Awareness and Utilisation of Natural and Mineral Resources in Selected Communities of Southwest Rural Communities of Nigeria.

Nigeria is often described as a land flowing with milk and honey in reflection of the rich endowment of natural and mineral resources embedded in the country. Sadly, few of its people have benefited from these abundant resources as a large percentage of its population remains poor, particularly in rural areas. Hence, this present study assessed the awareness and utilisation of the natural and mineral resources in 24 selected southwest rural communities. The study adopts the mixed method to elicit responses from rural and urban respondents in four of Nigeria's southwest states. Findings from the study revealed a high level of awareness of available resources in rural communities but gross underutilisation of the resources. The study concludes that the available resources in the southwest rural communities if tapped into, could transform the rural economy and ameliorate the level of underdevelopment in those areas. The study recommends that the government at all levels needs to recognise the rural areas as the fulcrum of national economic development and should be given utmost priority regarding infrastructural provisions and adequate funding. Plain language summary: The purpose of the study is to examine the level of awareness and utilisation of natural and mineral resources for the development of rural economy. The study adopts the mixed method to elicit responses from rural and urban respondents in four of Nigeria's southwest states. Using in-depth interview guide and questionnaire as research instruments. The study concludes that the available resources in the southwest rural communities if tapped into, could transform the rural economy and ameliorate the level of underdevelopment in those areas. The study has implication for policy by encouraging government and relevant stakeholders to focus more on the rural economy rather than the current urban bias toward them. The study is limited in its coverage as it those not cover the entire communities in Southwest Nigeria. This could affect the generalisability of its findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]