LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF IKWO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EBONYI STATE

The study examined local government administration and rural development in Nigeria: A study of Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. It assessed the local government contributions to rural development and the challenges they face, particularly in implementing sustainable rural development. Hence, the reason for establishing local government is to bring the government to the local communities so that the local people can participate fully in the process of governance, in order to provide essential rural services and thus to speed up the pace of social, economic and political development. The primary method of data collection which involves the use of questionnaires was adopted. Simple percentage and frequency table were used in analyzing and presenting data collected specific function that contributes to the stability and equilibrium of the whole from the field. The study adopted structural functional theory developed by Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, and Robert K. Merton. The major proposition of Structural Functional Theory is that society is a complex system made up of various interconnected parts, each with a system. The findings reveal that rural development in Ikwo Local Government is uneven, driven by political interference from political elites (Political Godfathers) who direct resources to favored areas. Corruption, lack of transparency, and limited financial resources further hinder balanced development, leaving many communities underdeveloped. Disappointingly, the much-expected dividends of democracy have not been evenly distributed among the various communities by Ikwo local government. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that Ikwo Local Government should implement measures to reduce political interference by promoting transparency in resource allocation, enforcing strict anti-corruption policies, decentralizing decision-making authority, and encouraging increased public involvement in rural development projects.