Abstract:
The principles embedded in self-help practice have shifted from rural to urban areas owing to lack of
go.vern.me.nt assistance due to dwindling resources. Go.vern.me.nt Reserv.ation Areas’ residents eng.age
in Self-help Proje.cts (S-hPs) thr.ough concerted ef.forts by residents to ensure better livelihood in their
respective communi.ties. Athough this practice is not new; reports have indicated that residents’
par.ticipati.on in S-hPs is still low in GRAs in Ibadan metropolis. Previous studies focused more on
economic factors influencing S-hPs than on motivational factors. This study, therefore, examined the
motivational factors influencing residents’ par.ticipati.on in S-hPs in GRAs in Ibadan metropolis.
Par.ticipato.ry Deve.lopme.nt and Symbolic Interaction th.eories pr.ovide.d th.e fra.mewor.k, while the study
adopted su.rve.y de.sig.n. Six GRAs; Agodi, Jericho, Iyaganku, Aerodrome, Onireke and Oluyole with
high presence of S-hPs were purposively selected, while the stratified sa.mpling tec.hnique was adopted
in se.lect.ing the household heads of every fifth house in the selected GRAs: (Agodi (141); Onireke
(204); Iyaganku (284); Jericho (203); Aerodrome (106) and Oluyole (124)). Instruments used were
GRA Deve.lopme.nt Inventory, Self-help Par.ticipati.on Scale (r=0.78), GRA Residents’ Motivational
Factors Questionnaire with seven sub-scales. In-depth and key informant interviews were held with one
Landlords’ association’s representative in each GRA and the Director of Lands in the State,
res.pectiv.ely. Q.uanti.tative dat.a we.re subjected to pe.rcenta.ges, P.ears.on p.rodu.ct m.ome.nt cor.rela.tio.n
an.d mu.ltip.le regressions at 0.05 l.eve.l of signi.fic.anc.e, w.hil.e the qu.alit.ati.ve d.at.a w.ere c.ont.enta.nal.ys.ed.
Participants we.re m.ost.ly male (93.2%), married (85.5%), while their ages was 50±5.2 years. Majority
were HND/bachelor degree holders (58.9%); civil servants (80.3%) and of the Yoruba ethnic
nationality (90.1), respectively. The most frequently executed S-hPs were purchase of transformers
(24.9%), construction of drainages (20.8%), repair of lights (18.9%), planting of flowers (10.3%),
levies for emergencies (10.2%), construction of culverts (8.5%) and security levy (6.5%). The
processes of S-hPs were: planning and identification of projects, approval for project implementation,
project implementation proper, commissioning of project, maintenance and sustainability of the
projects. Projects were excuted based on active citizen par.ticipati.on in all stages (40.0%), felt-need
(30.0%), self-growth (12.0%), self-reliance (11.0%) and self-direction (0.7%). Spirit of communalism
(r=0.36), culture of self-help (r=0.35), social orientation (r=0.30), healthy environment (r=0.28),
go.vern.me.nt persuasion (r=0.22), aesthetic values (r=0.16) and security of lives and properties (r=0.15)
had significant relationship with residents’ par.ticipati.on. There was a sig.nifican.t joint co.ntr.ibution of
the motivational f.acto.rs: culture of self-help, go.vern.me.nt persuasion, social orientation, spirit of
communalism, aesthetic values, security of lives and properties, and healthy GRAs environment to
residents’ par.ticipati.on in S-hPs in GRAs (F(977;7)=86.56; r2=0.38); accounting for 38.3% of its
variance. Culture of self-help (β=0.25), spirit of communalism (β=0.25), social orientation (β=0.20),
aesthetic value (β=0.15), security of lives and properties (β=0.14), go.vern.me.nt persuasion (β=0.12) and
healthy environment (β=0.07) had sign.ifican.t relative con.tribut.ions to residents’ par.ticipati.on.
Communication, bureaucraactic delays and rigid compliance with go.vern.me.nt’s implementation rules
were difficulties facing residents’ par.ticipati.on in S-hPs.
Spirit of communalism, culture of self-help, spiri and social orientation were the major motivational
factors while secruty of lives and property played complementary roles influencing residents’
par.ticipati.on in s.elf-hel.p pro.je.cts in Go.vern.me.nt Reservation Areas in t.he Ibadan metropolis.
