Dilemmas of development in rural institutions in sub-Saharan Africa

This paper attempts to examine paternalistic and instrumentalist biases in rural institutions in African societies. The cooperative structures are examined in relation to national development. The point here is that control model has always led to the alienation of the poor peasant producers. This argument becomes interesting when one looks at the struggles over markets and prices oa agricultural produce between different interest groups. It is within this wider context that problems of rural agricultural institutions are examined and the significance of participation of poor peasants is discussed and substantial clues to its realization proposed.