Efforts to develop our local communities in Nigeria through government-sponsored top-down approach have always floundered due to absence or restrictive participation of the large segments of the rural communities especially women. The study investigated the role of community participation in enthroning sustainable rural development in Nigeria. Using the analytical approach imbued with historical narratives, the study sought to ascertain whether community driven development (CDD) is better than the top-down approach in sustainable rural development in Nigeria. Amongst others, the study found that CDD is a preferred approach to rural development as it gives control over decision and resources to the time agents of change in rural communities. This approach allows stakeholders to freely decide what action to take and take responsibility for initiatives that affect their lives. Based on this, the study strongly argued that effective involvement of the local people in rural development will lead to the sustainable rural development in Nigeria. To achieve this, the local populace should be mobilized and in particular, women should be included in decision making processes, given inheritance rights and generally allowed to contribute to development initiatives in the rural areas in Nigeria.
Keywords: Community Participation, community-driven development, sustainable rural development
