THE ROLE OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT (A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN NKANU WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA ENUGU STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

1.0    INTRODUCTION

This chapter is to introduce the following point, background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research hypothesis, significant of the study, scope and delimitation of the study and definition of terms.

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

        Globally unemployment is causing government bodies sleepless management.  Several government bodies have set-up institution that can find solution to the unemployment menaced.  A time these bodies come-up with several community that government should control population of educational system and compulsory service for graduting youth etc as means of checking unemployment rate.

        In Africa, particularly in Nigeria, unemployment menace have caused the government to come up with several employment scheme like National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to provide jobs for its teaming population. However the government even carried out self reliance programmes so as to impact into it’s citizen the need to develop their initiatives and employ themselves.

        Some state government was not left out in finding solution for the teaming populace. Several employment agencies were set up like Voluntary Service Scheme (VSS) at Enugu state and school in land of River –State etc.  Suffice it to say that upon all these efforts no significant result were recorded. No amount of government policies, provision of human and material subvention, training of manpower, employment of expatriates have been able to improve rate.

        Like a mustard seed an ideology which marched force with European industrial revolution of 18th century particularly in Britain not only survived but was exported to other parts of the world including Nkanu Local Government Area.  This research activity is conducted as to known the level or impact of cooperative in reducing unemployment menaces.  The act of carrying out these activities is called cooperative.

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Since the inception of this concept there is a remarkable reduction of unemployment rate within Nkanu West Local Government Area.  There are lots  of school learners, graduates, skill and unskilled labourers of different professional without job.  Does it mean that this concept is no longer feasible?  Besides day of white-collar job are over, why can’t people of different professions, artisans horizontally or vertically integrate their resources in forming and organizing cooperative business enterprises.

        Why its becoming impossible for people of different background to run a business ventures successful?  All these are attributes yet to be analyzed which in fact keep the author sleepless night.

1.3    OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This academic exercise is meant to appraise the feasibility of self-help co-operative in eating the social economic standard of its environment.  Again, it will probe into its constraints and find out means of ameliorating the unemployment problem through co-operatives.

1.4    RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

For the purpose of the study the following hypothesis is formulated.

i.       H0:    Co-operative business enterprise do not create

self employment.

H1:    Co-operative business enterprise create self employment.

ii.     H0:    Cooperative business enterprise create self

employment

H0:    Cooperative do not business enterprise create

self employment

1.5    SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

At the end of the research many people will find it helpful in the execution and existence of the active life, such people likely to benefit from the study are as following.

1.           The inhabition of Nkanu West local Government Area.

2.           The society in general

3.           The cooperative organization

4.           The academician etc.

1.7    DEFINITION OF TERMS  

Co-operative Society: A co-operative society is an association which has as its objective the promotion of economic interest of member or has provision of service of it’s member accordance with operative principles.

Surplus: This is different between income received accrued during the financial year and the total of expenditure made or accrued during the year.

Enterprises:       This is graded grouping of individual selling goods and service at a price with approximately cover the cost.

Equity: This equality of being equal of fair in any and all relation adjustment of differences where the laws.

Self Employment: Means someone who works on his or her own account.  Self employment person may be a proprietor of an unincorporated business either with or without employed.

Skilled Labour: An individual under going training for a particular occupation for some given period.  An individual may be train as a marketer, lawyer, surveyor etc. It involves both mental and physical training.