Assessing the Relocation of Adekunle Ajasin University to Akokoland on Transportation System and Rural Development in Ondo State

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of relocation of Adekunle Ajasin University (AAU) on transportation system and its effects on the socio-economic life Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from randomly selected respondents numbering three hundred and eleven. The quantitative data collected were analysed with statistical package for the social sciences, while the quantitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Findings revealed that transportation business has recently experienced changes. Most of the respondents (70.4%) agreed that 'Okada' transportation-system became a booming business with the relocation of AAUA. The teeming population of students and staffers had impacted positively on socio-economic activities in Akoko-land. Majority of the respondents 72.7% agreed that the increase in the number of 'agolo' buses (as taxi cabs) and 'Okada' motorcycles has made inter-town movements easy for most people. 64% agreed that improvement in the transportation sector in Akokoland has alleviated the negative impact of poverty on many youth. The study recommends that Government should intensify rural development by increasingly making the presence of Government visible through citing educational institutions, cottage industries.