COMMUNITY BANK AS A CATALYST FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ENUGU STATE

COMMUNITY BANK AS A CATALYST FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ENUGU STATE

[A CASE STUDY OF OGUI URBAN COMMUNITY BANK, ENUGU] CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Long before the inception of community banking system in Nigeria, intensive campaigns were organized nation wide urging community to form community Development Association [CDA] or where they already exist6 in form of town union or patriotic association to register them in their local government. This was to create an avenue for which they could more effect t lively participate in rural development programmes at grassroots .Development association was found and registered as at 31st December 1992.

It is pertinent to mention that government had before this time established some development agency intended to providing grassroots’ development. These include National Directorate for Employment [NDE] Better life programmed of Rural Dweller [BLPRD] Rural Banking, people’s Bank and Directorate of food, road and  Rural infrastructure [DEFRRI] whose primary task was to a identify, involve and support viable local community organization in the mobilization of the rural population for sustained rural development activities bearing in the mind the need of promoting greater participation and economic self- reliance on rural development” On the basis of this and other functions defined in the Decree 4 of the 1987, as stressed by mabogunje, the directorate fell into three broad areas as; 1. Community organization and social mobilization 2. Infrastructural Development 3. Promotion of productive activities. The idea of community banking was made known to the public during January 1st 1990 budget speech by the president and commander of chief  the Armed forces, General Ibrahim Alamosa Babangida, in that speech he clearly spelt out what the government has in mind as follows. The adjustment subsidy levels of domestic price of petroleum product have been estimated millions is 1990 fiscal year.