NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Abstract

In an era where economic constraints have restricted the influence of the government and limited its ability to meet the developmental needs of the people, a substantial role has to be conceded to the NGOs and private sectors to fill in the gap or partner with government in service provision. This study examines the role of NGOs and sustainable development in Nigeria. Public goods (the performance contract theory) was used in the analysis. The study established that NGOs played a remarkable role in sustainable development, especially in education and health sectors, engaged in social welfare activities, poverty reduction and capacity building, advocacy services and literacy campaigns, agriculture, awareness creation and empowerment, rehabilitation and environmental protection. It was also found that NGOs faced impediments such as lack of funds,
over dependence on external assistance, absence of effective networking, mismanagement of funds, lack of access to information and uneven geographical spreads. It is recommended that NGOs should exploit alternatives and rely more heavily on available resources inside the country and the society which they work. Moreso, NGOs should coordinates their activities in a consistent
manner and encourage networking and information. The study concludes that sustainable development is a shared responsibility of both the government, NGOs and other development partners.