MINISTRY OF RURAL & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Hon. Commissioner Alh Abubakar M Abubakar

Gov Arch Namadi Sambo, due to the great importance he attaches to Rural and Community Development, he has provided transformers and is building adequate network to provide steady power supply, expanding and upgrading of electricity network, and rural community empowerment.

Urban and Rural Development and Patterns of Human Settlement: The pattern of human settlement throughout the State is tied to the historical, political and socioeconomic forces the area has been subjected to, from the pre-colonial to post colonial period. Prior to the advent of the British occupation, the basic unit of human settlement was the extended family compound. As compounds grew, the needs for security and defence led to a higher hierarchy of settlements called "Garuruka" (towns). These towns were protected by walls with a titled/administrative head appointed by higher political authority, the "Sarki". This pattern of settlement dominated the Hausawa cultural groups to the north (i.e. Giwa, Igabi, Zaria, Sabon Gari, Kudan, Makarfi and parts of lkara LGAs).

Higher settlement hierarchy than the rural extended family compounds in other parts of the state was delayed, until the development of social amenities and infrastructure such as motor and rail road, Christian Missionary establishments and recently, produce buyers, markets and administrative reorganisations gave impetus (settlements such as Birnin Gwari, Kuda'a, Kachia, Zango Kataf, KwoiSambam Kagoma and Saminaka are good examples).

t is the impact of these historical and cultural developments on settlement pattern and probably because of the nature of the rural economy (agrarian) that created the dominance of the two urban centres (i.e. Zaria and Kaduna) in the state. Table18.1 shows administrative areas and population distribution in the state.

Problem Of Urban Primacy: The growth of Zaria urban settlement, though influenced by historic circumstance and the political authority it wielded prior to the 19th century, is also the result of deliberate establishment of educational institutions. First, as a centre for Arabic/Quranic studies, with its fame reaching Sokoto and Borno Kingdoms in the northwest and northeast respectively.

Second, the establishment of the Agricultural Vocational School in Samaru (1923) and a Research Station for animal husbandry at Shika (now National Animal Production Research Institute NAPRI) in 1928; followed by Government sec ondary and higher institutions of learning such as Zaria Government College (now Barewa College) which started in 1922 in Katsina. The establishment of the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Techology gave additional thrust not only by expanding the built up area but increasing the population.
 

Between 1962 and 1992, Zaria, as an urban centre, has been transformed from an educational centre to a rapidly growing manufacturing industrial city sprawling for more than 25km. stretch along Kaduna/Sokoto motor road. Similarly, founded in 1917 as an administrative headquarters, Kaduna held a leadership position in the former Northern Region well into the late 1970s.

Changes in the political structure of the country in 1967, 1975 and 1991 successively eroded her powerful leadership position as the newly created states were given autonomy. Even the Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA), a body established to oversee the common economic interests of the former Northern Region and located in Kaduna, could not protect the gradual loss of her past leadership in the northern state.

Although Kaduna, as an urban centre, has ceased to be the political leader, it has gradually evolved and is growing to be a powerful commercial, industrial and financial nerve centre. Indeed, the location of the popular International Trade Fair in Kaduna and the increasing presence of the Federal Government through the location of several parastatals, have further strengthened the city's new evolving leadership position. The two urban centres alone command up to a third of the state's total population (i.e. about 1,512,000).

Most of the remaining settlements are small and located in the vast, rich agricultural lands. As a result of the dominance of the two urban centres, there is a continual drift of young men and women into them. Thus, a lot of social facilities such as housing, schools, health institutions, portable water and electricity are inadequate and under serious pressure.

Consequently, the unskilled men and women (1630 years) roam the city streets in large numbers jobless or, at best, underemployed. Getting this potential rural labour force back to the countryside may have to await comprehensive rural development. Two other groups of rural urban migrants are conspicuous; these involve children (under 20 years) coming in large numbers from as far as Illela and Jibiya, border towns in Sokoto and Katsina States respectively; and several scores of men, between 25 and 40 years) mainly from Kano/Jigawa States.The children come from the end of September to early July as pupils in Quranic schools or dry season migrant workers ("yan cin rani" in Hausa) and reside mostly in Zaria. Older in migrants, also come into the cities as "Fadama" farmers and market gardening workers ("yan lambu" in Hausa).

Governor Arch Mohammed Namadi Sambo is a true democrat, whose approach to problems is always humane and conciliatory he is a man of peace who patiently looked to the future with courage and hope. His commitment in the direction of transforming the state into a relatively better integrated and functional polity is continuing  with a mission  to create a stable  and cohesive polity capable of securing effectively the interests of the various communities and giving them the opportunity to develop and live in peace  with one another.

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