The term ‘rural development’ has for ages been used by policy makers and development planners. However, there are no universally accepted approaches to rural development since what constitutes rural development seems to vary from one society to another and from time to time. In the paste three decades (as some scholars put it), rural development was viewed from a narrow perspective in that it was taken as synonymous with agricultural development and, hence, focused on increasing agricultural production. This focus seems to have been driven primarily by the interests of industrialization to take out surpluses from the agriculture sector to strengthen industrialization. With the focus on increasing agricultural production, the main objective of most developing nations was just to promote smallholder agriculture.
Over time, the smallholder agriculture-centric concept of rural development underwent significant changes. Rural development was no longer viewed from a narrow point of view as it was the case in previous decades. On the contrary, rural development later began to be perceived as a multidimensional and complex concept that should be viewed from several angles. As a result of its multidimensional nature, the concept of rural development later began to focuses not only on agriculture, but also encompasses the development of other allied activities such as village and small house industries, crafts work, socio-economic infrastructure, community services and facilities and, above all, human resources in rural areas. For this reason, this essay intends to discuss the meaning of rural development in developing nations with good illustrations.
As a logical starting point, discussing the meaning of rural development in developing nations requires thorough definitions of key concepts which in this case are; ‘rural areas and development.’ Literally, rural development refers to the improvement in overall rural community conditions, including economics and other quality of life considerations such as the environment, health, infrastructure, and housing. For most small communities, this improvement involves population and employment growth, however, such growth is sometimes considered as neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for rural development. Wright (2003:2) defines rural areas as all incorporated and unincorporated areas with fewer than 2,500 residents and is found in an open space. On the other hand, Todaro and Smith (2003:51) defines development as, “a multidimensional process involving major changes in social structures, popular attitudes and national institutions, as well as acceleration of economic growth, the reduction of inequality and the eradication of poverty.”
In developing nations, rural development means more than just the improvement of agricultural production in the rural areas. On the contrary, it is the improvement in overall rural community conditions, including economic and other quality of life considerations such as housing, health, infrastructure, and environment. As a phenomenon, rural development is the result of interactions between various physical, technological, economic, social, cultural and institutional factors that are working in harmony to the betterment of the given rural society. As a strategy, rural development is intended to progress the economic and social well-being of a specific group of people – the rural poor. As a discipline, Katar (1999:148) stated rural development to be to be multi-disciplinary phenomenon in nature, representing an intersection of agriculture, social, behavioral, production and management of knowledge.
Moreover, rural development means improving the worth of life and financial welfare of people living in relatively remote and sparsely populated places__ the rural areas. Sarkar (1995:14-15) reflects the view that traditionally, development has centered on the exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as crop growing and forestry. Nevertheless, changes in worldwide production networks and increased urbanization and globalization have changed the character and nature of countryside areas in developing nations. For this reason, rural development has currently changed to mean a broad range of development goals rather than merely creating incentives for agricultural or resource based businesses. It entails a society consisting of the open-minded people who are able to participate in decision making and have access to the basic needs.

In addition, education, entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure all play an important role in the development of rural regions. The absence of these factors denotes poverty in the rural area. To the larger extent, rural development is also characterized by its emphasis on locally produced economic development strategies such as community rural development which in most cases focuses on incorporating the rural poor in the development process (McAnany, 1978:5).

Information is one of the most important factors that denote development of the rural area. People in the rural area need to have access to information of every kind. Okiy (2003:1) says that, “Rural development is a basis for economic development and information is an important ingredient in development process. People in rural areas whether literate or not should have access to any kind of information which will help them to become capable and productive in their social and political obligations, to become better informed citizens generally.” This entails that success and progress in rural areas lies with the development of good communication facilities since better information service delivery and coordination is the essential ingredient for development. Informing rural inhabitants on issues that have a bearing on their daily activities is essential to rural development.
To make clear the importance of information in rural development, Bosanko and Mabogunje (1991:143) are of the view that "for the rural populace to be able to exercise their sovereignty and assume responsibility for development, they must have necessary resources, adequate revenue allocation from State sources and internal capacity to generate their own revenue locally as well as access to relevant and desirable information for development.” For this reason, if rural people have access to information they can easily address their own problems. The many problems faced by the rural people that need information to be solved, for example, include poor water supply, absence of electricity supply, poor environmental sanitation, poor refuse disposal, poor road networks, and poor methods of preventing different diseases that affect them.

In addition, good access to information in rural areas is the foundation to development. In stressing the importance of information to rural development, Kularatne (1997:47) pointed out that, “information is a fundamental resource for development…though not every one benefits from it.” Since rural areas dependant much on agriculture, they benefit greatly from the availability of different kinds of information. This is because it entails acquiring good knowledge of planting treated seeds, soil conservation, prevention of plants and animal disease, fertilizer application, farm machineries, proper storage of farm products, marketing techniques, cooperative activities and other agro-cultural activities. In line with the preceding arguments, Diso (1994:142) holds the view that rural areas are generally characterized by poor living conditions such as the absence of almost all amenities of life if it is lacking the relevant information. In the same view of lacking information, Camble (1994:105) commented that “the success of rural information programs rest squarely on the availability and use of quality information by rural development workers and rural people and that many rural development programs have failed in developing countries because they were planned with insufficient relevant information". In this sense, it should be stressed that rural development is when the rural poor are well informed in all areas of life.
In addition, Improvement of physical as well as social infrastructure plays an important role in the overall advancement of the rural economic status. This is as a result of what Ibrahimah (1986: 17) argued to be the role in which the improvement of both physical and social infrastructure play in facilitating rural development. He said the role they play by directly contributing to employment generation and asset creation. Improved network of physical infrastructure facilities for example, well-built roads, irrigation in places near rivers, rail links (though not common in developing nations), power and telecommunications, information technology, food storage in areas where agriculture is intensively done, market-growth centres such as points where farmers can say their agricultural produce, processing of produce and social infrastructure support, health and education, water and sanitation, and veterinary services and co-operatives. The improvement of these structures entails rural development.
The empowerment of rural poor facilitates rural development. Empowering the rural poor especially the most vulnerable group- the women, contributes to the stability of both the social and economic sector of the rural areas. Bhola (1993:7) emphasizes that rural women play a vital role in farm and home system such that they contribute substantially in the physical aspect of farming, livestock management, in harvesting and allied activities. Women do directly and indirectly render contribution to farm work and home activities, and possesses skills and indigenous knowledge in many areas. Women empowerment enables women to engage themselves in starting individual or collective income generation programs. This in turn enhances self-help capabilities among women which facilitates income generation in rural areas.

Having discussed the meaning of rural development, one may conclude that rural development goes beyond the improvement of agricultural production. It encompasses the overall wellbeing of the rural people. Rural development is when the rural people have access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, and social services such as schools and hospitals. It is when people have access to markets, good road network system, and availability of markets in the rural areas. Rural development is when rural people are able to participate in national affairs, being empowered enough to voice out for their needs to the government. In general, rural development is the transformation of the rural area from the state of being in poverty to the improved living standards. It entails the liberation of the rural poor from the trap of poverty or in other words, it is lifting from the rural poor’s shoulders the yoke of oppression, or the deliverance of the poor from the deprivation trap. It is the overall transformation of all areas of life for the better; being economic, social, political, physical and environmental.

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