NJOMACS

This research has been carried out to examine the impact of community development projects (CDP) on rural communities in Southern part of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to; determine the impact of CDP on rural development, establish the significant relationship between CDP and the wellbeing of the rural dweller and identify problems militating against CDP project in the study area. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Both primary and secondary sources of data were utilized. The population of the study was 21,000 target groups. Using the proportional systematic random sampling technique, 5% of the population (1,050) from 3 project communities were selected and 1022 respondents participated in the study. Data were collected from 150 respondents randomly selected using structural questionnaire and they were analyzed using frequency, percentage, T – test, and regression statistics. After data presentation and analysis, the study found that, CDP has contributed to the development of community capacity to respond to their immediate but essential needs such as, water, health, sanitation, education through literacy promotion, and social integration of members. The findings further revealed that CDP has a significant positive impact on rural development in the study area. The results also indicated that communal crises and delay in payment of contribution funds by individual community members to the communities were the major problems militating against community development project (CDP) in the Study area. Based on these outcomes, the following recommendation were made:The sustainability of community-based projects depends crucially on an enabling institutional environment, which requires community leaders’ commitment and on the accountability of leaders to their communities and their involvement right from the commencement of projects in their area to successful completion. The CDP management in the rural areas should expand its’ community development projects to include the establishment of cottage industries, handicraft centres for training of skills in order to sustain the wealth creation mechanism. Lastly, Nasarawa State Government should bring lasting solutions to the communal crises in the study area as development can only strive in a peaceful atmosphere. Also, the people should accept dialogue and forgive one another for peace to strive. Both the government and communities should pay their counterpart funds on time to enable the commencement of the project in the study area.