Rural Electrification and Rural Development in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State

Rural Electrification and Rural Development have become a central focus in contemporary development discuss. Rural Electrification is an important social amenity of government to rural communities as an index of development and social services. The research focuses on the assessment of the impact of rural electrification on rural development specifically in Ekim village in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The study adopted participatory appraisal technique in identifying the various approaches of government in providing rural electrification in rural communities. The study also used descriptive survey design. For the purpose of a broader scope, the study was conducted in 3 out of 4 clans in the Local Government Area. Samples of 410 respondents, randomly selected from 3 political wards in each of the 3 clans were used as sample area of the study. The analysis of the data was done using descriptive statistics (simple percentage (%)) to analyze the research questions. The findings showed that there are several approaches of government in providing development to rural dwellers. The study recommends that government should adopt Professor Uma Lele’s definition of development of ‘…improving the living standards of the low income subsistence population; ensuring mass participation; and making the process self-sustaining to rural dwellers’.