INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

SEVERAL strategies have been employed by the Nigerian government to address the challenges of infrastructure deficiency in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria which is the mainstay of the country's revenue, however, nothing meaningful has been achieved. It has been established that unless there is adequate understanding of the operations and functions of a system, the government would continue to encounter developmental challenges. Due to this, the study therefore, examines strategies for sustainable infrastructure development in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study employed an in-depth face-to-face interview to elucidate information from the key informants of the surveyed communities in the Niger Delta region. Several interviews were conducted with the key informants from six (6) selected oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region namely; Akassa and Oloibiri, Afiesere and Koko, Omoku and Bonny from Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states respectively who were selected through purposive/convenience sampling method. In all, Nineteen (19) community members consisting community opinion leaders, community development committee chairman (CDC), opinion leaders, youth leaders and women leaders were selected from the six communities in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. Findings: Data collected were analyzed using the Nvivo 10 software. The results from the interviews were generated through the coding frames which consist of conceptualized frames that capture the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Overall, the study found that there are no sustainable infrastructure developments in the Niger Delta despite the huge capital investment in infrastructure development especially in the rural communities. Further, findings revealed low participation of community members, assessment of community needs, lack of community involvement of community members, enlightenment of community members, and inaccessibility of community members to developmental agency as the key factors hindering the success of sustainable infrastructure development in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The study concludes that participation of community members, community involvement, assessment of community needs, enlightenment of community members etc. play a crucial role in the achievement of sustainable infrastructure development in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Practical Implications: The findings from the study would assist developmental planners and policy makers to better understand the need to involve the target population in developmental initiatives as a tool for sustainable practices. It will further enhance their scope in developmental initiatives by putting into consideration those factors that can enhance community participation in developmental projects for its sustainability. Theoretically, it will contribute to existing body of knowledge by building on developmental frameworks that will advance the field of sustainable development. Originality/Value: Although, other studies have employed participatory approach as a tool for sustainable development. However, this study is likely to be the first that have methodically examined how community participation can be enhanced to facilitate sustainable development using the Nvivo 10 software for data analysis in appraising the activities of the NDDC in the Niger Delta [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]