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Rural transformation in Liberia: Strategies for civil society participation 1 Chikamso C. Apeh, Anthony N. Onyekuru, Johnpaul T. Offorma, Celestina I. Akogwu

Vol. 15(1), pp. 1-6, January-June 2020 DOI:10.5897/INGOJ2018.0332 Article Number: DFA0D3763211 ISSN 1993–8225 Copyright © 2020 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article International NGO Journal http://www.academicjournlas.org/INGOJ

Article

Rural transformation in Liberia: Strategies for civil society participation

Chikamso C. Apeh1*, Anthony N. Onyekuru2, Johnpaul T. Offorma3, Celestina I. Akogwu2

1Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Monrovia, Republic of Liberia. 2Department of Agriculture Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. 3Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria.

Received 30 October, 2018; Accepted 23 November, 2018

Rural transformation involves a dynamic structural, cultural and economic transition of rural areas to a more economically viable society. This encourages the reduction of inequality, eradication of poverty and enhancement of the living conditions of rural dwellers. Rural areas from the agricultural perspective sustain the urban demand for food and despite this role, lacks basic infrastructural facilities, has a high level of illiteracy, poverty, low self-esteem, poor developmental initiatives and government incentives to spur their poor production to a more viable one. Perceptibly, civil society participation through initiatives and actions to attract amenities such as health care, educational and clean water infrastructures will enhance health care delivery, educational attainment and living standards of rural dwellers. And the mobilization rural dwellers for collective developmental action is an essential component of rural transformation. Also, leadership/advocacy training will enable rural leaders engage constructively with government and development partners to attract the needed developmental incentives aimed at transforming the rural society, help checkmate rural-urban migration and encourage production.

Key words: Civil society, rural transformation, initiatives, development.

INTRODUCTION

The landscape of any society such as Liberia is hinged In developing countries like Liberia, the development on the local communities that dot the length and width of ratio between the urban cities and the rural areas are such environment. Out of Liberia’s 96,320 km2 land area, abnormal (Uhunmwuangho and Aibieyi, 2013), given the 99% are being occupied as local communities (World growing integration of the global economy, combined with Bank, 2018). Currently, Liberia is populated with over 4.7 the intensification of trade liberalization, and the rise in million people. Approximately 51% of this population live importance of the knowledge-based economy (Pike et al., in cities but depend on rural communities for food. These 2016). These have contributed to many avoidable rural communities are characterized by poor economic problems some of which are increasing rural-urban activities where the lack of opportunity is forcing many migration, mass poverty, total neglect and abandonment young rural dwellers to leave their homes in search of of infrastructures in rural areas. The over congestion of work in overcrowded cities or abroad. urban areas in the country has left approximately 66% of

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License 2 Int. NGOJ.

the urban population in the slum (MDG, 2015). of over urbanization contributes to saturated urban labor Economy of the rural areas focuses on the optimal market with little or no opportunities in rural areas harnessing of rural resources for the enhancement of (Gugler, 1982). their living conditions, and it arguably sustains both the Urban bias in Liberia’s development policy is reflected urban and national economy. The major economic in prices, institutional opportunities, availability, and products (iron ore, diamond, gold and agricultural access to the market, health, infrastructure, products) come from the rural areas of Liberia. Generally, communication, and transport linkage and many other Liberia’s economy is agrarian in nature and for many structural characteristics of national economies. Most decades, her economy revolved on agriculture. In 2000, urban residents rely directly or indirectly on government agriculture contributed 76.1% to the GDP but declined to employment, which has been the major stimulus for 65.2% in 2008 and 34.2% both in 2016 and 2017 (World urban growth. Speaking from the agricultural perspective, Bank, 2018). Indeed, over 43% of the total labor force is government employees are purely overhead expenses as engaged in agriculture. However, smallholder farmers they are non-productive; besides, it is the rural production constitute most of the farming population and these have that sustains the country (IFAD, 2016). Despite this not effectively and efficiently tapped the numerous pivotal role of rural areas, they lack the developmental abundant rural resources. initiative to steer themselves out of poverty and the government is reluctant in siting developmental projects in these areas to enable them grow. Productivity has RURAL TRANSFORMATION been low because they lack basic infrastructural facilities. Obviously, provision of basic amenities in rural areas will Transformation implies a gradual growth process through encourage rural transformation and check rural-urban progressive changes in structures, behaviors, culture, migration. and institutions as well as economic growth, reduction of inequality and eradication of poverty. In line with this, rural transformation, therefore, means the transition of RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION rural areas from traditional isolation to a more viable economic society. It can be defined as a process of The high rate of movement from rural to urban areas over socioeconomic change involving rural areas to increase the years in Liberia has constituted certain social, rural productivity/economic viability aimed at enhancing economic, health and environmental risks which rural income, creating employment opportunities, contribute to poverty, environmental decay, low increasing rural access to basic amenities and the agricultural productivity, poor standard of living and reduction of inequality among rural dwellers. Based on increase in mortality. Figure 1 shows the rate of rural- the above, rural transformation is concerned with the urban migration in Liberia from 2008-2017. It revealed improvement of the living standards of the low-income that over the years, there has been a massive movement population in rural areas on a self-sustaining basis, of rural population to the urban cities. This cannot be through transforming the socio-spatial structures of their divorced from the fact that most government’s productive activities and education. transformational policies and programs have been urbanized, thereby creating more employment and educational opportunities and other infrastructural Urban bias and rural transformation amenities more in the urban areas, compared to the rural areas (McCatty, 2004; Nwakese, 2004; Nwanna, 2004; According to Mohanty (2014), the urban bias theory Todaro and Smith, 2003). proposes that the development process in developing countries are systematically biased against the rural areas and the bias is embedded in the political structure Consequences of rural-urban migration dominated by the urban groups. However, the rural areas are poor because they are politically powerless. Today, there is some level of transformation of the According to Radetzki and Lipton (1978), the most infrastructural deficits in the urban set up in Liberia. important class conflict in the poor countries of the world Gradually, most cities in Liberia have come to experience today is neither between labor and capital nor between good health care system, pipe-borne water (although not foreign and national interests; it is between rural classes all cities), good road networks, relative stable power and urban classes. The rural sector contains most of the supply, good transport system and other infrastructural poverty and most of the low-cost sources of potential facilities that will make life comfortable. All these, lures advance; however, the urban sector contains most of the the rural people, particularly the youths, to abandon some articulateness, organization, and power. So, the urban good social and economic ventures in the rural areas for classes have been able to win most of the rounds of the the cities. In 2014, it was estimated by World Bank that struggle with the countryside. This structural condition 66% of rural-urban migrants in Liberia, end up in slums Apeh et al. 3

Liberia Rural-Urban Migration 54

52

50

48

46

44 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Rural population (% of total population) Urban population (% of total)

Figure 1. Residential breakdown of Liberia population. Source: (World Bank, 2018).

(World Bank, 2018) doing nothing, while in their FOUR STRATEGIES FOR LIBERIA RURAL joblessness contribute to the increasing rate of crimes in TRANSFORMATION the cities. Virtually all able-bodied young men and women that Industrial revolution: Liberia is a developing nation, and should ordinarily be productive in various agricultural as such, depends hugely on primary products from the production activities in the rural communities have rural areas for survival. There is therefore, an urgent become commercial bike riders in the streets of Monrovia need to revolutionize agricultural production in the rural and other commercially-viable cities. This scenario areas. With the ever-increasing population, there is an affects the productive sectors in the rural communities imminent need to increase food production. Most farmers negatively, while also affecting the urban cities who are the centerpiece of food production are small- negatively. Today, agricultural industries have not only scaled and to a large extent unscientific in their become comatose but in some rural communities, dead. production, processing, and marketing. There is the need The high levels of importation of domestic products or to expand their scale of production by providing them with consumer goods such as rice by the present democratic modern agricultural and technical know-how to enable government are sharp testimonies to this regard. It is them adopt improved farming innovations aimed at becoming increasingly impossible for Liberia to feed optimization of resources and income generation. And herself, largely because of the neglect of the rural areas through the Agro-poles, a self-sustaining industrialization which has led to the death of the agricultural potentials in operation linked to the comparative advantage of most of those areas. the counties or communities, farming communities can In fact, virtually all graduates would want to work in specialize according to their agricultural potentials (Figure Government establishments or other high paying jobs in 2), which they have a comparative advantage on, to the cities. Quite ironical, these white-collar jobs are enhance productivity. Central to the growth pole is a limited considering the number of applicants that chase group of dynamic industries connected around a them. The few available spaces cannot absorb the resource. For instance, developing the cocoa industrial thousands of graduates churned out by all the Colleges in potentials in Lofa cluster has more advantage to Liberia. Therefore, these graduates who lie idle in the Buchanan cluster. This strategy will sustainably improve urban centers end up engaging in wasting their potentials the living conditions of the rural farmers and help waiting for non-existing jobs. The high level of insecurity government/development partners to effectively plan their in most of the areas in Monrovia is a typical example of impact driven developmental programs. the acts of joblessness and idleness on the part of the youths, who ought to be in their local communities being Rural Investment: There is the need to encourage productive in one economic venture or another. No doubt, investors to invest in rural areas by investing in the available infrastructure in the urban cities has been agriculture to establish rural industries particularly over-stretched or over-used. Most unfortunately, the agricultural processing industries to enhance value white-collar job has been glorified at the expense of addition and create more jobs. This will help solve some agriculture that has been one of the major contributors to of the basic amenities deficits in rural areas such as the Liberian economy over the years. electricity, good road-network, health centers, and pipe 4 Int. NGOJ.

Figure 2. The potentials of Liberia agricultural clusters. Source: (Zinnah, 2016).

borne water. It will also checkmate the growing rate of manner as to satisfy the needs of the community and rural-urban migration. subsequent development of the communities.

Rural education: Education is the process by which a person develops his abilities, attitudes and other forms of STRATEGIES FOR CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION behavior which are of positive value in the society in IN RURAL TRANSFORMATION which they live. It widens the scope of our knowledge and understanding of human rights and good governance, Healthcare delivery essential for rural development. Rural dwellers need both non-formal and formal education to expose them to Most rural communities lack health facilities and in areas various skills to manage their homes and most where they are present, they lack the required facilities importantly, understand the need to train their children in and personnel. Some women have lost their lives while schools vocationally or otherwise. Adult literacy is an giving birth to babies because of lack of maternity and essential tool for rural transformation. It is, therefore, qualified doctors/nurses. Civil society organizations can strongly recommended. help to attract healthcare projects to the rural areas.

Rural mobilization: Mobilization of the members of the community to achieve an accelerated pace of Education/Training development is another tool for rural transformation. This is where rural leaders play a vital role in mobilizing the Societies prosper when people are educated. Education people to genuinely embark on credible practical brings about healthy living and alleviates households community development projects, allowing them to from poverty by increasing their incomes. Communities collectively initiate and execute their development and countries benefit from a more educated workforce programs and projects. This will encourage and provide a and increase participation in community development framework of activities through the massive commitment activities that lead to greater economic growth. Civil of resources for the community in the most effective society should provide informal education for women, Apeh et al. 5

farmers, out of school children and the less privileged. schools, electricity, computers, books and agricultural This will help expose them to understand household processing facilities to add value to products produced by needs, acquire different skills, be aware of their rights in rural farmers because they attract little value when sold society and create civic consciousness in them. This will raw. They can partner with local groups with a specific place them in a status to know what to do at any point in agenda to attract developments for their communities and time and how to organize themselves, their family, develop their capacity in the identification and solving businesses and engage the government constructively. human right abuses in rural areas. The government can cooperate with the community through civil society to ensure adequate implementation Rural mobilisation of their developmental agenda for rural transformation and making of policies relating to rural transformation. Mobilization implies to assemble, prepare or put into operation for development or war. It implies equipping the citizenry for the onerous task of rural development. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Therefore, in mobilizing rural dwellers, there is a need to aim at influencing their consciousness, such that their Rural development is all-embracing, hence it involves the opinions and behaviors will be channeled towards human participation of all. Education of rural dwellers should and community development. In doing so, they will be form the bedrock for rural development. The knowledge sensitized to asking for their needs, the path to achieving gained by rural dwellers will help in understanding the them and available means of achieving them. It should be need for programs and how to manage them for their own a programme of inter-related activities, targets, and benefits. It is believed that in solving the problems of rural strategies systematically arranged and designed to effect people, rural development will be enhanced. There is an positive changes. There is also the need to develop in urgent need for a paradigm shift. The need for rural them the ability to envision for the development of their community transformation in Liberia at this period cannot communities, to ensure that the targets and strategies be over-emphasized. Supporting rural development pays embarked on yield positive results. The people need to dividends, not just for rural people but for everyone. be encouraged to participate fully in the planning of their Investment in agriculture is five times more effective in projects, execution, decision making, and evaluation. reducing poverty than investment in any other sector

(FAO, 2012). It helps sustain rural communities and

transform them into places where a new generation of Effective leadership for rural development farmers, fishers and small business owners want to live.

Rural development can also address the unequal access Leadership effectiveness measures the extent to which to resources that hold back women, who make up almost the leader achieves the functions of his office or set out half of the developing world's farmers. goals. Leadership characterized by mediocrity cannot This study, therefore, recommends the following achieve the set-out goal. The rural leadership has its policies to help in the transformation of the rural statutory functions or its targets associated with them. It communities to viable economic cities. is the responsibility of the leaders to achieve these targets. Failure means slowing down progress, which reflects on output. Leadership deficits in the rural areas i) Emphasis should be given to agriculture as a means of are ultimately traced to a lack of leadership skills. To driving the near-collapse of the Liberian economy. In tackle this problem, civil society should help organize trying to revive same, civil society organizations should leadership training for the local leaders, youths and the develop programs aimed at developing the sector, and local women to enable them establish a cordial government at all levels should relocate the ministries, relationship with their followers, practice open door policy departments, and agencies that are concerned with for the free flow of information, identification of need, agriculture to rural communities. This will boost accountability, equity, and fairness. Leaders emotional agricultural production and help lure some vibrant youths control will be measured not only by how strongly a who have been roaming the streets back to the rural leader feels on any matter; not even by the justness and areas. soundness of his feeling but by how he acts, by the ii) Massive infrastructural developments through the extent to which his feelings are so restrained and provision of basic amenities in the local communities are directed. encouraged. Such provision will encourage more of urban-rural migration, unlike the status quo. This transformation will end up returning these local Attracting of amenities communities into modern cities. iii) The Government should establish farms were young Civil societies can help rural areas attract social agricultural graduates can serve for a year to acquire amenities such as pipe-borne water, healthcare facilities, practical skills on-farm methods and procedures. This will 6 Int. NGOJ.

further transform the local communities’ by changing the Nwakese NM (2004). Rural-Urban Growth Differentials in Nigeria, 1950- stereotype that rural areas are inaccessible, inhabitable 1990: A Divergence or convergence? In Industrialization, urbanization and Development in Nigeria 1950-1999. Concept for graduates and uneconomic to earn a living. Publications Limited pp. 103-107. iv) The government should as a matter of paradigm shift Nwanna C (2004). Rural-Urban Migration and Population Problems in set the machinery in motion towards relocating key Nigeria cities. In industrialization, urbanization and development in government investments to the local communities. This Nigeria 1950-1999. Concept Publications Limited pp. 66-69. Pike A, Rodríguez-Pose A, Tomaney J (2016). Shifting horizons in local will have an immediate effect in turning these rural and regional development. Regional Studies 51:46-57. communities into a dynamic economic hive. Radetzki M, Lipton M (1978). Why Poor People Stay Poor: Urban Bias in World Development. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics 80(3):337. Todaro MP, Smith SC (2003). Economic development. 8th ed, CONFLICT OF INTERESTS Singapore: Pearson Education. 829p. Uhunmwuangho S, Aibieyi S (2013). Problems of Revenue Generation The author has not declared any conflict of interests. in Local Government Administration in Nigeria. International Journal of Arts and Humanities Bahir Dar, Ethiopia (IJAH) 2(3):192-209. Retrieved from https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ijah/article/view/106478/96430 REFERENCES World Bank (2018). World Development Indicator (WDI) (Database). World Bank. Retrieved from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) (2012). Contribution of http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2andseries= agricultural growth to reduction of poverty, hunger and malnutrition. SP.RUR.TOTLandcountry=LBR# (The state of Food Insecurity in the World). Food and Agriculture Zinnah MM (2016). Liberia Agricultural Transformation Agenda: Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved from Economic Diversification and Inclusive Growth through Agriculture, http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i3027e/i3027e04.pdf Agro-processing and Manufacturing. Presentation at the Liberia-UK Gugler J (1982). Overurbanization Reconsidered. Economic Investment Fourm presented at the The Liberia-UK Investment Development and Cultural Change 31(1):173-189. Forum, Liberia. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1086/451311 https://www.developingmarkets.com/sites/default/files/Minister%20of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) (2016). Rural %20Agriculture.pdf Development Report 2016; Fostering inclusive rural transformation. Quintily, Rome, Italy: Retrieved from https://www.ifad.org/documents/30600024/e8e9e986-2fd9-4ec4-8fe3- 77e99af934c4 McCatty M (2004). The Process of Rural-Urban Migration in Developing Countries. (An Honours essay). Carleton University, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7ad1/fa5132e102f567472e834951e2 45f3f73796.pdf Millennium Development Goals (MDG) (2015). Millennium Development Goals Indicators (Data Series). Retrieved from http://mdgs.un.org/ Mohanty PK (2014). Cities and Public Policy: An Urban Agenda for India. SAGE Publications India Pvt Limited: SAGE Publications Inc. Retrieved from www.sagepub.in

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