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This paper explores the impact of cultural practices on the effectiveness of developmental strategies in rural communities of Delta and Kwara states in Nigeria. It examines the influence of patriarchy, gender relations, and access to resources on women's participation in development processes. The study highlights the significance of understanding socio-cultural environments for engaging in social, cultural, political, and economic change. Through exploratory research, it analyzes two case studies to shed light on the effectiveness of privatization strategies on women in rural communities.
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Developmental strategies and Cultural Dynamics in Rural Communities of Delta and Kwara States, Nigeria. By Harriet OmokiniovoEfanodor A paper presented at the 2016 Annual Africa Conference on Culture, Creativity and Identity in Africa and the Africa in Diaspora held at the university of Texas, Austin U.S.A from March 24th-27th 2016.
Introduction Cultural practice remain a formidable constraint which women face in relation to the operational effectiveness of rural development in Nigeria. Developmental strategies which emphasises privatisation, liberalisation and deregulation are seen as a mantra for rural development. These development strategies as they apply to the rural economy are reflected in the privatisation of resources and services, commercialisation of agriculture, expansion of agro-industries, deregulation of labour, liberalisation of international trade.
Culturally Nigeria is predominantly a patriarchy society • Patriarchy is largely reflected in household structure, gender relations and access to resources. • The degree to which cultural norms effectiveness in Urban centre and rural areas varies.
Statement of the problem • Rural women participate in development process in diverse ways. They constitute about 60-70 percent of Nigeria’s rural labour force. Unfortunately, development theories and programmes targeting the rural economy are design with no consideration for socio-cultural environment.
Objective and Significance . • Significance • The work is significant because understanding the effect of socio-cultural environment on development strategies as it relates to women in rural communities are crucial for engaging relevant processes of social cultural, political and economic change within Nigeria. • . • Objective • In comparative terms, the study highlights the level to which cultural practice have impacted on the effectiveness of development strategies of privatisation of land as it concerns women in rural communities • Pluralist framework • Contending forces within society struggle for the resources therein- Nelson Polsby and Robert Dahl are the major exponents. • Marxian perspectives • Essentially see state affairs as involving class struggle- ‘the modern executive is a committee for managing the common affairs of the bourgeoisie • .
Gap in literature • From extant literature Mackenzie, Awumbia and Dzodzi, 2010; Endley 2010; Meinzen-Dick and Quisumbing 2012, there is the lack of explanation on how socio-cultural environment help to shape and contribute to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of developmental strategies on women. • Similarly studies such as Efanodor 2015; Kachika 2010; Mutopo and Chiweshe 2012 have been domiciled in a peculiar society or rural communities there had been little effort to make comparison between different socio-cultural context.
Research method Exploratory research designprovided exploratory analysis of two case studies from two regions in Nigeria - Delta State from the Southern region and Kano State from the Northern region • Multi-stage cluster and purposively sampling procedure was used to select 12 rural communities. • 120 sample size • The snowball purposive procedure was used to select respondents for Interviews and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) • Documentary review of secondary sources of data • Hermeneutic descriptive analysiswas used to analyze secondary datawhile the qualitative data was analysed through thematic descriptive analysis
DISCUSSION • NEEDS AND SEEDS reform programmes was put in place in 2003 to foster Nigeria’s integration into the world economy through privatisation, deregulation and liberalisationprogramme • Implementation in rural areas was carried out through the following – privatisation of land and resources leading to liberalisation of land tenure system, commercialisation of agriculture, liberalisation of agricultural market with the development of agricultural valve chain. • The implementation of the above reinforced the agrarian nature of the rural communities and resulted to land grab through large scale acquisition of land. • Socio-cultural environment of rural communities of Delta and Kano States, Nigeria has different procedure and established systems that governed rights and obligations in rural communities.
The predominance of either customary law over religious laws or the practice of both account for the diversity in cultural practice. • Kano State is largely shaped and linked to both customary/religious laws while Delta is largely shaped by customary law. Therefore the status of women’s right and activities are dependent on the cultural environment. • There is no doubt that new economic opportunities for women living in rural communities may have resulted from implementation of developmental strategies of privatisation. However, the extent to which women can benefit is influenced by cultural norms that shape their ability and capacity to take advantages of such opportunities.
Findings • The study revealed that, cultural practice did dictate the level and nature of impact developmental strategies had on women and their household in rural communities. • Consequently, cultural practice in turn was a major determinant of the level of success of these strategies within the rural communities as it concerns women.
Recommendation • Apeople centred developmental strategies should take into cognisance the cultural dynamics of that particular society. • Government should adopt policies and priorities that will advance the rights of women who are cultural marginalized.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • This article is part of my research thesis titled “Impact of Contemporary Globalisation Policies on Women in Rural Communities of Delta, Kano and Kwara states, Nigeria”. The research thesis was made possible by support from the Social Science Research Council’s Next Generation of Social Sciences in Africa Fellowship, with fund provided by Carnegie Corporation of New York. I also acknowledge my supervisors, Dr E.V Clark and Prof Etemike Laz, my gratitude to all who responded to the interview and participated in the Focus Group Discussion, research Key Informant, research assistants and the various scholars whose work were most useful for the study.
