The magnitude of this project is carried out on assessment on the roles of non-governmental organizations in the development of rural areas. However, it been noted that non-governmental organization has being playing a vital and significant role towards development and can't be over emphasized. However in this project research adequate efforts have been made in order to assess the role of non-governmental organizations in rural development.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Since the past few decades, various non-governmental organizations have shown interest in the development of rural areas. Communities that have not benefited from the limited financial resources of the government have embarked on development projects; this has stimulated individuals into active participation to the grass roots. Recently, the interest of the government in National development has exposed the poor conditions and neglect of our rural dwellers. This however, has moved government into action for the improvement of living standards of the people in these areas. The present economic melt down of the country has made development more difficult to carryout by the government alone. This has lead to individual participation, non-government organization and private organization.
Non-governmental organization is a term generally used but is not a legal definition in many jurisdictions, these type of organization is defined as civil society organizations. However, the phrase “Non-government organization” only come to popular use with the establishment of the united nations organization in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of chapter 10 of the united nations chapter 7 for a consultative role. In recent times, the issues of rural development has become crucial in the political, social and economic life of the nations, this is as a result of the realization of the fact that rural areas and its inhabitants constitute about 70% of the nations population in order to bring about real development in the rural areas, there must exist active collaboration and the government, Non-government organizations, communities and the rural people. The rural people need the recognition and help from government to enable them for co-operative and productive organization. They should be encouraged to participate actively in the decision making process in order to achieve societal goals.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Owerri municipal is a local government area of Imo state, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the city of Owerri. Owerri was found by a man called Erema Arugo. He was the son of Uratta and was forced to leave because his brother wanted him dead on the grounds that Erwena had planned to infringe up on his right. Ekwema Arugo was the elder brother of Ndumoha who was a wealthy farmer and it happened that when their father died, Ekwena Arugo could not afford to buy a bill for the burial as it was the custom then to give a befitting burial to a man of affluence. His brother being a wealthy man bought the bill and requested to take the hearth which was against the custom because it is the right of the first son. The village chiefs conveyed and after much debate declared that Ekwema Arugo-had the region to the bills heart with the saying “OKPARA AKU LIE NNA YA O WU HU OPAA GBURU”. Meaning “let the wealthy bury the father, the first son is not the killer”. And Ekwena out of joy proclaimed that “ERWERE LAM IHE RURU M AKA”. Meaning that he had take what was due to him and he asked to be called OWERE meaning that he has take hence the name Owere. This however did not go down well with his younger brother who began to plot on how to kill him. After hearing about the plot, ekwema Arugo fled to the present day site of Owere and first settled in Ugwu Ekwema where he roasted yam and eat with his family, that is why in his remembrance, Owere people have a special celebration called ORU OWERE. The festival is usually conducted at UGWU EKEMA and is associated with yam which is very essential in the festival EKWEMA ARUGO, who founded Owere and five children. These children constituted the five hamlets of Owere village listed here according to seniority.

• Umuoronjo
• Amaawem
• Umuonyeche
• Umuode
• Umuonyima

Owerri is a city in southern Nigeria. It is the capital of Imo and is set in the heart of the Igbo land. Owerri consists of three local government areas. Owerri municipal, Owerri north and Owerri west. The Owerri Slogan is Heartland. It is currently referred to as the entertainment capital in Nigeria.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The problem attributed to rural development has little or nothing to offer as it has been a constant issue in Nigeria economic and political history. For this to be achieved there is need to evolve a system that would activate the participation and support of the rural people, productions and social organization.
Non-governmental organizations being one of the vital instruments for the development of rural areas have not actually made enough impact on the social and physical aspect pf development owing to the following factors:
LACK OF FINANCE
Nigeria poor economy makes it difficult for both government and non-governmental organization to engage in development activities. Most development projects embark by non-governmental organization are capital intensive, financial in capabilities. It therefore becomes a hitch for the realization of the objectives sets by these organizations towards development.
TIME FACTORS
It is a big problem because there is no continuity that is when the government in power leaves after his tenure the next will not continue. Making it difficult for non-governmental organization to function well.
Lack of effective and efficient information in which to help in developing the rural areas. The problem now is how to make the non-governmental organizations to participate fully with the government to achieve effective development of the rural areas.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
The objective of this work is to access the role being played by non-governmental organization in the development of rural areas. The aim of this research therefore is to point out the need for developing rural areas by the non-governmental organizations.

• To highlight the reasons for the establishment of non-governmental organization in the development of rural areas.
• To point out the needs and roles of the non-governmental organizations as a means for mobilizing the rural areas to participate in National development.
• To identify the causes of the low rate of involvement of non-governmental organizations in the development activities.
• To suggest ways for making them more effective and efficiencies.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The researcher in order to satisfy the objectives of this research work has formulated the following questions based on the assessment on the role of non-governmental organizations in rural development especially in Owerri municipal.

• For noticeable transformation in Owerri municipal, is there need for non-governmental organizations in the state?
• Is it true that the non-governmental organization has played a vital role in the development of rural areas?
• Do you support the idea that the non-governmental organization acts as an important agent for the development of changes in rural areas.
• What are the problems that militated against non-governmental organization in Owerri municipal?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This research work is timely because the nation’s economic problem has made it almost impossible for the government alone to develop our Urban areas, let alone the rural areas. Thus, there is a need to assess how much the non-governmental organization as helped our government economically, politically and socially in developing the rural communities. However, since nobody really has carried out any research in these local government areas, this study will fill the gap since different areas have peculiars circumstances surrounding their felt need.

• It exposes the level of development in Owerri municipal by the non-governmental organizations.
• It exposes the numerous problems facing the rural areas in Owerri municipal.
• It provides realistic solutions to the problems.
• It will serve as a guide to further research study.
• It can be used to compare other local government areas.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This work explained the role of non-governmental organizations in the social and physical development of rural areas. The researcher assessed the level of involvement of the non-governmental organizations in the development of the rural areas. They are located with regards to the social economic and political life of the people.
However, this work did not cover the role of religious, cultural and administrative organizations in the development of rural areas but rather the roles of non-governmental organization to the development of rural areas.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
So many factors stand against the completion of the study this includes:

• Financial limitation
• Time factor
• Distance between the researcher and place of case study (Owerri municipal)
• Lack of funds to carry0out the research work effectively.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
In this study, non-governmental organization are conceptualized as any group of two more people coming together to perform basic activities that lead to the accomplishment of an objective or some objects.
Non-governmental organization can also be said to be the organizations that voluntarily exist to proffer solutions to some social, economic and political problems and of which the members can leave at will. Examples of such organizations in the rural areas: Age-grade, town unions, cultural groups, philanthropies organizations, business and productive.
DEVELOPMENT
Development for the purpose of this study implies a positive change that improves the living condition of people in a particular region. This change may be political, social, economic, mental and moral.
It is also the process by which a country and material resources for the purpose of transformation its environment in order to improve the wellbeing of the people.