Assessment of Social Capital and Community Welfare in Rural Ebonyi State

Social capital in the form of trust, networks, and collective action is a significant determinant of community welfare in rural settings, and its measurement in Ebonyi State provides evidence for community development programming in South East Nigeria. This study assessed social capital dimensions and their relationship to welfare outcomes among rural households in Ikwo, Ezza South, and Ohaukwu Local Government Areas, Ebonyi State. A cross-sectional survey of 280 rural households measured cognitive social capital (trust, norms), structural social capital (group membership, meeting attendance), and linked social capital (connections to formal institutions). Welfare was measured through the Poverty Probability Index. Group membership was reported by 74.3 percent, primarily in religious groups and farmers associations. Trust in neighbours was high (mean 4.1 out of 5) but trust in government institutions was low (mean 2.1). Households with higher structural social capital showed significantly lower poverty probability scores (rho = -0.44, p < 0.001). Recommendations include community-based organisation strengthening in Ebonyi rural LGAs, formal recognition of savings cooperatives, and building trust between communities and local government through participatory planning processes. Keywords: social capital, rural welfare, Ebonyi State, community development, poverty These findings confirm that structural social capital investment and government trust building are key community development priorities in rural Ebonyi State.