Community participation approach to local communities' development in Ogun State, Nigeria: Implications for legal enablement

The paper assumes that the non-provision of basic amenities required for community

development (CD) is a major basis for violence, agitation, and desperation to partake in the

"sharing of national cake" in Nigeria. Therefore, it focuses on how community self-help can be

institutionalized through the Community Participatory Approach (CPA,) to provide basic

amenities and services that can facilitate grassroots development in Nigeria. The study adopts

survey method for the investigation, the population of study is the Chairpersons of 232

functional Community Development Associations (CDA) within Olambe/Matogun zonal

Community Development Committee (CDC), in Ifo Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria, and

the sample consists of 210 respondents. While the sampling technique adopted is convenient

sampling, the research instrument is open-ended questionnaire and the medium is the WhatsApp

social media used to elicit responses among the samples on; projects executed within the last

three years in line with the Sanders (1958) basic program activities for CD; the factors inducing

constraints; and suggestions for effectiveness. The findings indicate that the basic elements for

CD are provided through self-help and not the government in the study areas. It further reveals

inadequate legal enablement as the factor responsible for the challenges. Therefore, to address

the identified policy implications for legal empowerment, the recommendations include:

constitutional amendment, reform of revenue allocation formula in favour of the community

organisations, and decentralization of government structure and services.