Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Nseabasi S. Akpan

doi:doi:10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14

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Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Nseabasi S. Akpan

Published in Humanities and Social Sciences (Volume 2, Issue 4)

Received: 4 August 2014 Accepted: 14 August 2014 Published: 30 August 2014

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Abstract

This paper examines local attitudes to the utilization of public electricity services in rural Nigeria using Akwa Ibom State as a case study. The idea is anchored on the broad theoretical and empirical discourses on the relationship between public infrastructure and development. A wide range of study approaches, including observation and physical monitoring, random and purposive interviews and personal backgrounds of research and development project implementation experiences in the study area, was utilized. Findings showed that electricity coverage for rural areas is not only low, its utilization scope was equally low and limited. This was attributed to poverty, a lack of economic specialization, limited exposure and knowledge of community members to a range of electricity service application channels. It was equally discovered peoples’ attitudes to public electricity services boiled down to the usual attitudes of seeing public infrastructure services as ‘freebies’. Implications on cost recovery and sustainability have been discussed with necessary recommendations.

Published in	Humanities and Social Sciences (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14
Page(s)	114-120
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2014. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Public Power Infrastructure, Electricity, Attitudes, Utilization, Rural Nigeria

References

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[2]	Botrić V., S. Jelena and L. Ṧkuflić (2006). Road infrastructure and regional development: some evidence from Croatia. Prepared for the 46th Congress of the European Regional Science Association, Volos, Greece: August 30th-Sept 3rd.
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[6]	IFAD (2011). Rural Poverty in Nigeria. http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/country/home/tags/nigeria. International Fund for Agricultural Development.
[7]	Ilori, B. (2004). The role of government in the development of basic infrastructure.
[8]	Marcellus, I. O. (2009). Development planning in Nigeria: reflections on the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), 2003-2007. J. Soc Sci, 20 (3): 197-210.
[9]	Muoghalu, L. N. (1992). Rural development in Nigeria: a review of previous initiatives. In Olisa, M. S. O. and Obiukwu, J. I. (eds). Rural development in Nigeria: dynamics and strategies. Mekslink Publishers. Awka.
[10]	ODI (2002). Rethinking rural development. ODI briefing paper. Overseas Development Institute, London. March. www.odi.org.uk
[11]	Olatubosun, D. (1975). Nigerian neglected rural majority. Ibadan: Oxford University Press.
[12]	Padjen J. (1996). Prometna politika. Zagreb: Informator I Ekonomski Institute, Zagreb. Cited in Botrić V., S. Jelena and L. Ṧkuflić (2006). Road infrastructure and regional development: some evidence from Croatia. Prepared for the 46th Congress of the European Regional Science Association, Volos, Greece: August 30th-Sept 3rd.
[13]	Perroux F. (1955). Cited in Oguzor NS (2011). A spatial analysis of infrastructures and social services in rural Nigeria: implications for public policy. GeoTropico, 5 (1), Articulo 2: 25-38.
[14]	Stern N. (1991). The determinants of growth. Economic Journal 101: 122-133.
[15]	World Bank (2011). Cited in IFAD (2011). Rural Poverty in Nigeria. http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/country/home/tags/nigeria. International Fund for Agricultural Development.
[16]	World Development Reports (2005). Cited in IFAD (2011). Rural Poverty in Nigeria. http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/country/home/tags/nigeria. International Fund for Agricultural Development.
[17]	Yakubu, O. D. and J. A. Aderonmu (2010). Rural poverty alleviation and democracy in Nigeria’s fourth republic (1999-2009). Current Research Journal of Social Sciences 2 (3): 191-195.
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Nseabasi S. Akpan. (2014). Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(4), 114-120. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14

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ACS Style

Nseabasi S. Akpan. Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 2014, 2(4), 114-120. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14

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AMA Style

Nseabasi S. Akpan. Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Humanit Soc Sci. 2014;2(4):114-120. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14

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@article{10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14,
  author = {Nseabasi S. Akpan},
  title = {Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria},
  journal = {Humanities and Social Sciences},
  volume = {2},
  number = {4},
  pages = {114-120},
  doi = {10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hss.20140204.14},
  abstract = {This paper examines local attitudes to the utilization of public electricity services in rural Nigeria using Akwa Ibom State as a case study. The idea is anchored on the broad theoretical and empirical discourses on the relationship between public infrastructure and development. A wide range of study approaches, including observation and physical monitoring, random and purposive interviews and personal backgrounds of research and development project implementation experiences in the study area, was utilized. Findings showed that electricity coverage for rural areas is not only low, its utilization scope was equally low and limited. This was attributed to poverty, a lack of economic specialization, limited exposure and knowledge of community members to a range of electricity service application channels. It was equally discovered peoples’ attitudes to public electricity services boiled down to the usual attitudes of seeing public infrastructure services as ‘freebies’. Implications on cost recovery and sustainability have been discussed with necessary recommendations.},
 year = {2014}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
AU  - Nseabasi S. Akpan
Y1  - 2014/08/30
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N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14
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JO  - Humanities and Social Sciences
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AB  - This paper examines local attitudes to the utilization of public electricity services in rural Nigeria using Akwa Ibom State as a case study. The idea is anchored on the broad theoretical and empirical discourses on the relationship between public infrastructure and development. A wide range of study approaches, including observation and physical monitoring, random and purposive interviews and personal backgrounds of research and development project implementation experiences in the study area, was utilized. Findings showed that electricity coverage for rural areas is not only low, its utilization scope was equally low and limited. This was attributed to poverty, a lack of economic specialization, limited exposure and knowledge of community members to a range of electricity service application channels. It was equally discovered peoples’ attitudes to public electricity services boiled down to the usual attitudes of seeing public infrastructure services as ‘freebies’. Implications on cost recovery and sustainability have been discussed with necessary recommendations.
VL  - 2
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Author Information

Nseabasi S. Akpan

Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

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APA Style

Nseabasi S. Akpan. (2014). Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(4), 114-120. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14

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ACS Style

Nseabasi S. Akpan. Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 2014, 2(4), 114-120. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14

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AMA Style

Nseabasi S. Akpan. Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Humanit Soc Sci. 2014;2(4):114-120. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14

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@article{10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14,
  author = {Nseabasi S. Akpan},
  title = {Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria},
  journal = {Humanities and Social Sciences},
  volume = {2},
  number = {4},
  pages = {114-120},
  doi = {10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hss.20140204.14},
  abstract = {This paper examines local attitudes to the utilization of public electricity services in rural Nigeria using Akwa Ibom State as a case study. The idea is anchored on the broad theoretical and empirical discourses on the relationship between public infrastructure and development. A wide range of study approaches, including observation and physical monitoring, random and purposive interviews and personal backgrounds of research and development project implementation experiences in the study area, was utilized. Findings showed that electricity coverage for rural areas is not only low, its utilization scope was equally low and limited. This was attributed to poverty, a lack of economic specialization, limited exposure and knowledge of community members to a range of electricity service application channels. It was equally discovered peoples’ attitudes to public electricity services boiled down to the usual attitudes of seeing public infrastructure services as ‘freebies’. Implications on cost recovery and sustainability have been discussed with necessary recommendations.},
 year = {2014}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Understanding Local Attitudes to the Utilization of Public Infrastructure Services: The Case of Rural Electricity Services in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
AU  - Nseabasi S. Akpan
Y1  - 2014/08/30
PY  - 2014
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14
T2  - Humanities and Social Sciences
JF  - Humanities and Social Sciences
JO  - Humanities and Social Sciences
SP  - 114
EP  - 120
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8184
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20140204.14
AB  - This paper examines local attitudes to the utilization of public electricity services in rural Nigeria using Akwa Ibom State as a case study. The idea is anchored on the broad theoretical and empirical discourses on the relationship between public infrastructure and development. A wide range of study approaches, including observation and physical monitoring, random and purposive interviews and personal backgrounds of research and development project implementation experiences in the study area, was utilized. Findings showed that electricity coverage for rural areas is not only low, its utilization scope was equally low and limited. This was attributed to poverty, a lack of economic specialization, limited exposure and knowledge of community members to a range of electricity service application channels. It was equally discovered peoples’ attitudes to public electricity services boiled down to the usual attitudes of seeing public infrastructure services as ‘freebies’. Implications on cost recovery and sustainability have been discussed with necessary recommendations.
VL  - 2
IS  - 4
ER  -

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