CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Globally the presence of infrastructure measures a country’s greatness and level of development. Growth is positively affected by the stock of infrastructure assets of all the development that has taken place in Nigeria since political independence, perhaps none has been more striking and indeed more fascinating than that in the area of infrastructures process of Nigeria.
In the view, it beat observers imagination that decades after Nigeria self rule or political freedom from Britain, the government and its people still battle with twin problems of finding infrastructural development and imminent decay that set in soon after they are commissioned for use.
In most countries of the world especially the less developed countries, there exist varying degree of economic inequalities while the urban area benefit and indeed show the presence of political administration, infrastructural facilities, high rate of poverty, ignorance, diseases, huger arising from economic neglect rural urban migration. There is no gain saying that the rural areas have enough infrastructural facilities.
Infrastructures are basic essential, service that should be put in a place to enable development to occur. Socio-economic development can be facilitated and accelerated at all levels in Nigeria by the presence of social and economic infrastructures. The neglect of socio-economic development had led the country to heart acting poverty which has increased poverty rate.
According to Busari Ayansola (2012), if socio-economic infrastructures are not in place, development will be very difficult and infant can liken a very scarce commodity that can only be secured at a very high price and cost.
The development of rural areas entails adequate provision of infrastructure. Because higher productivity and competitiveness requires higher level of infrastructural provision, development is driven by infrastructural provision, for eradication of problems of poverty, frustration, ignorance, diseases, crimes and rural urban migration which dominates rural areas. Successive administrations have in one way or the other made some concerted effort towards infrastructural development in the rural areas to solve the domestic socio-economic problems which have reflected in the main objectives of the rural development in Nigeria.
It is clear that infrastructural development cannot be neglected in the socio-economic development of Khana Local Government Area. To prove the standard of living and it improve on their facilities.
Angaye (1995), states that development should be seen as improvement in the mental, physical, spiritual materials and more qualities of life, resulting from real income provision of food, shelter, education and reduction of poverty.
Base on the fact that infrastructure has developed a greater quantum in development of the nation, the research developed interest in ascertaining the effects of poor infrastructural facilities on the socio-economic development of Khana Local Government Area.
1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Today, poor infrastructural facilities are identified as a problem. It is important to know that most of the poor people live in the rural areas including Khana Local Government Area which is characterized by lack or poor infrastructural facilities such as electricity and good road, portable drinking water, good communication system, health centres, leisure parks and so on. The absence of the facilities makes life miserable and unattractive in rural areas. There is massive rural-urban migration, mass death and increased diseases of kind because of non – provision of facilities and the consequences is low productivity and therefore hinders socio-economic development.
Due to lack of transportation and means of communication, sources of income like weaving of mat, fishing, carving and tools making, taping, poultry and small scale business which if pursued in the earnest could form the corner stone of mini-industries in the rural areas have suffered. The craft trades and farming are left in the hand of the old and weak who lacks the capacity skills and energy to turn them into the resource revenue earning.
Poor Health Centres, leisure parks has also increased mortality rate, depression, poor health, emotional imbalance which reduces life span.
Due to poor infrastructural, development have affected other sectors of Nigeria economics like political, medical, education and agricultural sector.
There are no enough infrastructural facilities in Khana Local Government Area, no more significant effort has been made by Government, voluntary agencies and concerned citizens to provide much needed infrastructure in most rural area in Nigeria.