The Efforts of Idepe Community Development Association in the Transfor-mation of Idepe Community, South-West Nigeria?

AuthorMichael I. Ibiezugbe - John O. Akinyemi
PositionDepartment of Social Work, University of Benin - Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Benin
Pages68-78
Vol. 2 No. 2
June, 2018
European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences
IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria
ISSN 2519-1284
Acces online at www.iipccl.org
68
The E orts of Idepe Community Development Association in the Transfor-
mation of Idepe Community, South-West Nigeria
PhD. Michael I. Ibiezugbe
Department of Social Work, University of Benin
MSc. John O. Akinyemi
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Benin
Abstract
Most communities have demonstrated resilience by engaging in self-help e orts in order
to improve on the quality of lives and livelihoods of their people. Consequently, to assess
the e orts of the Idepe Community Development Association in the development of Idepe
community, a study was designed in 2017 by the authors, to collect both quantitative and
qualitative data, using the Survey method and In-depth Interview method. Results indicate
that: building of community market stalls; the renovation of roads, healthcare centres, pipe
borne water, educational facilities as well as construction of community town hall are the
projects already provided by the target association in Idepe community. Result equally
revealed that majority of the respondents a rmed that the projects executed by the association
have indeed made positive e ects in the lives of the people; hence was rated by the community
members as above average. The paper concludes that the self-help e orts of most community
development associations and their potentials as resources for community development in
Nigeria can be step-up when enduring remedies are provided to the numerous challenges
they face.
Keywords: Community, development, association, transformation.
Introduction
One of the enduring and ourishing heritages of traditional African societies is their
involvement in community development e orts. It has been an indigenous mechanism
and technique employed by the people to identify their felt-needs, choose what they
want and take collective action to satisfy their needs (Okwakpam, 2010). People at
di erent times, in pre-colonial Nigeria, had organized themselves collectively, with
the aid of community resources to improve on both physical and functional facilities
in their respective localities. For instance, communal labour was o en sought in the
construction of community-based infrastructure such as homestead, clearing and
construction of roads, public utility buildings, market stalls, Oba’s palace, town
halls,etc (Akinsorotan & Olujide, 2006).
In the modern world, this communal role is now being performed, in most
communities, by a unit of the community social structure called community
development association. According to Akinsorotan & Olujide (2006), Community
Development Association (CDA) is a process of social action, in which people of a
community organize themselves for planning action to meet their needs and solve

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