THE EFFECT OF ILLITERACY ON CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN IMO STATE. A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN MBAITOLU L.G.A, IMO STATE

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate “The Effect of Illiteracy on Cooperative Organization in Mbaitolu Local Government Area of Imo State.” The research work covers all the registered Cooperative Societies in the area. Two sources of data were used namely: The Primary and the Secondary data. Questionnaires were also used as research instruments to supplement information from the books and journals. Research questions were constructed to get feed back of the problems faced by the cooperative societies in the Local Government Area. This work is divided into five chapters. The Background of the study, the Statement of Problems, Scope and Limitation of the study, Objectives of the study, Research Questions were treated in this work. Others include Significance of study and Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.

In Chapter Two, Literature review on past-related works will be discussed. In chapter three, the research is designed and methodology was discussed, including population of the study, sample size, sampling techniques, method of data collection, which will help give the result. In chapter four, presentation of data, analysis and interpretation of data was discussed. Finally, chapter five deals with the summary of the findings. In the course of the study, the researcher aimed at assessing how illiteracy affects the performance of cooperative societies in the area, from the information given, the problem that seem to hinders cooperative business in the local government area are as follows: Lack of funds, lack of government support, inadequate cooperative education of members and lack of social /infrastructural facilities. The study also proffered some recommendations to improve the performance of cooperative societies in the local government area.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page                                                i

Approval page                                                 ii

Dedication                                               iii

Acknowledgement                                     iv

Abstract                                                  vi

Table of contents                                      vii

CHAPTER ONE            

1.0  Introduction                                      1                         

Background of the study                     1           

Statement of the problem                   6

Objective of the study                        7           

Research question                              9           

Statement of hypothesis                     9

Significance of the study                            10

Scope of the study                             12

Limitation of the study                       12  

Definition of terms                                           13  

CHAPTER TWO

Literature Review                                             14

2.1  Meaning and Concepts of Illiteracy                     15

2.2  Problems of Illiteracy on the economy of Imo state     16 

2.3  The Effects of Illiteracy                                     18

2.4  Meaning and Concept of Cooperative                  22

Education and Training                                    

Importance of Cooperative Education and Training Among cooperative members in the society         26

Problems that Militate Against Effective Cooperative Education and Training                    28

Issues Calling for Cooperative Education                    31

2.9  Summary and Conclusion                                        36

       References                                                      37

CHAPTER THREE  

  • Research Methodology                                      38                                     

3.1  Introduction                                                    38  

3.2  Research design                                              38

3.3  Sources/method of data collection                     39

3.4  Population and sample size                               40

3.5  Sample Techniques                                          41

3.6  validity and Reliability of measuring instrument    44

3.7  Method of Data Analysis                                   45

CHAPTER FOUR

  • Data Presentation and Analysis                          46  

4.1  Introduction                                                    46

4.2  Data Presentation                                            46

4.3  Analysis of data                                               49

4.4  Test of Hypothesis                                           61

4.5  Interpretation of data                                       70

CHAPTER FIVE

  • Summary of Findings, Conclusion and     Recommendation 71

5.1  Introduction                                                    71

  • Summary of Findings                                       71
    • Conclusion                                                      74

5.4  Recommendation                                             76

Bibliography                                                    79

       Appendix                                                        81

CHAPTER ONE

  1. INTRODUCTION

This chapter tries to let us know all about illiteracy, the problems and the scope of study

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

       Education is central to development. It empowers people, strengthens nations and it is key to the attainment of the millennium development goals. Already, the world’s largest external financier of education, the world bank, is today more committed than ever to helping countries develop holistic education system aimed both at achieving education for all (EFA) and building dynamic knowledge societies that are keys completing global market through education for the knowledge of economy.

       Illiteracy, in order words has been interpreted as the inability to read or write being illiterate can have a big effect on people’s lives. There are several problems that arise with illiterate people functioning in society. First, the costs of illiteracy are great burdens on large government as well as local areas. Secondly, there is the question of how people can survive in the literate world without being illiterate themselves. Thirdly, motivation for adult to become literate fluctuated in the past. This study centers on the effect of illiteracy on cooperative organization. The saying is true that when a man is not informed, he is deformed. 

       The failure of many cooperative in developing countries like Nigeria can be partly explained by the marked difference between their origin and that of agricultural cooperate movement in the industrialized countries, while the cooperative in the developed countries were formed from the principles of small membership. The root of the word “Cooperative” is a Latin verb “Operate” meaning to work and prefix “Co” meaning together along with people.

       Also according to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, the word Cooperative means working together to achieve a common purpose. Cooperation and cooperative society have been variously conceived of, and has been defined by different scholars and practitioners all over the world.

       According to the directorate for Social Mobilization (MAMSER) cooperative is defined “as an association of person’s who have voluntarily joined a group to achieve a particular objectives, through the formation of democratically controlled organization to make equitable contributions to the capital required and accepting a fair share of risk and benefits of the undertaking in which members actively participate”.

       People come together to form a cooperative society, because they cannot achieve their aims individually. These persons, who come to form the cooperative, occasionally have the same social and economic problems and having the interest of being a member of the cooperative society. A typical example of cooperative is the “ISUSU” or “ESUSU” type of association, where different individuals contribute a certain amount of money, which is sometimes done weekly, or monthly base on the agreement of the members, when the money contributed accumulates, it will be given to any member of the association who is in need of money. This is an on going process and it is rational till all of them have received their own share, it is rotational in nature.

       The definition of cooperative as stated earlier has been defined by many scholars and authors, but the most generally accepted is that of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) at its 1995 congress held in Manchester England. The Manchester congress defined cooperatives as “an autonomous association of persons United voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly, owned and democratically controlled enterprise.

       In Nigeria today some states and local governments encourage cooperative education so as to eradicate illiteracy in cooperative organizations by organizing seminars, workshops etc. The high level of illiteracy is one major problem of cooperative management, in developed countries, the level of illiteracy is very low, compared to less developed countries, where illiteracy is at its paramount i.e. the population of these country are mostly illiterates or barely educated.

       Mbaitolu Local Government Area is one of the local government areas that make up Imo State. It has 10 registered cooperative societies whose membership compositions are made up of both males and females. The various types of cooperative found in the local government are farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (MCS). Builders Cooperative Societies, Insurance Cooperative Societies, Artisans Cooperative Societies and Cooperative Palm Produce Societies (CPMS etc.

THE EFFECT OF ILLITERACY ON CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN IMO STATE. A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN MBAITOLU L.G.A, IMO STATE