Social capital and human development in Nigeria: the case of Lalupon Community, Ibadan, Oyo State

摘要

In recent times, more often than not, social capital has been presented as the virtue through which third world communities may develop. Indeed, the bonds of love, trust, friendship and kinship as social ingredients of social capital have become the salvaging grace for the third world in the face of strangulating economic decline and crisis. Through qualitative methodology, this study utilized key informant interview, in-depth interview and focus group discussion to generate data at Lalupon - a community noted for preponderance of social capital induced groups. The study discovered that Lalupon social capital is sustained not only because of economic hardship, but also the ethnogenesic notions of distinct social identity, which attaches interpretive identity meanings, distinct from Ibadan to the residents. As this seemingly alienates the community from state resources, Lalupon thus utilizes its identity-based social capital/groups to provide human/community development.