Political Economy of Settlement Patterns and Rural Development in Tiv Land of Benue State

Abstract

Tiv land of Benue State is largely rural, underdeveloped and predominantly scattered in terms of settlement pattern. Being located in the context of Marxist political economy perspective, the paper has established that scattered settlement pattern which is a predominant feature of most parts of Tiv land of Benue State is largely a product of the mode and practice of agriculture, land tenure system and indeed, the prevailing socio-economic forces. The central thesis of the paper is that isolated, dispersed or settlement pattern does not only portray the state of underdevelopment and poverty in Tiv land of Benue State and elsewhere in Nigeria but also, to a large extent, compounds and reinforces the problem. It implies that this pattern of constitutes one of the major problems of underdevelopment, poverty and insecurity in Tiv land of Benue State. Specifically, it is antithetical to meaningful and sustainable development of rural areas; it also affects agriculture productivity as well as socio-economic and commercial activities; and ill - disposition to commercial and industrial activities as well as provision of social and infrastructure facilities; it discourages political mobilization and participation as well as community mobilization and social interaction and more importantly, it is more difficult to defend and prone to land disputes and attacks. Thus, the paper recommends nucleated or compact settlement pattern as most suitable for the development of rural communities in Tiv land of Benue State through a legislative-based rural settlement plan similar to Tanzanian rural resettlement model. Although, attempts to relocate people to nucleated settlement will be confronted with fierce resistance because of the value attached to land, with proper awareness and effective legislation people will be convinced to support the plan because of its gains.