CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
According to National Population Commission (2012) it is generally believed that Nigeria has a total population of 170 million people, out of this number 67% live in the rural areas while the remaining 34% live in the urban centres. Nigeria is a country in Africa continent located in West of Africa close to the equator extending from latitude 4˚N to14˚ and from longitude 3˚E to 15˚E. Except for the Atlantic ocean to the south, Nigeria is surrounded by French-speaking countries; Niger, Cameroun and Benin Republic. Nigeria is a third world country which means it is a developing country. However, the fact that most of the population reside in the rural areas indicate that rural areas need more of infrastructural development such as good roads, electricity, good and well equipped schools for the growth and betterment of the people living in the rural areas. But in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. More attention is given to the urban centre for the detriment of the rural areas, as a result of the notion that urban centre are more populated; so they need more basic infrastructure than the rural areas. This perception has caused imbalance between the urban centre and the rural dwellers by creating a wide gap. By this gap the urban centre are growing immensely living the rural areas in a state of stagnation and depreciation which is growing at an alarming rate.
In the case of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State being one of the local governments with a population of about 1.6 million people in which 74% of them living in the rural areas lack basic infrastructure for growth and development. Moreover, it is generally agreed that education has impact more substantially in rural area development process in developing nations. Therefore, education has a controlling influence over the development of rural societies, communities, individual or group of individuals and families which leads to the reduction of low income rate, poverty and rural-urban migration. Although, education has made a significant impact on rural areas in terms of marking personnel maintenance, system of supplying farm production, health care and good governance, but failure of government to tackle rural development and recognition of the importance of rural areas and rural people to the economic development still remains an issue.