ABSTRACT
The provision of essential services to rural populations is a recognized goal of many African governments. The availability of health, education, marketing, and other basic services is viewed as an important element of rural development strategies. A number of studies have emphasized geographic imbalances in the provision of services between rural and urban areas in Africa. The siting of public facilities and services in Nigeria has long been a matter of public discussion, a basis for intercommunity rivalry, and a focal point of acrimonious debate among politicians and planners. As results from the “green revolution” began to accumulate from throughout the Third World, it became clear that rural development would require a great deal more than “miracle” seeds, new fertilizers, and other technological innovations at the individual farmer level. The provision of services in Nigeria has been profoundly altered by changes in the constitution, the return to civilian rule, and the impact of petroleum revenues.
