THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1983-06
Authors
Kungwai., Ntiem
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Abstract
This study attempts to identify and understand
the real causes of rural underdevelopment in Nigeria
and to offer recommendations for solving the problem,
based on the identification and understanding. Its
starting point is an exposition of the superficial,
narrow, empiricist, neo-Malthusian, and a historical
conceptions and approaches of the World Bank and
organic intellectuals of imperialism. It posits an
alternative framework of analysis - the Marxist-
Leninist theoretical political economy perspective —
as the correct one for dealing with the problem.
Working on the central thesis that the penetration of
capitalism into agriculture necessarily leads to the
expropriation of the peasants, and the enrichment of
the international monopolies, the local bourgeoisie and
the middle peasants, it traces the root causes of
contemporary rural poverty to the colonial conquest
and the imposition of capitalism in Nigeria towards
the end of the last century. It examines the general
features of the Funtua Agricultural Development
Project, and sees the FADP as a continuation of the
imperialist strategy to stabilise world capitalism,
open markets for commodities for which there are no
markets in Europe and America, secure sources of raw
materials, and consolidate imperialist political
influence to reinforce its domination and oppression
of the neo—colonial peoples. Four villages in
Bakori district in Funtua Local Government Area of
Kaduna State are taken as our case study, and the
role of international finance capital in the
transformation of the agrarian relations in the
district with particular reference to the impact of
the Funtua Agricultural Development Project is
examined. Data from primary and secondary sources
are provided which in the main substantiate our
theoretical proposition As immediate solutions, we
recommend the democratisation of the management
and organisation of the FADP and similar projects
to allow for peasants' representations in decisionmaking
the return of confiscated and expropriated
lands to their owners; and the amendment of the Land Use
Act (1978) to restrict the amount of land that could
be leased to any person or group of persons at any
one time. It sees no end to the problems of
poverty, land expropriation, and general underdevelopment
until the capitalist socio-economic
system is replaced with socialism in which the
workers, peasants and other working people have
the power to control, direct, and use in a rational
manner the product of their labour and the resources
of the country.
Description
Department of: Sociology
Faculty of: Arts and Social Sciences
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,
Keywords
POLITICAL,, ECONOMY,, RURAL DEVELOPMENT