Grassroots development projects often fail due to a lack of community participation, resulting in poor maintenance and unsustainable outcomes. The study examined the influence of community participation dimensions of community decision-making, community contribution, and leadership involvement on grassroots development in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Participatory Development Theory framework was used as its theoretical foundation, using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 384 respondents determined using Cochran’s (1977) formula. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency tables and percentages, while hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis with the aid of SPSS version 25 at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that community decision-making, community contribution, and leadership involvement had positive and significant influence on grassroots development in Essien Udim LGA. The study concluded that active participation of community members significantly promotes grassroots development. The study recommended amongst others that local government authorities should encourage inclusive participation in community activities and build collaboration between leaders and community members for sustainable grassroots development.
