History

The Nigerian Rural Sociological Association (now the Rural Sociological Association of Nigeria—RuSAN) was formed on January 7, 1981. The inaugural congress of the association was held from November 7-11, 1983, at Ile-Ife in Obafemi Awolowo University. It is a broad-based professional association with membership across a wide spectrum of institutions, including universities, agricultural research institutes, and other agricultural and rural development agencies in both the private and public sectors.

According to the Association constitution, the motto shall be "Achieving the best quality of life for rural dwellers."

The objects of the Association shall be to: -

i.        Encourage aggressive rural empowerment programme;

ii.       Address myriads of challenges facing rural dwellers;

iii.     Proffer solution(s) to rural life transformation needs;

iv.     Use its financial resources for the objects of the Association;

v.       Acquire properties for the objects of the Association.

vi.     Invest all or part of its funds in any bank or any limited liability company as may be approved by at least two-thirds of its financial members in any AGM of the Association at which such issues are raised.

vii.   Expand the boundaries of knowledge by publication, seminars, conferences, talks, research and excursions; and

viii. Carry on such other activities as are incidental to the attainment of its objects.

Membership of the Association shall be in five (5) groups as stated below:

(a)    Ordinary member: Ordinary membership shall be open to all persons who are interested in and relevant to the objects of the society;

(b)   Cooperate member: Cooperate membership shall be open to any group of people or organization interested in and relevant to the objects of the Association.

(c)    Life member: Life membership shall be open to individuals who must have been active financial members for at least 5 years.

(d)   Student member: Student membership shall be open to any individual in any organized professional or academic institution interested in and relevant to the objects of the Association.

(e)   Honorary member: Honorary membership may be conferred on anyone who shall be deemed worthy of the honour on the recommendation and approval of two-thirds (2/3) of members present at an Annual General Meeting (AGM).

(f)     Fellow (FNRSA): Fellowship of the Association may be conferred on any worthy member who must have served the Association meritoriously or who might have served the larger society or the academia or a related profession meritoriously well. Such a person must also have made a landmark contribution to the growth and development of rural sociology or a related discipline nationally and/or internationally. In the case of a serving president of the Association, adjudged to be qualified for the Fellowship, it shall be conferred at the expiration of his tenure in office. 

The association creates a platform for members to come together to cross-fertilize ideas, promote scholarship and professionalism, and generate communiqués and research publications contributing toward sustainable development of the rural sector of the Nigerian economy.

The past presidents of the Association are:

1. Prof. Joseph Ade Alao [first National President; 1981 - 2000].
2. Prof. Ekong E. Ekong [second National President; 2000 - 2005].
3. Prof. Samson Fola Adedoyin [third National President; 2005 - 2010]
4. Prof. Chukwudi P. O. Obinne [fourth National President; 2010 - 2012]
5. Prof. Ademola Adekunte Ladele [fifth National President; 2012 - 2016]
6. Prof. O. B. Oyesola [sixth National President; 2017 - 2021]
7. Prof G. M. Adebo [Seventh National President; 2021 - 2025]
8. Prof Olayiwola Fasoranti [Eighth National President; 2025 - till date] 

The incumbent National President of the Association is Prof Olayiwola Fasoranti.

The 2026 annual congress marks the 35th Annual congress to be held since the Association was established.

Over the years, the Association has published several volumes of refereed journals and proceedings of its annual congresses. It has a journal (the Nigerian Journal of Rural Sociology), and the Editors-in-Chief that have sustained the Association’s publications are Professor A. U. Patel, Professor A. A. Jibowo, Professor A. A. Ladele, Professor Francis Ademola Kuponiyi, Prof Kolawole Adebayo, and the current one is Prof John O. Oladeji.

The National Executive Committee is very committed and members work assiduously to sustain the ethos of the Association.

Since 2005, the association has consistently held its congresses with the following details:

The line-up of the current National Executive Council of RuSAN is as listed below: