Effectiveness of the Community Driven Development Approach for facilitating grassroots development: Lessons from the Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Project (LEEMP) in Nigeria

Abstract

The need to document the strength and weakness of Community Driven Development (CDD) approach being used for development programmes with the aim of improving its effectiveness for engendering community ownership of projects and sustainability necessitated this study. The study investigated the effectiveness of the CDD approach for facilitating grassroots development; drawing lessons from Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Project (LEEMP) in Nigeria. Study was conducted in three LEEMP participating States of Adamawa, Bauchi and Imo. Data was collected using in-depth interview (IDI) with key informants and field observation of LEEMP processes. Data collection covered LEEMP processes starting from community mobilization through project implementation. CDD strategy was effective in generating the interest of the people in the community development efforts of LEEMP. This was evident by the zero level of resistance to development intervention observed in all communities of study and the ease at which community members keyed into project ideas and also rallied support for the intervention. The CDD approach of LEEMP through ceding of the steering of Project implementation to the benefiting communities was observed to be very effective in ensuring community ownership of LEEMP assisted projects. However, the crucial strategy of LEEMP to build local capacity through its CDD approach was not realized to an appreciable extent. In conclusion, the CDD procedures of LEEMP development interventions are effective in Nigeria communities. Importantly, the level of LEEMP goal attainment of achieving social inclusiveness and ensuring that projects are driven by the beneficiaries can be adjudged as above average.