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Does their Geography Matter? Assessing the Impact of Geographical Factors on Development of Rural Communities in Benue State, Nigeria

The study assessed the impact of geographical factors on the development of rural communities in Benue state. Primary data (on living standard, employment, social inclusion, climate, location, resources, and environmental stability) were generated through mixed questionnaires administered to the respondents in a household survey. A random selection of nine (9) LGAs in the State was done, with three (3) LGAs selected from each of Benue North, Benue Central and Benue South. A sample of 820 was selected out of the population of 2,065,400. The logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of geographical factors on economic development of rural households in Benue state with analysis done using the SPSS. Geographical factors, such as climate, location, resources and environmental stability, were found to have negative impacts on the standard of living, employment and social inclusion of households in rural communities of Benue state, thereby significantly impacting the economic development of such households in the state. It was recommended among others that, the ministries concerned with rural development should concentrate on linking the rural communities to the urban areas for the flow of goods, services and information.