CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Globally, various strategies and approaches have been adopted or used by government for the purpose of good governance and in their effort at distributing the state resources to reach the people at the grassroot. However, there has not general agreement on which strategy is the best, especially in the administration of the rural areas (Buba 2010).

Development is about people as it means positive improvement in the lives of the people. The need for societal development has been the yearning of Nigeria and other developing nations of the world since the last century.

It is also a result of this that government of all nations are making various efforts at addressing under-developmental problems of their people. Some of these efforts have been articulated in the form of bilateral or multilateral agreements and universal declaration at common international platforms for countries to achieve their common objectives. Such agreements culminated into what is presently referred to as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). According to Shehu (2010) as a constructive way of achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria, the past government of president Olusegun Obasanjo made concerted effort in the socio-economic and political spheres in order to move the country forward.

Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (late) made concerted effort to ensure that those at the rural areas are carried along in the examination of the programme. President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013 summit on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) identified poverty as the same for the adoption of the programme.

According to him, poverty is not new but at each mention, it stirs a lot of misgiving. This is because it has a very devastating influence on its victims. It reduces the social and psychological prestige of its victims.

The foregoing shows the pictures of our beloved country, especially when a deep reflection is made on the Nigerian question and the Nigerian condition. It is also pathetic that country that is potentially rich in oil and gas and other natural and agricultural resources cannot boast of putting food on the tables of its citizens. Infact average Nigerian is said to be living below one dollar. Research has it that the foundation of most social vices and corrupt practices both in high and low places is this scourge called poverty. At present, Nigeria is rated as one of the poorest country of the world. A country with abundant resources both in human and mineral replication. All hands be on deck by all states to meet these targets. Its against this background that this research work tries to look at the place of local government administration in the realization of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Nigeria with a particular reference to Ofu local government area of Kogi State.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem of development particularly at the local government level has been a recurring decimal in the political history of Nigeria. Over the years, most of the government programmes and policies is targeted at bringing development to the local government levels that there is little or no development at the grassroot. How the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the local government administrators have failed so far in bringing succor to the rural people based on the project executed at Ofu local government area is what the research work is poised to addressed among others.

1. There is a discord between what the federal envisaged before the joining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and what the states and local governments are doing presently in terms of development at the grassroots.
2. Many local government have not felt the impact of millennium development goals after many years of its existence
3. It seems the politicians have hijacked the administration of millennium development goals thereby politizing it.
4. The federal government is no longer kin in the actualization Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target in Nigeria because of many issues at her disposal ranging from security of political issuesThe federal and the state government have no mechanisms to monitor the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the rural areas.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This research work is aimed at addressing a peculiar issues that bothers on local government development.

It is meant to achieve the following objectives among others.

1. To examine the nature of millennium development goals.
2. To assess the performance of millennium development goals based on the project on ground
3. To examine the processes of project identification and project execution at the local government
4. To assess the mechanisms put in place for the project monitoring
5. To examine the various factors militating against the Actualization of Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) at the local government level.

1.4  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Research on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is a peculiar in the sense that it is programme conceived internationally for the development of Nigeria and the local government in particular.

The significance of this project work is equally in diverse ways.

1. This research work will help the local government administrators gain deep insight into how far the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has gone in term of the development of the rural areas.
2. The research work will equally give readers the opportunity to know what exactly is Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and how is faired so far in Nigeria.
3. The policy makers will find this research useful in terms of their policy making as regards local government development.This research work will be a stepping stone to those that may want to carry out further research on the topic at stake.
4. It will be a reference material for them.The recommendations from this research work, if adopted will help in bridging the gap between the government policy on development and the actual performances especially at the rural areas.

1.5  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Research questions are formulated to probe into some salient issues concerning Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in order to get some facts.

1. What is the philosophy behind Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?
2. How well has the local government developed based on this programme?
3. What role do local government administrators have to play in the programme?
4. What are the challenges of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
5. What is the prospect that the targets of the programme will be achieved?

1.6  SCOPE/LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The issues of development is one of the major challenges of the government including international organizations. To make the study easy, one of the local governments out of 774 that we have in Nigeria has been chosen and shall be made to compare the local government under study with other local government in Nigeria. Issues regarding Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and local government development shall be itemized and discussed.

The scope of this study is from 2010 till date. However, research of this nature cannot be devoid of some hindrances (limitations) some of the limitations encountered are explained below:

1. Data in relation to what actually government has spent as allocation of fund by Millennium Development Goals in the local government is not available
2. Time was another impediment in this research work. attending to lectures, assignments, test and other academic programmes did not give the researcher the whole time to concentrate on the research work.
3. Finance was not equally available when it matters almost this time. The money required to implore and explore areas that are relevant to this study was not there.

1.7  DEFINITION OF TERMS

Local government: Is a unit of government below the central region or state government established by law to exercise political authority through a central representative council.

Development: Is the process of improving the quality of all human life, these qualities include raising people living levels of food, medical services education etc

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): This are eight goals set by United Nations member states to try to achieve by the year 2015.

Poverty: Is a multidimensional phenomena influenced by a wide range of factors, these include poor people, lack of access to income earning and productive activities and to essential social services

Sustainable development: Simply entails development that can be kept going or maintained. This could entail proper attention given to the transformation in the social relations of production. The ability to maintain this guarantees sustainable development.

Administrators: Those that are in charge of local government directly on daily basis to carry its policies and programmes.

1.8  ORGANIZATION OF WORK

This project work is organized into five chapters. Chapter one gives the general introduction of what the topic at stake is all about. It gives insight into what is expected tin the subsequent chapters of this research work.

Chapter two, tries to review the works of the various authors and scholars that have written something about the topic indiscourse in order to cross fertilizer their ideas to know their various standards and what is obtainable in Millennium Development Goals and that of local government.

Chapter three explains the various methods that are used in the process of generating information and data that are used in further analysis of this research work.

Chapter four analysis and discuss the data generated. It explains the figures gotten from the field of study explicitly.

Chapter five summarizes the whole work and from there, the conclusion is drawn and necessary recommendations are made to address the problem embedded in the topic at stake.

References

Adejo A.M. (2006)  Poverty in the Land of Plenty. In NUBESS Journal of Contemporary Issues, Makurdi, A Best publishers.

Buba M.A. (2010) Millennium Development Goals: The Nigerian Situation.