An Exploration of Social and Economic Impacts of Rural Access and Mobility Project Among Residents in Osun State, Nigeria

Eksplorasi Dampak Sosial dan Ekonomi Proyek Akses dan Mobilitas Pedesaan terhadap Masyarakat di Negara Bagian Osun, Nigeria

Abstract

Despite the potential benefits of rural access and mobility projects, there is a dearth of empirical research on the long-term socioeconomic impacts of such projects on rural communities in Osun State, Nigeria. This study, therefore, explored social and economic impacts of rural access and mobility project among residents in Osun State, Nigeria with a view to examining the socio-demographic characteristics of the residents and social and economic impact of the RAMP projects on the residents, respectively.

The study was anchored on Growth Pole Theory (GPT) and Rural Accessibility Theory (RAT), while concurrent mixed-method design approach was employed. Four-hundred and fifty respondents residing within the RAMP-2 projects regions comprised Iwo, Ife and Ilesha were sampled using both probability and non-probability sampling procedures. A self-designed instrument was used to obtained information from the participants. Descriptive statistics comprised simple percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used for quantitative data analysis, while the responses from the KII were thematically analysed.

The results indicated that the RAMP project increased access to educational institutions, make educational resources readily available and accessible, ease an access to information and communication services, expansion in the access to markets for selling products, improved access to clean water, substantive reduction in dropout rates, promote access to education for vulnerable groups, among others.

The study concluded that RAMP project had social and economic impacts on the resident of the communities under investigation. Therefore, officials should prioritise addressing inadequate institutional capacity and insufficient coordination among stakeholders; and prioritise the establishment of a dedicated project management unit, strengthening stakeholder coordination, and building local government capacity to ensure project success among others.