Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management EJESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.2) 2012 IMPLICATIONS OF COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDIUM-SIZED TOWNS IN KWARA STATE NIGERIA ADEDAYO, A. and *AFOLAYAN, G.P. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejesm.v5i4.S23 Received 20th September 2012; accepted 1st November 2012 Abstract Infrastructure has been recognized as the crux of human settlement development. This paper therefore examines the implications of community provision of infrastructure in the development of medium – sized towns in Nigeria. Medium-sized towns are settlements with population size of between 5,000 and 20,000. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The findings generally revealed a high level of community participation in the provision of such infrastructure as schools, electricity, roads, water, market stalls, health facilities, and town halls. However, variations exist among the medium – sized towns in the type and number of infrastructure provided by community action. Kendall’s Coefficient Concordance (W) used to test the degree of variations in ranks revealed a significant agreement in the ranking. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis used to classify the medium – sized towns based on infrastructure provision produced three classes. The general implication of this study is that, infrastructure provision by community action can lead to a balanced regional development as other smaller towns around the study emulate the action. Recognizing the role of small – sized towns in a balanced regional development process, government should encourage the people through the provision of financial support, machineries and technical know-how in the provision of infrastructure. This paper recommends the integration of community development plans with those of the local government towards achieving even development. Key words: Infrastructure, Medium-Sized, Towns, Community, Participation. Introduction medium-sized towns have not been adequately The state of infrastructure provision is a factor provided with these facilities. According to determining the efficiency of village, town and Rondinelli (1982), medium-sized towns which, he city management. This statement therefore raises refers to as “intermediate cities” have received questions as to the number of tarred roads in the proportionally low share of national investment in housing settlements, frequency of water and power infrastructure services, industries and their supply, the state of environmental sanitation and activities compared to the largest city in nearly the efficiency of communication system. All these every developing nation. are indices of urban development. Mabogunje Okafor (1985) also noted that “the spatial (1993) stressed that, infrastructure provision in an distribution of urban amenities and resources” is a extensive continuous and self-sustaining basis reflection of the manner of urban politics, the becomes a sine-qua-non for the efficiency and planners’ attitudes to spatial equity and the livability of cities. Faz and Hazel (1999) also dominance of modern part of the city as against observed that investment in roads has assisted in the traditional neighbourhood. poverty reduction in some neglected regions in In Nigeria, rural and medium – sized towns or India. intermediate cities are mostly marginalized in There are numerous opportunities in infrastructure investment when compared with infrastructure provision, and these include, larger urban centres. Most of these human creation of job opportunities, positive impacts on settlements are characterized by inadequacy and the lives of urban residents, improvement of dysfunctional infrastructural services. As a result, environmental sanitation, boosting of agricultural they are clogged with traffic and sewerage water, mechanization among others. Infrastructure needs sanitation facilities are overworked, while according to Nigeria’s National Economic electricity supply is at its lowest performance. A Empowerment and Development Strategy major drag on the pace of industrialization (NEEDS) 2004 cut across sectors and is central to development in Nigeria over the years has also economic development. The challenges of been attributed to the poor state of infrastructure infrastructure provision have been recognized in facilities. Nigeria and have been listed as a cornerstone In recognition of the importance of component for the realization of vision 20:2020 infrastructure to the overall development of human goals as well as the Millennium Development settlements, inhabitants of medium-sized towns, Goals target. have through communal efforts embarked on Despite the importance of infrastructure to the infrastructure provision as a means of promoting socio-economic and political development, the balanced regional development. Department of Geography & Environmental Management, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. 620 *Corresponding author: [email protected] Implications of Community Infrastructure Provision ...........Adedayo & Afolayan E JESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.2 ) This article therefore aims at examining the Okafor (1985) in the context of South east of implications of community infrastructure Nigeria, classified medium-sized towns as having provision in the development of medium-sized population between 75,000 and 30,000 and towns in Kwara State, Nigeria. principally serving as local government and The specific objectives set in this study were divisional headquarters. This classification is not to: unconnected with high population density of the i. identify medium-sized towns and type of region. However, geographers have traditionally infrastructure provided by community laid emphasis on the size and location of towns as action; basis for differentiating various categories of ii. evaluate the performance of each town in settlements. Towns and cities are often the community based infrastructure recognized as those on the hills, mountains, provision; examine the relationship between corridors, passes, ports, plateau, rivers and lakes. population size and number of infrastructure Other classifications are based on cultural, provided; and economic and morphological characteristics. iii. suggest possible ways of enhancing For the purpose of this study, medium-sized community infrastructure provision. towns constitute settlements with population of Infrastructure and Urban Development between 5,000 and 20,000. This is based on the The precise relationship or linkages between low density population of the study area. infrastructure and development is always a matter Functional Characteristics of Medium-Sized of discourse. However there is no doubt, that Towns infrastructure has positive impact on the overall Medium-Sized towns are observed to blend development of human settlements. It can deliver urban and rural characteristics, sharing similar a major economic growth (Mc Neil, 1993). physical and social traits, “except that the level Urban infrastructural needs are product of and magnitude of economic and social activities modern urban development. As observed by differ (Afolayan, 2008). Various authors have Dowall (1991), the strategic and timely location stressed the importance of medium-sized towns of urban infrastructure can play a key role in in their development functions (Rondinelli, 1982; guiding the future form of urban area. Dowall Okafor, 1985; and Taylor, 1978). The medium- (1991) developed a regression model to sized towns can offer sufficient economics of determine the effect of infrastructure scale to allow the concentration of infrastructure development on price of land in 1987 and 1988 in like the education, water, health, roads, electricity Karachi, Pakistan and came up with the and communication media among others. They estimation of statistically significant also serve as regional marketing centres for the results.According to Fawehinmi (2003), surrounding regions and their hinterlands. Okafor provision of infrastructure on sustainable basis (1985) particularly stressed that medium-sized has direct effect on the level of poverty of towns are centres for spreading ideas of external individuals. influences to the majority of rural population and Infrastructure has been linked with defence, serve as relief to big cities by absorbing security, employment opportunities as well as population that are often experienced in the cities. well–being of people. Problems of employment The Medium-sized towns in their roles on the and household poverty are addressed by adopting spatial aspect of innovation diffusion operate as community based approaches or basic distributors of new technology and innovation. infrastructure provision. The introduction of new technology and Medium-Sized Towns innovation increases productivity and induce Attempts have been made to define and development in their area of location. Regularly describe the concepts of towns, making use of scheduled institutional markets where most of the various measures such as, population size, status, economic activities of medium-sized towns take economic, administrative and political functions. place, efficient road networks and electricity This lends credence to the fact that, medium- supply will be required to perform these sized towns have been described and referred to functions. The medium-sized towns are also as “intermediate cities”, “small-sized towns” or regarded as regional centres for transportation “secondary towns”. The range of cites or towns and communication as rural hinterlands which that