Application of Agricultural Solutions to Sustainable Development of Rural Areas- An Institutional Approach

Abstract

Uche E Uche

The paper espoused an agricultural solution to sustainable development goals as enunciated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. Secondary sources of information including internet sources and field experience were used to articulate an agriculture solution to sustainable development of rural areas in Nigeria. Nigeria government released a report on poverty and inequality survey in the country that shows that 40% of total population or almost 83 million people live below the country poverty line of 137,430 naira ($381.75) per year. Further, Nigeria Bureau of Statistics went on to distribute the poverty rate for urban and rural areas as 18.04% and 52.10% respectively with Lagos State standing at 4.5% and Sokoto State 87.73% thereby engendering instability in the polity – within and between the federating units. It is therefore an understatement to aver for paradigm shift in the current strategy against poverty as the country is already overwhelmed by its collateral effect – kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry, insurgency etc. The article is written to frontally address the proximate causes of poverty in Nigeria as a panacea to the debilitating attrition of the nation’s social economic life. An institutional approach to development planning based on each community autonomous economic activity research result is advocated. It became obvious that such plan and especially programs for agricultural and rural development is adapted to the needs of the rural man who is the focus and central object. The importance of the plan and sustainable development goal agenda to be anchored on the youth is also elucidated.

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