Accessing and utilizing services by rural borderland communities in South-Western Nigeria
Kehinde O. POPOOLA
Susanne E. SPEAK
Abstract
Borderland communities hold a strategic position in many countries. However, in spite of this, many of these communities, specifically in Nigeria, are still characterized by neglect and underdevelopment. Based on the above fact, this study explores the service deprivation and coping strategies of rural borderland communities in South-Western Nigeria. The study revealed that the majority of inhabitants of rural borderland (64.0%) get their water supply straight from streams and are bound to cover distances of 500 meters or longer to collect water. Similarly, the majority of them defecate in bush reserves around their houses. Also, the study showed that people can travel across the national border to neighboring countries on a regular basis to access basic services, like healthcare facilities. Likewise, medical personnel or attendants from neighboring countries or towns are called during critical or serious illness to render services which the Nigerian Government does not provide. The development of Nigeria’s frontier areas is therefore of paramount importance and really pending, and must be made priority in urgent and major developmental actions taken in the country.
Keywords:
access to services, rural communities, borderland communities, deprivation, South-Western NigeriaReferences
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Adepoju A. (2005): Creating a Borderless West Africa: Constraints and Prospects for Intra Regional Migration. Draft Article of Migration without Border Series. Human Resources Development Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.
Afolayan A.A. (2010): Trans-Border Movement and Trading: A case study of Borderline in the South-Western Nigeria” (in) IFRA Trans-Border Studied, Occasional Publication, No 13, African Book Builders Ltd, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Akinola S.R. (2007): Coping with Infrastructural Deprivation through Collective Action among Rural People in Nigeria. Nordic Journal of African Studies 16(1):30–46.
Bonchuchk M.O. (2014): European Transborder Paradigm: Its Relevance to the Nigeria – Cameroon Border integration in Nigeria” in Journal of Social and Development Issues 2011; 2(1):38-45.
Chakraborty N, Islam M.A, Chowdhury R.I, Bari W.W, Akhter H.H (2003): Determinants of the use of maternal health services in rural Bangladesh. Health Promotion International, 18(4): 327-337.
Nigerian National Planning Conference (1989): Development of border regions: proceedings of the Nigerian National Planning Conference, Durbar Hotel, Lagos, 10-12 August
National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Strategic Framework (2004), Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Dada A.C. (2009): Sachet water phenomenon in Nigeria: Assessment of the potential health impacts, African Journal of Microbiology Research Vol.3 (1), pp. 015-021.
Folarin S.F., Olanrewaju F. and Ajayi L.A. (2014): “Rethinking Nigeria’s Strategic Relationship with its Immediate Neighbours”, European Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 44 (5), pp. 451-463.
Gnanakan K., Jesssen P.D., Heeb J., Huba-mang E., Warner W., Refsgaard K., Stenstroem T.A., Guterstram B., Alsen K.W.(2004): Ecological Sanitation and Reuse of Wastewater. Ecosan. A Thinkpiece on ecological sanitation. Norway: The Agricultural University of Norway.
Ishaku H.T., Majid R.M., Ajayi A. and Haruna A. (2011): Water Supply Dilemma in Nigerian Rural Communities: Looking towards the Sky for an Answer. Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 3, 598-606.
Kolawole D.O. and Torimiro O.D. (2006): Nigerian Poor Majority: Issues and Challenges in the 21st Century. Research Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1): 11-20, INSInet publication.
Manzoor I., Hashmi N.R., Mukhtar F. (2009): Determinants and pattern of health care services utilization in post graduate students. J. Ayub Med. Coll. Abbottabad 21(3):100-105.
Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2008) Abuja, Nigeria: National Population Commission and ICF Macro.
Onah H., Ikeako L., Iloabachie G. (2009): Factors associated with the use of maternity services in Enugu, south-eastern Nigeria. Social Science and Medicine, 63(7): 1870-1878.
The Sphere Project (2011): Humanitarian charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response, water supply standard 1: Access and water quantity. pp. 97–99.
Tandia A. (2007): Borders and Borderlands Identities: A Comparative Perspective of Cross-border Governance in the Neighbourhoods of Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea Bissau. African Nebula, Osogbo, Nigeria, Osun State University. No. 2, pp. 18–42.
UNICEF (2013): Nigeria Country Programme Document 2014 -2017.
Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). (2004): Minimum standards for Basic Education in Nigeria.
Water and Sanitation Monitoring Platform (2008): Nigeria-Country Summary Sheet.
Weber A. (2012): Boundaries with issues: Soft Border Management as a solution? Perspective for Eastern Africa, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Africa Department, Berlin, Germany.
World Health Organization-United Nations Children Fund (WHO-UNICEF) (1978): Declaration of Alma Ata.
WHO & UNICEF (2010): Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-Water.
WHO Press JMP (2004): Meeting the MDG Water and Sanitation Targets. Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) conducted by WHO and UNICEF.
POPOOLA, K. O., & SPEAK, S. E. (2020). Accessing and utilizing services by rural borderland communities in South-Western Nigeria. Economic and Environmental Studies, 18(4 (48), 1335–1349. https://doi.org/10.25167/ees.2018.48.9
Authors
Kehinde O. POPOOLAAuthors
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