THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF SELF HELP COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
 (CASE STUDY OVIA NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTIION
1.1       BRIEF HISTORY OVIA NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Ovia north east local government area is one of the twenty-two local government areas in Edo State of Nigeria. The local government area was created from the district council under the local government law in 1976, the local government which lies across the larger part of the local government. Ovia North East local government area is one of the largest local area in Edo State in term of land mass.
            Eguake (1990) noted that it is situated between longitude 5°45 and 6°15 east and latitude 5°15 and 6°45 north of the Central province of Edo State. The local government consist of twelve wards for the purpose of easy administration, the wards are Egheta, Utese, Uhen, Oghese , Olumoye, Okada, Emma, other are Isiuua, Egbarha, Ovbiogie, Utekan, Iguegho. Therefore the local government area is made up of about 50 villages. Okada is the administrative headquarter of Ovia north East local government area.
            By 1960 the population of the district councils that now make up Ovia north east local government area has one-hundred and seventy six thousand, four hundred and fifty three (76,453) but it was projected in 1976 to be two hundred an forty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy-six (242,276) according to local government report Journal of 1950.
            The inhabitants of the local government area are Edo speaking people, so they are said to be the same origin with Bini’s and the Yoruba’s who claimed to have migrated from Egypt in search of a more ferile land. The major occupation of the inhabitants of the area are farming and trading, of recent the people have attached much importance to education which they hope will place them in better position in white collar-jobs in order to be able to develop the local government.
            The village head in Ovia North East local government is the “Odionwere” the Enogie is the hereditary position while the Odionwere is the position for the eldest man in the community concernment.
            The local government area is situated in the centre of Edo State. It is bounded in some village by Emma by Ovia north east local government area (map to be attached).
            Development in the local government are is slow due to lack of infrastructural facilities the insufficiency of these basic infrastructure have caused devastating affects to the economic development of the area. Such that the social aspect of life in the local government has been hindered. Little wonder that the various communities in the local government embraced self-help developmental project which the researcher is to examine.
1.2       STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
            In economic, there is a fundamental assumption that we want are numerous i.e. unlimited but the means of resources to satisfy them are very limited this statement is responsible for the government inability to satisfy the want of the whole people in the area she governs.
            Realizing fully well that the government can not provide every thing they need, most communities have decided and device a way of promoting economic growth in their area which result to the adoption of self-help development project.
            The people of Ovia north east local government area not left out in the adoption of self-help development project they came together to co-operate, identify and discuss their common needs in order to supplement government’s effort to develop rural area by providing the basic need for their people through self-help effort.
            Consequently, it should be noted that infrastructural development and the project provided by self-help offered towards improvement of the socio-economic life of the people. This therefore act as a cornerstone for economic development which In turn help to improve the standard of living of the people in the local government area the self-help effort also a that arresting and minimizing the controversial rural-urban migration which has been one of the national social ills. As earlier said, Ovia north east local government area consist of about fifty villages in different geographical location, it becomes very difficult for government to provide all the need of the people in over 50 villages scattered all over. Therefore, certain base infrastructures necessary for economic development such as roads, electricity, pipe borne water, schools healthcare centres are necessary.
            Nigeria being a developing country, its limited resources may not allow the country to provide these material, it becomes imperative therefore that the various communities must strive to do something to improve their let and this coming together to join hands, this has given rise to the development to self-help community.            This self-help community project have been an impetus during the reign of Brigadier S. O. Oghemudia (1967) who stated categorically that.        All communities most strive to improve their local government because government because government may not be able to saddle the whole responsibilities of all the communities in mid-west state. During the reign of Ogbemudia communities who were to embark among self-help development project were compensated and attracted to government attention as a result, all communities started to embark on self-help project attract government attention. Ovia north east local government was not left out in this race, it is therefore necessary to note what exactly are the participation of the different community in Ovia north east local government area of self-help development project.
            Moreover, it is necessary to investigate whether the tempo has increased, decreased, remained or constant or had died down and to account for the factors that affected this tempo.
1.3       PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
            The purpose of these study are numerous, they include:
To identify some economic social and welfare services the community have provided for themselves through self-help development project since 1970.
To find out the factors that influence the choice of the project executed.
To identify how the project were financed and executed.
To find out how they were able to carry out the execution of these self-help project in the local government area and ascertain whether that was the best way.
To highlight the need of self-help development project in Ovia north east local government area.
To ascertain the economic impact of these self-help development project on the communities in Ovia north east local government area.
To find out how the people in different communities are able to come together to provide themselves with some of the essential needs which the government has not been able to provide.
To determine the rate played by the Edo State government and the ministry of local government in the implementation and execution of these self-help project in the area.
Lastly, to detect the problems associated with the execution and finance of the self-help development project in the area and offer some suggestion on how these problems can be solved eliminated.
1.4       RESEARCH QUESTON
            The project is out to provide answer to the following research question:
1.      What are the various self-help projects executed by the people of Ovia north east local government area?
2.      What are the factors that influence the choice of the project?
3.      How were the projects financed?
4.      What are the mode executions of the project?
5.      What were the problems encountered in the execution of the project?
1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
This study is significant on the following grounds:
            This study would acquaint people with the various self-help development project that been executed in Ovia north east local government area since 1970 to 1998.
            That the study would be helpful to student, researcher and other who are interested I the study of the self-help community development project in Ovia north east local government area.
            It is also hope that the study will be useful as a source of material and information to future scholars in self-help community development in Edo State.
            It is also to justify the importance of the objectives stated to the economic growth stated to the economic growth of the area.
            This research is important such that it is aimed at finding out the names spirit of the people which has made them to put their resources together to provide some basic amenities needed in the area. This is essential as all or the villages with their needs and the people should be encouraged to participate fully in the development of his area.
            Moreover, this research is important  in determining the method of executing and financing, so that wastage could be eliminated and suggestion  made.
            If this is not done, people may be discouraged in contributing towards self-help development project when they know that the money is directed to another place.
            Finally, the research is Important to enable government to find a way of encouraging communities that engage is such project and assist them at different levels.
1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This research work is on the economic importance of self-help community development project in Ovia north east local government area of Edo State, the local government area consist of twelve word. The scope of this project therefore embraces the various categories of project that have been executed through self-help effort in the local government area since 1970 to the present day.
            In the light of thus, general survey of the wards will be made on joint capital projects embarked upon by the communities under the local government area  which is Ovia north east grammar school Okada also same important project embarked in to elevate the standard of living of the people will be booked into such  project include.
1.      The construction of seven kilometer road and bridge at Ugbese.
2.      The construction of five kilometer Eghta.
3.      Okada town hall.
4.      Grammar school at Okada.
5.      Communities day care center Eghta.
1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS
            In this work the following terms were used distinctly and their meanings and intentions are hereby explained.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
            The economic importance as it is used in this essay is to significance of the project executed by the community in relative monetary value and the wealth of those who embark on it.
SELF HELP
            By self help in this essay was means when the people            
which result to the adoption of self-help development project. The people in Ovia North East local government area are not left out in the adoption of self help development project they come together to cooperate identify and discuss their common needs in order to supplement government efforts to develop rural area by providing the basic need for their people through self help effort. Consequently, it should be noted that infrastructure development and the project provided by self help effort towards the improvement of the socio economic life of the people.  This therefore act as a cornerstone for economic development which in turn help to improve the standard of human of the people in the local government area the self help effort also a that arresting and minimizing the controversial rural urban migration which has been one of the national societal ills.
            As earlier said, Ovia north east local government area consist of about fifty villages in different geographical location, it becomes very difficult for government to provide all the needs of the people in over 50 villages scattered all over. Therefore, certain base infrastructures necessary for economic development such as roads, electricity, pipe bone water, school and health care centres are necessary. Nigeria being a developing country the limited resources may not allow country to provide these materials, it becomes imperative therefore that the various communities must strive to do something to improve their lot and this call for cooperative effort that is coming together to join hands this has given rise to the development to self help community. This self help community project have been an impetus during the reign of Brigader S. O. Ogbemudia (1967) who stated that categorically that
            “All communities must strive to improve their local government because government alone may not be able to saddle the whole responsibilities of all the communities in Mid-Western State. During the reign of Ogbemudia communities who were able to embark among self help development project were compensated and attracted to government attention as a result all communities started to embark on self help project attract government attention and recognition. Ovia north east local government was not left out in this race, it is therefore necessary to note what exactly are the participation of the different community in Ovia north east local government area in the areas of self help development project.
            Moreover, it is necessary to investigate whether the tempo has increased decreased remained constant or had died down and to account for some factors that affected this tempo.