The distinction between urban and rural communities is quite evident in developing countries. For a community to be termed rural, it usually consists of few people, is located sparsely, and has few social amenities. They are usually remote villages and typically distant from the cities. These people have limited access to available resources and depend heavily on the accessed ones. In comparison, urban communities are usually highly populated, closely knitted and tend to be the centre of available resources in that region. In urban communities, resources are flexible, and the necessary skills to manipulate these resources are available. Often, the raw materials needed to enhance the stability of urban communities are dominant in rural communities, but the skills to develop rural communities are absent.
For rural areas to transition to urban settlements, there is a need for industrialization, proper health care, quality education and steady economic development. Communities like Ota in Ogun state, Nigeria, are now transitioning to an urban area because of the consistent level of development (Industrialization, economic development and dominance of quality education in significantly higher institutions). With the accelerating level of civilization, electricity is one of the core needs of these developments. Without electricity, the development of communities will be halted.
Global decadence has now compelled nations to transition into the use of clean energy generators. To achieve a balance between a healthy environment and a productive society, there is a need to maximize the use of clean energy. The diverse ways of clean energy production have intense effects on rural-urban development. For instance, using renewable energy sources like solar will aid with the safety and security of community members, like how streetlights are used to avoid nighttime robbery and other forms of violence. Biofuel also aids communities with pollution reduction and sustainable and productive consumption patterns because waste products are converted to either gases or electricity. In terms of innovation and infrastructural development, most 21st-century industries’ technological evolution depends on the constant transfer of energy. Therefore, stable electricity will be needed to attain the highest innovation and technological development. The presence of electricity will also improve the quality of education at all levels. Most 21st-century systems of education are seen to be reliable and effective with the use of technology, which also has ties with electricity.
Relating to health, food and water, energy is very much needed. Health-sustaining machinery needs a constant supply of all electricity; this would decrease the mortality rate of community members. Good electricity will also provide practical ways for food production and preservation. The production of clean water that could be used for domestic and industrial activities could be attained with clean energy; an example is the newly commissioned solar-powered water system in Chibok, Borno state.
To attain a progressive urban community, practical steps need to be taken. These are:
Proper allocation of resources
Every government must provide adequate resources for every constituent in all states in the country. According to their peculiarities, resources ought to be allocated to every community to aid every individual’s survival.
Funding
Efforts ought to be unanimous and collective to ensure sustainable development in any community. This would involve development agencies, individual effort and government funding projects and commitment to them. This would accelerate the level of development and the circulation of economic progress. This could happen by installing solar plants or even developing minigrids.
Deployment of skilled experts for public enlightenment
Rural communities need qualified experts to assist in developing these rural communities. Their knowledge-preferred fields would aid in the nitty gritty of the development, and the transfer of knowledge to maintain this development will become easier.
Providing sustainable measures for economic development
Asides from setting up avenues for development, the government and development providing sustainable measures to ensure the development is continuous is crucial. This includes ensuring stable electricity so small and medium businesses needing electricity can survive. This is also important for industrialization and sustainable education.