THE ROLE OF COOPERATIVE IN EMPLOYMENT GENERATION. A CASE STUDY OF NCHARA OLOKO IN IKWUANO L.G.A.

ABSTRACT

This study evaluate the role of cooperative in employment generation in Nchara Oloko in Ikwuano L.G.A Of Abia state Nigeria according to some authors they see cooperative as an organization which comprises a group of person in the sociological sense, who operate individual, private business households in which one or more common aims/problem have arisen and has/have brought the group together in self & or mutual help towards solving the common problems by means of a business enterprise which is jointly owned/maintained by the group and is meant to produce not just any goods/services but rather good and services as required by and made available directly to the business household of the members in response to a special charge to promote the (economic) welfare of the members as individual private businessmen, owners of private households and in the special case of the productive cooperative, employees of the cooperative enterprises.

       TWO resources of data namely, primary and secondary data were used.

Questionnaires were also used as a research instruments to supplement information while the hypothesis testing was conduced using chi-square (x) ² at the end of the study, it was deduced that problem such as: the following hinders cooperative business viz:

Lack of capital

Lack of member’s commitment to cooperative business.

Poor management ability etc

On the basis of the above findings, and conclusion the following recommendations were made to improve the performance viz:

Exploring all available opportunities was made to expand their fund raising ability.

Cooperative should mobilize and move funds so as to be involved in more economic activities, that will generate more employment with the above recommendations, it is hoped that the performance (Role of cooperative within the L.G.A. and beyond especially on their employment generation will improve).

CONTENT OF CONTENT

Title page                                                       i

Approval page                                                 ii

Dedication                                                      iii

Acknowledgement                                            iv-v

Abstract                                                         vi-vii

Table of contents                                             ix-x

 CHAPTER ONE

1.0  Introduction                                             1

General overview of the study                           1-4

Statement of the study                              4-5

Objective of the study                               5-6

Scope of the study                                    6-7

Research hypothesis                                  7-8

Statement of hypothesis                            8

Significance of the study                            8-9

Limitation of the study                              9-10

Definition of terms                                    10-11

CHAPTER TWO

2.0  Literature review                                       12

• An overview of cooperative business            12-20
  • Problem related to cooperative business              21-24
  • The employment creation potential of

Cooperatives                                            24-27

The comparative advantage of cooperatives in the field of employment generation/creation and stabilization.      27-34

CHAPTER THREE

3.0  Research methodology                              35

Introduction                                             35

Research design                                        35-36

Sampling design                                       36-38

Sources and data collection                        38-42

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0  Presentation and analysis of data                42-46

• Test of Hypothesis                                    47-49

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0  Summary, conclusion and recommendation 50

• Summary of findings                                 50-53
  • Conclusion                                               53-54
  • Recommendation                                      55-56

Bibliography                                             57-58

Appendix                                                 59

Questionnaires                                         60-63

CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

       Cooperative according to Chukwu (1990:1) is a generic term. It implies any form of two or more persons working together to achieve some aim, such working together many be on a formalized or informal basis, economic or non-economic.  

       However, a cooperative society is an association of person who have voluntarily joined together to achieve a common goals through the formation of a democratically controlled organization, it has long been a human characteristics to fraternize to provide food, shelter, employment and other forms of mutual support, mutual benefits derivable by families and individuals working together at harvest.

       More       over cooperative has involved as a strategy to generate economic activities in area of high implement i.e. generation of employment, such as Ikwuano L.G.A. or wherever the local economy is work or virtually non-existents.

       Furthermore, membership is open to the residents of a particular locality. The establishment of community enterprises will almost certainly be multi functional in that it will be responsible for a member and a number of specific projects at any given time. It will both initiate business idea within the people in Nchara Oloko and help the masses to develop their ideas. It may also intervene in various ways in the local economy of Nchara in particular and national economy at large. It may sponsor projects of community benefits in addition to its own trading activities and business development and local development both holding company and local development agency, with the aim of seeking to provide a communal structure in a particular locality on behalf of the residence such specific enterprises might be floated as self sustaining business life cooperative.

       This community is thus more than trading organization it is a means of stimulating new business growth in areas like Nchara Oloko and also among people where there is little or not tradition of entrepreneurial activities and usually a history of long term unemployment and social depreciation.

       Community cooperative and community business are established mostly in areas of high unemployment so as to generate employment where their starting is likely to be the question posed by local people. What can we do to get people employed.

       They search for forms of self-help by community groups and unemployment themselves have gained considerable momentum in the last decade. As practical experience has been gained more groups have been inspired to do something in their own areas, an action born out of a growing belief that neither public nor private industry will be quick enough to provide the job that are needed and of a preference to do something rather than wait on other action.