Impact of Town Unions in Community Development in Anambra State: a Study of Umuomaku Town Union

The development of any society is not complete, if it neglects those at the grassroot level. The inadequate commitment of government to the development needs of rural areas, particularly in a developing country like Nigeria, has led to people adopting a self-help approach to address their socioeconomic needs. This is what gave birth to the town union system in Southeast Nigeria. In view of the existence of several town unions in Southeast Nigeria and their contributions to community development, this study examined the contributions of Umuomaku Town Union in community development in Umuomaku town in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State. The specific focus of this study is to investigate how Umuomaku Town Union has contributed to infrastructure provision, poverty reduction, and challenges hindering its community development activities. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study comprised of an estimate of 90,000 indigenes of Umuomaka town in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, from which a sample size of 400 was adopted using Taro Yamane sample selection technique. The instrument for data collection was a structure questionnaire developed by the researcher. Out of 400 copies deployed for the field study, 344 were retrieved. The statistical tools employed for analysing the data collected were percentage, mean and chi-square using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). From the findings of the study, it was revealed that Umuomaku Town Union has made commendable strides in infrastructure provision, poverty reduction, and overall community development in Umuomaku town in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State. Based on the findings of the study, was recommended among others that Umuomaku Town Union should establish and strengthen financial oversight mechanisms, including transparent accounting practices, regular audits, and involving independent auditors, while also diversifying funding sources through partnerships with local businesses and community fundraising initiatives, and establishing a financial committee for enhanced transparency and accountability.