Objective:
The overall objective of the study is to collect and collate baseline information on all the communities, in the eighteen (18) LGAs in the State that have passed the bye-laws establishing LGRC in their respective LGAs. This baseline is to broadly assist in providing an idea of the project impact based on a comparison of pre and post project situation in the CSDP LGAs, as well as for ranking and selection of communities in order of needs.

Executive Summary:

Geomatics Nigeria Limited (GNL) was contracted by the Community and Social Development Project, Benin City, Edo State, to undertake the baseline studies of participating communities in the eighteen Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. The Federal Government of Nigeria sought and obtained financial assistance from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group to support the implementation of Community and Social Development Project (CSDP).  The project development objective is to sustainably increase access of poor people to improved social and natural resources infrastructure services.

There are social groups and associations in all the communities which constitute social capital that may be used for community development oriented programmes. The groups have various structures on ground that could be built upon to mobilize communal efforts towards development. From the study, the local people are already aware of community driven development approach as in some of the communities there are development activities supported by International or local NGOs, Government established programme (like NDDC) and oil companies. Community participation in programme is socially inclusive as there are no exempted groups such as women, vulnerable groups or ethnic minority. They are all involved in community work. 

In the areas of natural resources assessment, there is abundant land in most of the communities and they are willing to release part of it for any CSDP project without been coerced. Two ecological zones are noticeable (tropical rainforest and the mangrove). These forests are very rich natural resources that are indispensable to the rural communities. They are living on these numerous forest resources on daily basis for provision of timbers, fuelwood, fruits, and other NTFPs. The environmental services of the forest ecosystem in these communities cannot be overestimated too. Even though there are no gazetted forest reserves in any of the communities, biodiversity are conserved in-situ through fetish grooves common to most of the communities. Decline in forest resources was witnessed in all these communities. Forest and environmental conservation should be enhanced through enlightenment on the role of forest, tree planting and provision of incentives to those willing to plant trees. This could be included in CSDP programme for the people. 

Environmental problems have been very disastrous in some of the communities. As a result, urgent intervention by CSDP and other agencies is needed to curtail the menace on the people yearly. Many lives and valuable properties have been lost to erosion, flooding, wind disasters, water and air pollution.    

See also:
     Baseline Survey for Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) in Osun State (2010)