ACHIEVING RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH DEMOCRATIC DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE: PROBLEMS AND BENEFITS IN 21st CENTURY NIGERIA

This position paper examined the problems and benefits of achieving rural community development through democratic decentralization and local governance in 21 st century Nigeria.It took a cursory view of the concepts of democratic decentralization, local governance, rural community development, relationship between democratic decentralization and local governance, achieving community development through democratic decentralization and local governance, problems of achieving rural community development through democratic decentralization and local governance in 21 st century Nigeria, and benefits of achieving rural community development through democratic decentralization and local governance in 21 st century Nigeria.The paper concluded that achieving rural community development through democratic decentralization and local governance in 21 st century Nigeria is faced with numerous problems amongst which are corruption and political interference, low literacy rates, cultural dynamics, inadequate funding, insufficient human resources.Bringing government to the doorstep of the people, healthy rivalry, allowing room for initiatives, reducing delay in policy implementation are benefits of achieving rural community development through democratic decentralization and local governance in 21 st century Nigeria.The paper suggested among others that policy makers should take into cognizance the need of achieving rural community development through democratic decentralization and local governance in the country and formulate policies to that effect.