Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi

This paper examines the membership and activities of one type of intermediary organization, the "hometown" voluntary association in the context of Western Nigeria, with the purpose of extending our understanding of the significance of these organizations for the process of local development and for the evolution of civil society and state society relations. Through a detailed examination of the membership, activities, internal structure, and external linkages of three hometown associations, we shall delineate the importance of similar organizations in rural communities across the continent.