ADVANCEMENT OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATION; PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE OWERRI, IMO STATE).

ADVANCEMENT OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATION; PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE OWERRI, IMO STATE).

ABSTRACT

       This research focuses on the determination of the extent of manpower training for cooperative development in higher institution of learning.  The objective of the study was to specifically determine the student’s enrolment and graduation rates and also to evaluate the training programme of the Institution with particular reference to Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri Imo State.  Also considered was the problem facing the university development of Cooperative education.  Data were collected from the Admission and Records sections and Department of Cooperative and Rural Development of the Polytechnic.  The study revealed that the course contents of the Department need some adjustments so as to raise the standard.  Again, most graduates of the Department are being marginalized in the labour market.  There is the lack of relevant textbooks, lectures and other study materials, which have all reduced efficiency in the training programmes.  Recommendation made include review of the course contents, publicity about the Cooperative increased number of Lectures and textbooks and non-intervention by the government are all measures, streamlines by the study to be applied in order to rekindle the interest of students and consequently increase the number of application and students intake of the Department.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page                                                              i

Approval Page                                                        ii

Dedication                                                             iii

Acknowledgement                                                  iv

Abstract                                                                v

Table of Contents                                                   vi

CHAPTER ONE

1.0  Introduction                                                    1

• Background of the Study 1
• Statement of the Problem 4
• Objective of the Study 5
• Scope and Limitation of the Study 6
• Hypothesis 7
• Definition of Terms 7

CHAPTER TWO

2.0  Literature Review                                             9

• The Nature of Cooperative Societies 9
• Meaning of Cooperative Education 10
• Cooperative Education Development in

Institutions and Educational organization.          13

• Problems of Cooperative Education 17
• Effects and Prospects of Cooperative Education 18

References.                                                     24

CHAPTER THREE

3.0  Research Design and Methodology                     25

• Sources of Data 25
  • Secondary Data 26

3.2  Population and Sample Size                               26

3.3  Sample Size Allocation                                      28

3.4  Methods of Data Analysis                                         28

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0  Data Presentation and Analysis                          30

CHAPTER FIVE

• Summary of Findings, Conclusion and

Recommendation                                             40

• Findings 41
• Conclusion 41
• Recommendations 42

Bibliography                                                    44

Appendix

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The spirit of cooperative has been a common feature among Nigerians from earliest time.  This has always been manifested in the existence of traditional cooperative institutions that cut across all the ethnic groups that made up today Nigeria.

The formal or modern cooperatives came into being in Nigeria as a result of the enactment of a cooperative society ordinance in 1935 by the then colonial administration.  On this ordinance stands, the legal framework for the existence of cooperative organization and movement all over the country.

All appraisals of these modern cooperative societies.  Organizations or movements reveal a very low rate of performance in all its areas of operations since its production in 1935.  One of the major reasons adduced by the researcher is that there has been lack of available manpower to actually handle the activities, operations and organization societies, just like the other business organizations found across the nation.  It was also observed that cooperative movement has witnessed a gradual but steady development at any stage enjoying an over whelming government support probably because government saw cooperative organization as a good instrument for achieving economic and social development especially in rural areas which constitute a greater percentage of the entire country.

Secondly, with the promulgation of the first cooperative society’s Act in 1935, the training of relevant manpower was ensured by the appointment in 1935 of a register and the establishment of Department of Cooperatives in different areas.  From this time, government has been playing a leading role in the direction of manpower training and development for cooperatives and between 1935 and 1950 a minimal growth was recorded, but by 1951 a little higher level of manpower developmental growth was recorded too.  Government provides training facilities in auxiliary trades like textiles, pottery and brick post training resettlements.

Today cooperative education has been given much publicity in Nigeria by both state and federal governments.  Arising from this, t he first cooperative school the cooperative staff training school, was established by colonial government in 1942 at Ibadan, Western Nigeria.  Its main task was to train government cooperative inspectors and auditors who were employed by the regional government on Nigeria in 1957, the school was renamed Ibadan Cooperative College.  This federal institution remained the only cooperative school in Nigeria until 1961 when established the Eastern Cooperative College at Imo State.  This college ceased to exist as a result of the Nigerian Biafra war, which ended in 1970.  Between 1942 and 1976, both Federal and State Government established cooperative colleges which awarded certificates and diploma in cooperative studies at Imo, Ibadan, Enugu, Zaria, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kwara, Ondo, Benue and others to mention but a few.  The courses offered by these colleges were very much practically oriented with very little theoretical contents.  By 1975, the Kaduna Polytechnic started offering courses in cooperatives in basic certificates, higher certificates and by later 1980’s in post graduate Diploma.  Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Imo State started offering full National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas in cooperative studies from 2002.  It is also to be noted that the various Department of Agricultural Economics of the universities of Ibadan, Ife, Nsukka, Port-Harcourt offer some course in Cooperatives to their students.  In 1985, the then Anambra State University of Technology (ASUT) started a full time B.Sc programme in Cooperatives and Rural Development.

Despite all these efforts by governments and institutions, the research became interested in this topic as a result of numerous questions from many quarters as to whether the cooperative movement actually plays the role expected to them in solving the socio-economic problems of the community.

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