TOWN UNION GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN IGBOLAND: A STUDY OF NROBO COMMUNITY

Abstract

The town union government has been seen to be a major player in rural community development efforts in Igboland. As a major or principal agent or element of positive change in the Socio-Political organization of the people, introduced by colonialism, town union government turns out to be a very important and unavoidable instrument of self-help approach to community development in the post-colonial period, and by the end of the Nigeria Biafra War, its effect became very visible. In 1991, the Nrobo Progressive Union (NPU) was formed. Its formation and foundation moved quickly, development in Nrobo community. However, like most town unions across Igboland, the development activities of the town union government have not received the academic attention as deserved or supposed. This paper deems it fit and goes on to provide the basis for self-help approach of town union in Igboland. A major reason for self-help approach adopted is the general negligence or ineptitude of governments of different levels. The study further finds that the NPU, through broad-based sources of funds covered appreciable and numerous developmental gaps in Nrobo through the provisions of basic social and economic infrastructures and fostering of the cultural and traditional heritage of the community. This study employs the eclectic method of analysis by choosing the most relevant data from different sources for interpretation. The discourse is presented chronologically and thematically.