, the agricultural sector of the economy was an object of neglect; Nigeria has since been faced with the challenges of economic disarray, to a country-living beyond its means to a people bewildered for no longer being able to provide the basic necessities of life for them selves.

According to Adekunle [1990], effort to develop rural communities was basically directed towards agriculture. This means that he rural man was not only viewed in term of what his needs were but also what he could provide for his country. Although various agricultural policies that were put in place by the government performed fairly well, they failed to achieve the desired outcome as far as the development of rural sector is concerned.

Subsequently, rural development were comprehensive is this more fundamental approach in solving rural problems include the establishment of directorate for food, road, rural and infrastructural [DFRRI], the Better Life Program [BLP] the people bank of Nigeria [PBN] The Universal Primary Education Programme, Nomadic Education Programme, The Mass Mobilization Programme [MAMSER] and in recent time, The family support programme [FSP] and the petroleum trust fund [PTF].