Comparative Assessment of Rural Development Programs of Selected NGOs in Plateau State, North-Central, Nigeria

Rural development plays an important role in the Nigerian economic development both at the micro and macro levels. There is an overwhelming need to accord rural development the highest priority attention by government at different levels if the rural communities must contribute meaningfully to the social, cultural and economic development of Nigeria and if the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government is to be fully realized (Ogidefa 2015). The rural areas of Nigeria serve as the base for the production of food and fiber. Oil exploration and agricultural activities are carried out in the rural areas and both serve as a source of revenue for the nation. Interestingly, current estimates show that more than 80% of the entire population of more than 140 million people live in rural areas with agricultural production remaining their main source of livelihood and providing a source of employment for them as well as contributing about 40% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Olayiwola and Adeleye 2005; Umebali and Akuibilo 2006; Umebali 2006; Uche 2012).Commenting on the current state of our rural communities in Nigeria, Achegbulu and Ujah (2006) observed that the most dominant and common features ofNigeria's rural communities are poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and inequality in the standards of living and in some cases decay and stagnation. According to them, the transformation of these obstacles at the base holds the key to any meaningful program of social justice that is clearly stated in both the development plans and the constitution of the country. Rural transformation, therefore, demands that government should maintain and develop the grassroots through a socially relevant policy. It was suggested by Achegbulu and Ujah (2006) that any program aimed at improving rural communities should include the people from the beginning, to elicit their cooperation, support and more important, participation in development efforts. The concept of planning from above without the participation or even consultation of the rural poor has led to the type of ostentatious or gigantic projects littering urban centers that only appeal to casual observers but leave the rural areas virtually neglected.Matthews-Njoku, Odii, and Odirin (2002) revealed that an appreciable amount of resources has been committed by successive administrations in Nigeria toward the transformation of the rural sector. Yet the rural dwellers are dissatisfied with the government's efforts and therefore, yearn for more attention. This situation has encouraged good spirited individuals and organizations to come together to attempt changing the livelihoods of rural dwellers for the better. This approach is a right step toward rural transformation. Bhasker and Geethakutty (2001) also noted that NGOs with their advantage of non-rigid, locality-specific, felt need based, beneficiary oriented and committed nature of service have established many conditions that can improve rural development.Farinde and Adisa (2005) observed that over the years, NGO activities and programs in rural development have increased in Nigeria and this offers an interesting opportunity for studying these new participants in the development sector. Typical examples of NGOs involved in rural development programs in Nigeria are the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Evangelical Church of West Africa-People Oriented Development Program (ECWA-POD), Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN), Nigeria Participatory Rural Appraisal Network (NIPRANET), Farmers Development Union (FADU) among others.It has been confirmed that NGOs often play roles in transferring innovations to rural communities. They have contributed immensely to farm production through the promotion of technology for rural dwellers in three main areas: in the development of new technologies, improvement of input delivery systems, and development of social ownership of technical facilities. …