The Millennium Villages Project - a new approach to ending rural poverty in Africa?

Proponents of the Millennium Villages Project argue that the complex problems facing rural development in Africa require a 'big push' if substantive progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to be made - and propose the simultaneous introduction of improvements in agriculture, health, transport, energy, technology, telecommunications and internet connectivity, costing US$110 per person per year over 5 years, and funded mainly from aid flows. This paper examines the challenges this initiative faces, and the questions it raises, in its search for 'quick wins' to reach the MDGs.