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Abstract:
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"The failure of the state to address the problems of rural infrastructure in Ife region led to the adoption of self-governing techniques by the people through collective action. Using Institutional Analysis Development (IAD) framework the paper confirms the invaluable capabilities of human cooperation and collective action by exploring the conditions and how rural people can go beyond their own self-interests to cooperate with others for common good. The study shows that rural people can organize and govern themselves based on appropriate institutional arrangements, mutual agreements and share understanding. In 24 rural communities, self-organized arrangements in the provision and maintenance of rural infrastructural facilities accounts for about $262,000.00 (93.0%) of the total figure thus constitute the prime mover for rural facilities development, while Local Governments spent about $13,000.00 (7.0%). The communities, through self-organizing and self-governing capabilities, have planned and executed several public goods and services that directly touch the lives of their people. The public goods are: roads, health, education, market, electricity, water, postal service, hall, and police post. The lesson we can learn from these institutions is how they are able to mobilize and use the resources without any body embezzling or diverting them for private selfish ends. The concern is that if these institutions are so accountable to their members we should begin to conceptualize how they can be used to re-constitute order from the bottom and to serve as alternatives to the state structure of governance."
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