A senior official of the World Bank- assisted Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) in Nigeria, Mr Abubakar Musa,has urged the Federal Government to channel more resources to the development of the rural areas.

Musa, a rural development worker and member of the CSDP’s federal support unit, told newsmen  in Abuja that equitable distribution of resources would reduce poverty at the community level.

He noted that emphasis on development of state capitals and the FCT, rubbed a large percentage of the population living in the rural areas of development due to dearth of basic amenities for better livelihood.

“It all boils down to the will of the leaders if the leaders can be selfless and really start development or allocate the resources that we were endowed with equitably to all the facets of our states, communities and local government, I think we will go a long way.

“ I see the presence of government show evidently in Abuja but when you go to the communities, total absence of governance and the people are really yearning and crying, for some basic things to really manage their lives and it’s absent.

“Development cannot just start and end only in the capitals of states and federal government like in Abuja the thing should be start from the grassroots; the government should really give more attention to the communities.’’

He said that government needed to live up to its responsibilities in providing access to basic health services, water and accessible roads.

“All these things are inadequate and in some cases, absent at the local communities and the needs of the people are so modest.

“When you provide them with healthcare, water and power services you have a lot of livelihoods springing up; people will have income.

“So it is pertinent for the government to really look inwards and not neglect the rural communities.’’

Musa also noted that rural to urban migration would be easily stemmed if good infrastructures were made available at the grassroots.

He said that surveys indicated urban residents’ willingness to return to villages with adequate social amenities, due to the high cost of living in the cities.

“If facilities are easily accessible at the rural communities, I don’t think we will have the pressure we have in cities and urban centres where these services are inadequate and overstretched.