ABSTRACT

This fact finding is embarked upon to shed more light on how to organize a viable co-operative society.

This project work contains chapters one to chapter four.  Chapter one carry’s the Introduction, Background of the study, Statement of the study, Purpose of the study, Research Questions, Significants of the study, Scope and limitation of the study, Definition of terms.

1.     To find out more reports concerning ministry of commerce, industry and technology, co-operative department.

2.     To indicate the organizations weak points and help it in planning or modifying future plans so as to overcome the past mistakes.

3.     To find out a viable co-operative society in the maintenance of good report in ministry of commerce, industry and technology co-operative department.  While chapter two Review of Related literature.  Chapter three carries Research Design/Sources of date, population of study, sample size, method of data Analysis.  While chapter four carries data presentation of this project work.  Chapter five contains the findings, Recommendations and Conclusion.

The finding were based on the data collected.  It was discovered after scrutiny that a viable co-operative  society contributes positively in projecting a favourable image for the society if they are effectively utilized.

It was also found out in this study that government does not only encourage the formation of those societies with needed facilities, etc.

Based on the findings of this project work, the researcher recommends that Education should be a continues practice in co-operative society.  The co-operative societies should have as one of their objectives, the concern for their host communities, the new co-operative societies should constantly be inspected among other recommendations.

Finally, the researcher concluded based on the findings that registered co-operative societies in Enugu state are more than the unregistered ones, thus members in registered co-operative societies are more than those in unregistered or pre-co-operative societies. The researcher also concluded that co-operative society are been governed by democratic system of leadership.

The researcher also concluded in this research work on formation of a viable co-operative society in Nigeria.  That feasibility study, pre-co-operative meetings, public awareness and manpower development which involves co-operative education and training, etc are the necessary factors in the formation of a viable co-operative.  It is therefore clear from the finding of this study that the co-operative societies in Enugu state are not employing these factors that insures the formation of a viable co-operative society.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE             ……………………………………………..       i                                                           

APPROVAL PAGE    …………………………………………….       Ii

DEDICATION            ……………………………………………       iii

ACKNOLWLEDGEMENT  …………………………………….        Iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS  ………………………………………..        v

CHAPTER ONE

            1.0         INTRODUCTION

1.1        BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.2        STATEMENT OF THE STUDY

1.3        PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

1.4        RESEARCH QUESTION

1.5        SIGNIFICANTS OF THE STUDY

1.6        SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

1.7        DEFINITION OF TERM

CHAPTER TWO

           REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

CHAPTER THREE

               RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

               SOURCES OF DATA

                POPULATION OF STUDY

                 SAMPLE SIZE

                 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FOUR

                 DATA PRESENTATION

CHAPTER FIVE

                 FINDINGS

                 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

                 BIBLIOGRAPHY

                 QUESTIONNAIRE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1          BACKGROUNG OF THE STUDY

A co-operative society as an organization of people of common interest whose aim is to cater for the general good and interest of its members.  People wonder why co-operatives are formed, its contribution to the economic problem of masses.

This now gives rise to the answer which recommends co-operative as a speedy vehicle for economic and social transformation of the economies.

Many developing countries have embraced the co-operative form of enterprise while others are embracing it at a past rate that is based on the achievement of past rate of economic growth to enhance the living standard of their people.  The distinctive gesture of the co-operative organization appears to make it suitable for the promotion of high standard of living in countries that possess the endowment of the present day developing economies.

Historically, co-operative have developed in response to some different situations and its solution should be the aims of the formation of any co-operative society.  The birth of co-operative is associated with the people who experienced some hardships and were under privileged as compared with other people.

The present developing countries are under privileged  as compared to advanced countries.  Their people are I poorer condition and they experience low standard of living.  Secondly, even within anyone of these countries, there are two major groups, urban format enjoy modern amenities like tarred road, pipe born water, electricity, etc.  The later lacks most of the materials, it would therefore be expected that co-operative spirit would be developed in these countries especially among the under privileged rural dwellers, it is because of the benefits which these area can derive from co-operative that lead many government in developing co-operative societies in the rural area of these countries.

These include agricultural co-operative and these are responsible for marketing as well as distribution of essential consumer goods, also commerce, industry and technology among others.

Despite all these government support and early origin owned by Nigeria, it has not contributed enough progress to the rural co-operative especially to so many problems faced by Nigeria co-operative societies.

THE IMPORTANCE ONCE ARE KNOWN TO BE:

a)     Inadequate funding.

b)    Problem of poor administration.

c)     Lack of education among the rank file membership.

d)    Apathy in the management of co-operative matter, etc.

But before this problems arise, solid foundation must have been laid.  This concerns the viable formation of co-operative societies.  It is therefore against this background that the write wishes to examine the fine turnings entailed in  organizing to viable co-operative societies in Nigeria.

A co-operative society before formation must be borned-out  through a source which the golden rate should not set up a society too hastily.  Some steps should be known and studied to follow the formation of co-operative through an external officer who is either a government worker, co-operative area  be supervised, a non-practitioner or would be co-operative society.  The person (organization or organizer) must  be able to convince the prospective society that the solution to their problem and not a business enterprise only made to maximize profit for its share holders in as much as a co-operative are not formed to loose after their contribution in to the capital.

Both organizers and prospective members  should not allow themselves to set formation of co-operative societies as a difficult task because co-operative organization in developing countries poses a lot of problems when it comes to the formation especially when it lacks some fine turning entailed in organization of a co-operative successfully, to solve the economic problem of the societies and also modernize it to meet the standard of  elements that determined the structure of co-operative form of organization according to the international labour conference of 1966.

A co-operative society is an association of persons who have voluntarily formed together to achieve a common and  through the formation of a democratically controlled organization making equitable contribution to the capital required and benefit of the undertaking in which members actively participate. 

Based on these features of the above definition, many of the institution that are christened co-operative societies particularly in the developing countries are not in real sense of word suggest.

The author in the course of  this work will examine in full detail how a viable co-operative society will be formed especially to improve the Nigeria co-operative society.

Finding will be analyzed and possible recommendations will be given for improvement made so far in the already formed co-operative and government assistance.  It will be the wish of the author to give suggestions for further  research in this work as these are aburous limitation in this work.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

Nigeria as a developing country is expected to tackle these problems which face a developing country concerning the formation of a co-operative society and as the potentiality of the co-operative movement in transformation of poor communities into prosperous one. Efforts should be made to study where the problems lie, in most cases the following are suggested as problems:

a)        Ignorance of the steps among organizers and prospective members.  Their motive may be shy or philantrophy love of fellow, many political advantage or financial reward (if he get paid for it.)

b)       Lack of co-operative Education among the rang and file of membership.  This causes poor management and administration in newly formed co-operative.

Both ignorance of steps in formation and poor co-operative education have been a significant problem that faces co-operative, e.g, “Isusu” as called by the “Yorubas” have nor made co-operative as successful as supposed despite its early origin.

However, this problems as long as they are existing affects other parts of procedures in the co-operative societies as its difficult for such members to understand the procedures.

The problem in this study therefore has given rise to close examination of how a developing country like Nigeria will set up an organization of co-operative to be successful and solve the economic felt need for their members.

Therefore either the confirms of this will be looking at the following:

a)             Major principles of the co-operative societies which led to the meaning of co-operative.

b)            The steps to be performed by members and organizers in newly formed co-operative to avoid failure.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Nigeria co-operative society is known to have owned their origin I the middle of Igbo’s which includes some encouraging efforts by the government on revision of laws and regulations that governs the organization in 1976 – 1993.  in which the law includes the generally accepted steps guides – the formation of co-operative organization, others included are the establishment of federal owned co-operative also in federal and state apexes and the three co-operative colleges amongst others.

But despite all these efforts, Nigerians have not really gained what we had hoped for co-operative societies.  So this study will go a long way to expose those who had just a little knowledge of co-operative formation especially amongst the rural co-operative and help more others who will want to write on this topic to know the efficient step to learn concerning co-operative society.  It also goes beyond the use made it by student and brightening the existing step of knowledge, so in this  case the purpose of this study is therefore:

a)       To find out what has been the problem of co-operative formation in Nigeria despite all efforts  made.

b)      To teach the rural co-operative who have been ignorant of the meaning of co-operative and also how to run co-operative society to achieve aim of formation and to meet the standard.

c)       To avoid political influence and business men exploitation in co-operative  societies not organization to gain names among politicians or first ladles.

SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

There is the need to organize viable co-operative society in the country to extend the industry and technology.  Co-operative department and most especially to business men purpose co-operative societies limited.

This study will go a long way to improve the industries and companies.  This may result to improved countries as well as may improve the standard of living.  Loan re-payment may also be facilitated and improved through and adoption of the various forms of credit recovery measures indicated in this study.

Both policy makers involved in co-operative business, government, student and other researchers who will be interested in business will benefit from the outcome of the study.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is on the effectiveness of a viable co-operative practice in ministry of commerce.  The study covered on a viable co-operative activities of  ministry of commerce and industry and technology co-operative department within Nigeria metropolis.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Some factors were threats of  this study.  Thus, the main limitation of this study is the sampling techniques.  The researcher were able to cover only Enugu, Port-Harcourt and Umuahia ministry of commerce respectively due to time and financial constraint.  Although it is our believe that whatever result obtained from those areas will be generalized.  Also the use of non-random sample limits  the generalizability of the result hence  placing a limitation on the results.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

PUBLIC:  Any group that has actually a company to achieve its objectives.

                  Kotter (1988) 141).

OPINIONS AND ATTITUDE:  Belief of judgement not founded as a complete

                 knowledge.  What the people feels, think or believe about

                 something.

IMAGE:  Mental picture or idea, view opinion of something such as service or

                product held by the public.

CO-OPERATIVE:  This is an organization of people of common interest

               whose aim is to cater for their members.

RESEARCH QUESTION

In order to achieve the objective of this research, the researcher would want to look into the following questions:

1.     Does organization structure affect the viability of a co-operative society?

2.     Does the co-operative society in any way help to uplift the standard of living of their members?

3.     What  are the factors that are important for a co-operative society to be viable?

4.     What are the significance of co-operative society to be viable?

5.     What are the major problems in organizing a viable co-operative society in the country?