EFFECT OF BAD ROAD TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF IMO STATE (CASE STUDY IMO STATE)

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to look into the impact of bad roads on the economic development of Imo State, utilizing the Ministry of Works and Transport as a case study. The study’s objectives were to determine the impact of bad roads on infrastructure in Imo state, the impact of bad roads on literacy rates in Imo state, and the impact of bad roads on employment rates in Imo state. The survey descriptive research design was used in this study. The survey yielded a total of 20 valid replies. The hypothesis was tested using the regression (Dubin Watson) method of analysis. The studies found that terrible roads in Imo state had no effect on literacy rates; bad roads in other states have an impact. According to the report, the Ministry of Works and Transport should make an effort to carefully monitor road building to guarantee that the right quality materials are utilized to avoid easy damage. Furthermore, substandard roads in Imo state should be properly repaired, and urbanization should be encouraged in order to attract investors and raise employment rates in the state, resulting in economic development.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The ability of a country to make effective and efficient use of its available resources is critical to its economic success. Transportation is one of the most important factors that helps the polity make the most use of its economic resources. The movement of people, goods, and commodities from one location to another is known as transportation. This is accomplished in a variety of methods, including by road, train, plane, and pipeline. However, every mode of transportation faces unique infrastructure issues.

Transportation is a valuable resource. Inadequate transportation inhibits a country’s capacity to use its natural resources, distributes foods and other completed commodities, integrates the manufacturing and agriculture sectors, and provides education, medical, and other infrastructure facilities. For national wealth, it is consequently necessary to maintain and develop current transportation systems as well as to construct new infrastructure. The growth domestic products (GDP), which is an indicator or measure of the rate of economic growth, is the national wealth. People desire to better their standard of living, and they consider higher money as a way to do so. Transportation system enhancements are, in turn, a means of maintaining or improving economic opportunities, quality, and quantity.

Transportation has a larger impact on growth and the environment. The effects of transportation on where people live and where businesses locate will become increasingly important policy concerns in the next millennium, as will the effects of these location decisions on land use patterns, congestion in urban transportation systems, use of natural resources, air and water quality, and overall quality of life. Urban sprawl, agricultural preservation, and air and water quality issues have already pushed their way to the center of national and municipal policy debates.

Policymakers must have the finest information and analysis regarding the interactions among these diverse factors in order to make informed decisions.

Transportation has become the backbone of any economy, particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria. As a result, an anatomy of aspects relating to inefficiencies and a lack of good transportation network in Nigeria, coupled with a low rate of economic growth (GDP), is critical. Attached to this is poor government policy on transportation (lack of regulation of fees charged by private transporters, insufficient fuel).

People use road transportation as one of the most prevalent modes of transportation. The availability of decent roads is one of the factors that contribute to the ease and smoothness of road travel. Road infrastructure is seen as a critical component of any country’s social and economic growth. This is especially true in Nigeria, where road travel is the most popular means of transportation. Because the value of the road network crosses national borders, it is critical to expand and upgrade it in order to boost economic performance. As a result, poor road infrastructure hinders foreign investment in countries that rely on it to improve their economic performance and competitiveness.

Previous research has shown that road transportation is a crucial financial development facilitator as well as the cornerstone of monetary development activities for countries. In a variety of writings, experts have emphasized the link between decent roads and the political, social, and financial outcomes of the general population. Road infrastructure speculations, moreover, produce enormous political, monetary, and social cycles that increase a nation’s wealth and influence, amplify markets, and reduce exchange barriers. This leads to increased efficiency yields as well as improvements in versatility and quality of life for the general public.

The ability of a country’s road transportation infrastructure to diversify output, boost trade, cope with population expansion, reduce poverty, and improve environmental conditions determines its success or failure. A solid road transportation infrastructure increases productivity and lowers production costs, notably in the agricultural sector. Although the specific linkages between infrastructure and development are still up for question in Nigeria, the link between where the major manufacturing activities take place and where it is needed for final consumption requires good road mobility to bridge the gap. According to the World Development Report, infrastructure capacity in 1994 increased in lockstep with economic growth.

Good road infrastructure services enable the poor to contribute to the long-term sustainability of the environment.

All income categories benefit from clean water and sanitation, non-polluting energy sources, secure solid waste disposal, and better traffic management in metropolitan areas.

Integrated urban planning and transportation policy can lead to more efficient land and transportation capacity usage, as well as improved environmental outcomes. As traffic congestion decreases, expanding transportation infrastructure can reduce total pollutant burdens. Routes are shortened and vehicle speeds increase. Improved roads can also stimulate automobile use while lowering emissions. As a result, expanding infrastructure capacity is only one part of the issue. Improved traffic and land use management, as well as promotion of non-motorized modes, cleaner fuels, and public transportation, are all critical. Transportation, according to Pisarski (2013), is essential for economic progress and human development.

Statement Of The Problem

The presence of a reliable and efficient transportation system is one of the key factors that contribute to a region’s economic growth. This is primarily because a well-developed transportation system provides adequate access to the region, which is a necessary condition for the efficient operation of manufacturing, retail, labor, and housing markets. Bad roads have long been an impediment to people’s stress-free travel. Revenue generation for the government from tourists and traders. Due to their inaccessibility by consumers, many firms located in areas with terrible roads have been left isolated. While transporting goods and services to and from their destinations, drivers and passengers face challenges on the road.

The ease with which people can move determines the rate at which their population grows in a given place. Individuals experience difficulties at work if they do not have easy access to their workplaces. When people find it tough to go to work on a daily basis, they tend to leave their occupations. The money produced as a result of the job they resigned will be reduced if this is done. Due to poor road conditions, investors find it difficult to build businesses in places that are not motorable or easily accessible to consumers.

When substandard roads obstruct investment that creates jobs and raises people’s living standards in a certain place, it reduces the rate of income people earn, which degrades government revenue. Urbanization has been blamed on poor road infrastructure. When a location or area is inaccessible to the public, infrastructure development in that area is hampered. The amount of money spent on services supplied in those places will decrease. People migrate from rural to urban areas for a variety of reasons, including job opportunities, urbanization, and improved infrastructure, all of which improve their living conditions. When these factors are not met due to a lack of decent roads, it has an impact on the government’s income and tax rates.

Lack of decent roads in rural areas in Nigeria’s Imo State, for example, has hampered agricultural development and food distribution. Agricultural items are generally traded at small markets near farmers’ farms, according to Fakayode (2004), which lowers the selling price of farm products compared to the price exchanged in larger markets due to the lack of decent motorable roads. This study hence seeks to examine the effect of bad road to the economic development of Imo state

Objective Of The Study

The study’s main goal is to look into the impact of substandard roads on Imo State’s economic development. In particular, to:

1. Learn about the impact of bad roads on Imo’s infrastructure.
2. Find out how bad roads affect the literacy rate in Imo State.
3. Examine the effect of bad roads on the rate of employment in Imo state.

Research Questions

The following research questions guide the investigation:

1. What impact does a terrible road have on Imo’s infrastructure?
2. What is the effect of bad road on Literacy rate?
3. What impact do terrible roads have on employment rates?

Statement Of Hypotheses

To be tested in this investigation, the following hypothesis was developed:

Ho1: The literacy rate in Imo State is affected by bad roads.

H02: Infrastructure in Imo State is hampered by bad roads.

H03: Imo State’s bad roads impede effective employment rates.

Significance Of The Study

This study on the impact of bad roads on economic development in Imo State would first assist the inhabitants and indigenes of Imo State by demonstrating how terrible roads have inhibited the state’s economic growth and development. Furthermore, the study will bring to the attention of policymakers and the government the need to repair defective roads in the state and to build good and motorable road networks so that people may conduct business in and out of the state without difficulty, resulting in increased revenue for the state.

Furthermore, this study will contribute to the current literature and serve as a resource for students, scholars, and researchers interested in conducting additional research in this area.

Scope/Delimitation of the study

This study uses Imo State as a case study to examine the impact of substandard roads on the state’s economic development. The purpose of this study is to look into the causes of bad roads in Imo state, determine the extent to which bad roads have hampered good revenue generation for the state government, determine whether bad roads have hampered economic development in Imo state, and then recommend feasible solutions to the problem of bad roads in Imo state. Only 20 workers from the Ministry of Works and Transport in Imo State were chosen for this investigation.

The researcher’s main constraints when doing this study were money, time, and the availability of resources.

Organization of the Study

This study is structured into five interconnected chapters to meet the research’s goal.

The study’s background, description of the research problem, objectives, research questions, statement of hypothesis, significance of the investigation, scope/delimitation of the study, organization, and definition of terms are all covered in Chapter 1.

The second chapter examines the review of linked literature, the conceptual review, the theoretical review, the empirical review, and the conclusion.

Chapter three goes over the many methodologies utilized to analyze the study, including research design, model specification, data sources, data analysis method, research instrument, study reliability, and significance testing.

The presentation, interpretation, and analysis of data are covered in Chapter 4, while the summary of the findings, conclusion, and suggestions are covered in Chapter 5.

Definition Of Terms

A road is a paved or otherwise upgraded thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two points that allows transit by foot or some sort of transportation, such as a motor vehicle, cart, bicycle, or horse.

A bad road, path, or way on land that allows movement by foot or another sort of transportation, such as a motor vehicle, cart, bicycle, or horse, is known as a bad road.

Economic development is the process of enhancing a nation’s, region’s, local community’s, or individual’s economic well-being and quality of life in accordance with certain aims and objectives.