EFFFECT OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC EMPORMENT AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (NEEDS) IN NASARAWA STATE: A STUDY OF NASARAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

This study intends to in:vestigate the effect of community participation in the national economic empowerment and development strategy in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of community participation in the national economic empowerment and development strategy in Nasarawa local government area. The study adopted the system theory as the theoretical framework. The theory contends that a system is a set of interacting components acting independently and sharing a common boundary. The study adopted the survey method and primary and secondary data were collected. The study revealed that many people depended on govemment jobs majority are jobless. Most communities have one social infrastructure or the other, while few have none. It was also discovered that hick of awareness and participation on the programmes of NEEDs by the communities affected the programme. However, . mismanagement, inadequate manpower, non-community participation and corruption are NEEDs poverty reduction constraints. To reduce high level of poverty in Nasarawa Local Government, it is imperative that the community should 'participate in the programme and projects.