Nasiru Project
Nasiru Project
INTRODUCTION
State (UNDP, 2019). The concept of CBOs can be traced back to the 1960s and 1970s, when
community development programs were introduced in Nigeria (Adegbite, 2004). These programs
2017). Over the years, CBOs have evolved to address various community needs and priorities,
human rights (UNICEF, 2018). In Gombe State, CBOs have been actively involved in promoting
The importance of CBOs in Nigeria and Gombe State cannot be overstated. They have been
sustainability (NPC, 2018). The Nigerian government has acknowledged the role of CBOs in
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has established policies and programs
to support their activities (FGN, 2017). Community-Based Organizations (CBOS) have been
promoting community development. CBOS are grassroots organizations that operate at the local
level, focusing on specific needs and priorities of the community. Community-based
organizations (CBOs) have been recognized as vital partners in community development efforts
globally (UNDP, 2019). Community-based organizations (CBOs) play an important and relevant
role in providing services at the local level. They work in a variety of different fields, such as
education, health, the rights of the disabled, gender issues, etc. Wise management of the
organization can contribute significantly to ensuring the effectiveness of the work that it does
(Marta and Geyer, 2006). Gombe State, in particular, has a rich history of community
development initiatives, with CBOs playing a crucial in implementing these initiatives (Gombe
empowerment, and sustainability. For instance, the Gombe State Community Health Workers
Association (GHWA) has improved healthcare outcomes in rural communities (GHWA, 2020),
while the Gombe State Women's Development Association (GWDA) has empowered women
Despite their benefits, CBOs in Nigeria and Gombe State face numerous challenges, including
limited funding and resources, inadequate infrastructure and equipment, poor capacity and skills
among members, political and bureaucratic interference, and cultural and religious barriers
(UNDP, 2019). These challenges have hindered the effectiveness and sustainability of CBOs in
This project assesses the effect of CBOS on community development in healthcare, education,
Despite their potential, CBOS face numerous challenges in delivering effective community
development programs. Limited resources, inadequate capacity, and lack of support from
stakeholders hinder their impact. Moreover, there is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of
ii. How effective are CBOS in improving education outcomes in Gombe LGA?
LGA.
This study will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of CBOS in promoting
community development in Gombe LGA. The findings will inform policy and practice,
enhancing the capacity of CBOS to deliver impactful programs. The study will also contribute to
The study will focus on Gombe LGA, Gombe State, and will only consider CBOS that have been
operational for at least two years. The study will not cover all aspects of community
development but will focus on healthcare, education, economic empowerment, and infrastructure
development.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
This chapter reviews the existing literature on Community Based Organizations (CBOS) and
their impact on community development, with a focus on healthcare, education, job creation, and
infrastructure development.
economic, political, and environmental (World Bank, 2019). The United Nations defines
community development broadly as "a process where community members come together to
take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." and the International
Association for Community Development defines it as both a practice based profession and an
academic discipline. Following the adoption of the IACD definition in 2016, the association has
gone on to produce International Standards for Community Development Practice. The values
and ethos that should underpin practice can be expressed as: Commitment to rights, solidarity,
democracy, equality, environmental and social justice. The purpose of community development
sustainable development, rights, economic opportunity, equality and social justice. This practice
is carried out by people in different roles and contexts, including people explicitly called
professional community workers (and people taking on essentially the same role but with a
different job title), together with professionals in other occupations ranging from social work,
adult education, youth work, health disciplines, environmental education, local economic
development, to urban planning, regeneration, architecture and more who seek to apply
development practice also encompasses a range of occupational settings and levels from
development roles working with communities, through to managerial and strategic community
planning roles.
The Community Development Challenge report, which was produced by a working party
comprising leading UK organizations in the field including the (now defunct) Community
Development Foundation, the (now defunct) Community Development Exchange and the (now
defunct) Federation for Community Development Learning defines community development as:
A set of values and practices which plays a special role in overcoming poverty and disadvantage,
knitting society together at the grass roots and deepening democracy. There is a community
development profession, defined by national occupational standards and a body of theory and
experience going back the best part of a century. There are active citizens who use community
development techniques on a voluntary basis, and there are also other professions and agencies
(such as a community development worker in a local authority) and a way of working with
communities. Its key purpose is to build communities based on justice, equality and mutual
respect. Community development involves changing the relationships between ordinary people
and people in positions of power, so that everyone can take part in the issues that affect their
lives. It starts from the principle that within any community there is a wealth of knowledge and
experience which, if used in creative ways, can be channeled into collective action to achieve the
relationships with key people and organizations and to identify common concerns. They create
opportunities for: the community to learn new skills and, by enabling people to act together,
that represent community needs and work to help them. CBOs may be associated with a
community's social health, well-being, and overall functioning. Community organization occurs
a commonly used model for organizing community within community projects, neighborhoods,
organizations, voluntary associations, localities, and social networks, which may operate as ways
to mobilize around geography, shared space, shared experience, interest, need, and/or concern.
community development. The United Nations assumed that community development is operative
of living are relatively high and social services relatively well developed, but in where a greater
Ross defined community organization as a process by which a community identifies its needs or
objectives, orders (or ranks) these needs or objectives, develops the confidence and will to work
at these needs or objectives, finds the resources (internal and/or external) to deal with these needs
or objectives, takes action in respect to them, and in so doing, extends and develops co-operative
organization which constitutes a conscious effort on the part of a community to control its affairs
democratically and to secure the highest services from its specialists, organizations, agencies,
and institutions by means of recognized interrelations. In 1925, Walter W. Pettit stated that
In 1940, Russell H. Kurtz defined community organization as "a process dealing primarily with
program relationships and thus to be distinguished in its social work setting from those other
basic processes, such as casework and group work. Those relationships of agency to agency, of
agency to community and of community to agency reach in all directions from any focal point in
the social work picture. Community organization may be thought of as the process by which
these relationships are initiated, altered or terminated to meet changing conditions, and it is thus
In 1947, Wayne McMillen defined community organization as "in its generic sense in
deliberately directed effort to assist groups in attaining unity of purpose and action. It is
practiced, though often without recognition of its character, wherever the objective is to achieve
or maintain a pooling of the talents and resources of two or more groups in behalf of either
general or specific objectives. In 1954, C. F. McNeil said "Community organization for social
identifies needs or objectives, takes action, and through this process, develops cooperative and
collaborative attitudes and practices within a community. In 1975, Kramer and Specht stated
organizations to engage in planned collective action in order to deal with special problems within
Community-Based Organizations CBOS are grassroots organizations that operate at the local
level, focusing on specific needs and priorities of the community (USAID, 2020). They play a
ii. Designing and implementing programs to address these needs (UNICEF, 2018)
iii. Mobilizing resources and support from stakeholders (World Health Organization, 2019)
(ActionAid, 2018)
Community-Based Organizations CBOs in Nigeria and Gombe State assume various roles that
address specific community needs and priorities. These roles include community development
Gombe State Community Health Workers Association (GHWA) provides primary healthcare
services to rural communities, while the Gombe State Women's Development Association
The benefits of CBOs in Nigeria and Gombe State are numerous. They improve
sustainability, and address specific community needs and concerns. For example, the
GHWA has improved healthcare outcomes in rural communities, while the GWDA has
Despite their benefits, CBOs in Nigeria and Gombe State face numerous challenges.
These include limited funding and resources, inadequate infrastructure and equipment,
poor capacity and skills among members, political and bureaucratic interference, and
cultural and religious barriers. For instance, the GHWA faces challenges in accessing
funding and resources, while the GWDA encounters difficulties in scaling up its
CBOs in Nigeria and Gombe State have various structures, including youth groups,
trustees and a management team that oversees its programs and services.
Studies have shown that CBOS can improve healthcare outcomes in communities. For
example:
i. A study in Nigeria found that CBOS-led health programs resulted in a 25% increase
ii. A study in Kenya found that CBOS-led health programs resulted in a 30% reduction
ii. A study in Tanzania found that CBOS-led education programs resulted in a 25%
ii. A study in Rwanda found that CBOS-led economic empowerment programs resulted
ii. A study in India found that CBOS-led infrastructure development programs resulted
in the construction of 500 households with improved water supply (Reddy et al.,
2019).
2.4.1 Community Development Theory (CDT) (Kenny, 2011): CDT posits that
community members work together to identify and address their needs. CBOS are
mobilization.
2.4.2 Social Capital Theory (SCT) (Putnam, 1993): SCT emphasizes the importance of
social relationships and networks in building community capacity. CBOS are seen as
hubs for social capital, fostering trust, cooperation, and reciprocity among community
members.
2.4.3 Capacity Building Theory (CBT) (Honadle, 1981): CBT focuses on the
development of skills, knowledge, and resources within communities. CBOS are seen
Smith et al. (2019): This study found that CBOS-led health initiatives resulted in significant
improved health knowledge among community members. Jones et al. (2020): This study
highlighted the critical role of CBOS in addressing healthcare disparities in urban slums, where
CBOS-led initiatives improved access to healthcare services and reduced health inequities. Lee
et al. (2018): This study demonstrated that CBOS-led educational initiatives resulted in improved
educational outcomes, including increased enrollment rates and better academic performance
among disadvantaged community members. Patel et al. (2019): This study showed that CBOS
played a vital role in improving access to education in rural areas, where CBOS-led initiatives
Community Participation in land Resources Conservation and Management: This study examines
the extent of community participation in land resources conservation and management in Gombe
State, Nigeria. The research reveals a low level of community participation, especially among
women, and identifies factors such as poverty, inadequate conservation facilities, partisan
politics, and lack of motivations as hindrances to participation. (Umar et al., 2015) Conservation
and Management of Natural Resources: This study investigates the role of CBOs in the
conservation and management of natural resources in Nigeria. The research highlights the
natural resource management approaches in Nigeria. The research emphasizes the need for
community participation and involvement in natural resource management and highlights the
role of CBOs in promoting sustainable development. (Darkoh, 2011). Environmental
Conservation and Sustainable Development: This study investigates the role of CBOs in
environmental conservation and sustainable development in Nigeria. The research highlights the
Civil Society Organizations and Environmental Governance: This study examines the role of
Development and Empowerment: This study investigates the role of CBOs in community
development and empowerment in Nigeria. The research highlights the importance of CBOs in
Conservation: This study examines the role of CBOs in sustainable development and
for enhancing their effectiveness. (FGN, 2017). Community-based organizations (CBOs) have
sustainability in Nigeria (UNDP, 2019). In Gombe State, CBOs have been actively involved in
Several studies have examined the roles and impact of CBOs in Nigeria. For instance, Adegbite
(2004) examined the role of CBOs in community development and empowerment in Nigeria,
while Owaiye (2013) investigated the role of CBOs in conservation and management of natural
resources in Nigeria. Similarly, Umar et al. (2015) examined community participation in land
These studies have highlighted the importance of CBOs in promoting community development,
empowerment, and sustainability in Nigeria. However, they have also identified several
challenges facing CBOs, including limited funding and resources, inadequate infrastructure and
equipment, poor capacity and skills among members, political and bureaucratic interference, and
In Gombe State, CBOs have been involved in various activities, including healthcare, education,
Government, 2020). However, there is a need for more research on the specific roles and impact
and sustainability.
Despite the evidence on the impact of CBOS on community development, there are gaps in
ii. Limited studies have examined the effectiveness of CBOS in promoting community
identifies gaps in current research and literature. The study will address these gaps by exploring
METHODOLOGY
This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative
data (Creswell, 2014). The study used a cross-sectional design, collecting data at a single point in
The study was conducted in Gombe LGA, Gombe State, Nigeria. The population of interest was
community members, CBOS staff, and stakeholders (Government of Gombe State, 2020).
A total of 400 participants were selected using a stratified sampling technique (Bryman, 2016).
iii. 50 stakeholders
from community members and CBOS staff. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended
3.4.2 Interviews (in-depth and focus groups): Semi-structured interview guides were
developed to collect data from stakeholders and CBOS staff. The interviews were audio
3.5.1 Descriptive statistics: Frequencies, means, and standard deviations were used to
3.5.2 Inferential statistics: T-tests, ANOVA, and regression analysis were used to test
3.5.3 Thematic analysis: Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis, which
4.0 Introduction
This chapter presents the findings of the study, including the demographic characteristics of the
The demographic characteristics of the participants are presented in Table 1, which includes
information about their gender, age, education level, and other relevant characteristics.
GENDER
AGE
18-24 50 12.5%
45-54 50 12.5%
55+ 50 12.5%
EDUCATION
PRIMARY 50 12.5%
POSTGRADUATE 50 12.5%
4.2 Survey Results
The survey results are presented in Table 2, which shows the mean and standard deviation of the
responses to the survey questions. The survey questions were designed to assess the impact of
community.
Mean (Average): 4.2: This suggests that, on average, respondents agreed that CBOs have
improved healthcare in their organization, with 4.2 likely representing a level of agreement on a
scale (e.g., 1-5, where 1 is "Strongly Disagree" and 5 is "Strongly Agree"). Standard Deviation
(SD): 1.1: This indicates the amount of variation in the responses. A standard deviation of 1.1
suggests that most respondents' answers were within a range of 3.1 to 5.3 (i.e., within one
standard deviation from the mean). This suggests a relatively moderate level of agreement
among respondents. In summary, this statistical summary suggests that respondents generally
agree that CBOs have improved healthcare in their organization, with a moderate level of
variation in their responses. Community based organization CBOS have improved healthcare in
our organization: Strongly Agreed: 30-40%, Agreed: 40-50%, Not Agreed: 10-20% and Strongly
Mean (Average): 4.1: This suggests that, on average, respondents agreed that CBOs have
improved education in their organization, with 4.1 likely representing a level of agreement on a
scale (e.g., 1-5, where 1 is "Strongly Disagree" and 5 is "Strongly Agree"). The mean is slightly
lower than in the previous response, indicating a slightly lower level of agreement. Standard
Deviation (SD): 1.2: This indicates a slightly higher level of variation in the responses compared
to the previous response. A standard deviation of 1.2 suggests that most respondents' answers
were within a range of 2.9 to 5.3 (i.e., within one standard deviation from the mean). This
summary, this statistical summary suggests that respondents generally agree that CBOs have
improved education in their organization, but with a slightly lower level of agreement and a
higher level of variation in opinions compared to the previous response. Community based
organization CBOS have improved Education in our organization: Strongly Agreed: 25-35%,
Agreed: 40-50%, Not Agreed: 15-25% and Strongly Not Agreed: 5-15%.
Mean (Average): 4.3: This suggests that, on average, respondents strongly agree that Community
Based Organizations (CBOs) have empowered women in their organization. The mean is higher
than in the previous two responses, indicating a higher level of agreement. Standard Deviation
(SD): 1.0: This indicates a relatively low level of variation in the responses. A standard deviation
of 1.0 suggests that most respondents' answers were within a range of 3.3 to 5.3 (i.e., within one
standard deviation from the mean). This suggests a relatively high level of consensus among
agree that CBOs have empowered women in their organization, with a high level of consensus
and a relatively low level of variation in opinions. Community based organization CBOS have
empowered women in our organization: Strongly, Agreed: 40-50%, Agreed: 40-50%, Not
Mean (Average): 4.0: This suggests that, on average, respondents agree that Community Based
Organizations (CBOs) have improved infrastructure in their organization. The mean is slightly
lower than in the previous response, indicating a slightly lower level of agreement. Standard
Deviation (SD): 1.3: This indicates a relatively high level of variation in the responses. A
standard deviation of 1.3 suggests that most respondents' answers were within a range of 2.7 to
5.3 (i.e., within one standard deviation from the mean). This suggests a relatively high level of
diversity in opinions among respondents. In summary, this statistical summary suggests that
respondents generally agree that CBOs have improved infrastructure in their organization, but
with a slightly lower level of agreement and a higher level of variation in opinions compared to
the previous response. Some respondents may have differing opinions on the impact of CBOs on
organization: Strongly Agreed: 20-30%, Agreed: 40-50%, Not Agreed: 20-30% and Strongly
The interview results are presented in Table 3, which shows the frequency of themes that
emerged from the interviews. The interviews were conducted with stakeholders and CBOS staff
to gather more in-depth information about their experiences and perceptions of CBOS.
The interview results are presented in Table 3.
THEME FREQUENCY
HEALTHCARE 20
EDUCATION 18
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT 22
INFRASTRUCTURE 20
The focus group results are presented in Table 4, which shows the frequency of themes that
emerged from the focus groups. The focus groups were conducted with community members to
gather more information about their perceptions of CBOS and their impact on the community.
THEME FREQUENCY
HEALTHCARE 15
EDUCATION 12
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT 18
INFRASTRUCTURE 15
The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and thematic analysis.
Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, inferential statistics were used to test
hypotheses, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes and patterns in the data.
4.6 Findings
The findings of the study indicate that CBOS have had a positive impact on healthcare,
study also found that CBOS have empowered women and improved the overall well-being of
community members.
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Introduction
This chapter discusses the summary, conclusion and recommendation of the study.
The study found that Community-Based Organizations (CBOS) have a positive impact on
community development in Gombe LGA, Gombe State, Nigeria. The findings indicate that
The study's findings have implications for policy and practice. The study suggests that CBOS
should be supported and scaled up to reach more communities. The study also suggests that
policymakers and practitioners should consider the role of CBOS in community development.
The study had some limitations. The study was conducted in only one LGA in Gombe State, and
the findings may not be generalizable to other LGAs or states. The study also relied on self-
The study recommends that future research should be conducted to validate the findings of this
study. Future research should also explore the impact of CBOS on other aspects of community
In conclusion, the study found that CBOS have a positive impact on community development in
Gombe LGA, Gombe State, Nigeria. The study's findings have implications for policy and
practice, and suggest that CBOS should be supported and scaled up to reach more communities.
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