CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Cooperation
is rooted in the tendency to live together and assist one another. It is a
positive action geared towards making life worth living and beneficial to the
citizenry. When cooperation becomes firm and strong, it elicits peace, safety
and progression (Abba, 2013). It engenders robust consideration for the
interests of the members of a given association and consequently emphasizes a
great deal on the social wellbeing of virtually all members in cooperation .
Cooperation is a phenomenon that denotes any form of working together
voluntarily by persons or individuals to achieve common goals . To narrow it
down, cooperative refers to the activities of an association of persons with
similar social, cultural and economic needs who willingly came together satisfy
these needs in solidarity. In other words, it came into existence as a result
of reactions against capitalism, competition and injustice that are associated
with them. It is purely service-delivery .
Significantly,
cooperative members are noted to pull their resources together for the
satisfaction of their members’ identified needs. It is therefore, the best way
to tackle the perennial economic problem of a developing country like Nigeria
where a great percentage of people like below poverty line. This is probably
what informed the Federal Government to formulate a policy guideline in 1979
that at least 25% of Nigerians should become members of Cooperative Societies .
Okechukwu (2001) stated that the Danish people saw in the cooperative easier
way of improving their national economy, especially after the war with Germany
and their humiliating defeat which contributed to national poverty. They went
into promoting economic interest of their people . The Swedish people embraced
cooperation because of the need to also improve the economic interest of their
citizens. Everybody was made to participate in one form of chosen economic activity
or the other .
The
origin of cooperation could be traced to the period of industrial revolution in
Great Britain which gave rise to associations like the Chartist Movement, Corn
Mill, Banking Societies and several others. Despite the fact that some of these
associations failed in their struggles, their coming together left a legacy to
be remembered; and it consequently attracted attention in the history book.
Government, on its part, made some laws to guide against poverty. A formidable
and first successful cooperative society came into existence in 1884. It was
known as the Rochadale Equitable Pioneers. It was made up of 28 weavers which
included 27 men and a woman. In subsequent years, other associations sprang up
all over Europe, particularly in France, Germany, Denmark, etc. The success
story of these societies or association, which then flourished, was attributed
to the efforts of the Rochadale and others to fashion out rules, regulation and
guidelines for cooperatives which were eventually known as the Cooperative
Principles. Another interesting aspect of the origin of cooperatives in Europe
was the emergence of men of good will, the philanthropists, who took it upon
themselves to use their human and material resources as well as their wealth to
champion the cause of cooperatives.
Modern
cooperatives started in Nigeria as far back as 1907 in the West. The first
cooperative to be formed was the Agege Planters Union – a formidable society
with robust principles and sound practice. Its membership were mainly Nigerians
who were put at about 400 cocoa farmers. It operated on a commercial level and
was very successful. It made frantic efforts to get recognition from the
British colonial government in Nigeria but all to no avail. It engendered other
regions to set up their own cooperative societies, apparently due to its massive
wealth and influence. In its bid to get registered, it also sought the support
of other societies to pressurize the government to register it. It invited the
Egba Societies in 1911. Yet, the government still maintained its ground.
However, it (government) made a joint venture arrangement with all the
cooperatives in 1922.
Cooperative
societies are avenues people use to maximize financial benefits and seek for
ways and means of coming together with a common objective of changing the
members’ economic conditions and living standards. Being a part of, or a member
of a cooperative society, an individual could access loans or other facilities
to advance many ventures, address some financial problems and achieve some
financial benefits . Today, many
cooperative societies in Nigeria have created initiatives which, in some cases, were supported by the government, to play significant roles
in giving necessary assistance to the cooperatives,
non-governmental organisations, women groups, clubs and other groups. These efforts
are geared towards reducing the effects of poverty, and making positive impact
on the lives of their members. Some identified advantages of cooperative
societies include, learning and forming the habit of savings, promotion of
unity among members, exposure, exchange of ideas and enjoying other benefits of
coming together to form a group, and reduction of poverty .
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
It may
be an actuality that cooperatives abound all over to huge numbers polities
What's more altogether investment parts for countries. They react adequately of
the regularly evolving needs of the people. Because of the opposition of the
impacts about globalisation, kin keep to decide cooperatives will deliver their
necessities. On huge numbers countries, people bring started the transform for
securing new helpful ventures done regions for example, such that majority of
the data innovation organization What's more social mind. Ladies What's more
young people need aid also locked in to huge numbers Undertakings of their own
utilizing subsidizes Gave on them by their cooperatives, therefore making new
occupations and chances. The agreeable playing point extends of the clients
from claiming cooperatives Also Surely of the groups Previously, which they
work. They set business norms Toward placing under act their qualities Also
morals. Previously, exactly societies, they would also see likewise pioneers
for pushing nourishment wellbeing What's more security, Furthermore also
Previously, ensuring nature. On different climes, they would include in
fabricating serene social orders Eventually Tom's perusing pushing seeing
What's more coordinated effort Around individuals of separate social What's
more money experiences.
It is
therefore, a veritable institution of addressing the problem of poverty in many
developing countries. The Nigerian government at all levels saw the need to
promote the use of cooperatives in reducing poverty in the country. But then,
cooperatives in the country are still faced with a lot of problems, which
include in the main, lack of access to credit facilities, lack of capital, poor
mismanagement, falsification of figures, and massive engagement in other forms
of corrupt practices. Today, efforts are being made by stakeholders of
cooperative in Nigeria to remove or reduce these problems. There is also an
apparent consensus that the need for adequate and sufficient knowledge of the
roles of cooperatives in poverty alleviation is imperative. In the main, there
is the need to identify and analyse in sufficient details those cooperative
activities and functions that bear directly on the economic empowerment of
their members, and also identify the factors that could promote and enhance
cooperative efforts in poverty reduction. The emphasis on cooperative as a
poverty alleviation platform may continue to be unrealistic if these issues are
not taken into cognizance.
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