The Influence of Cooperative Societies on Poverty Reduction in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background to the Study All over the world, poverty has remained a noticeable national issue caused by the challenge of short-or longterm deprivation and an extreme lack of basic human needs (Obadan, 2012 and Ihenacho, Chikaire, Ejiogu-Okereke, Oguegbuchulam, Osuagwu and Obi, 2012). In spite of the effort of numerous governments in curtailing poverty in Nigeria, the economic issue has instead proliferated as the outlook for poverty reduction remains bleak (Abbas, 2013). Hence, it is undoubted that victims of poverty in Nigeria are defenseless against all sort of cruel and unfair treatments from both government and private agents who possesses the capacity to render financial aid to these victims (Abbas, 2016). Sadly, because poor people do not possess the power, liberty and influence to leverage on for daily survival, they become a cheap resource for several political and economic exploitation. The seriousness of poverty and its consequences differ across the globe (Abbas, 2016). However, the total of poverty victims in Africa and Nigeria specifically has intensified over the years (MGD, 2015). In Nigeria, the number of people living below the poverty line has been on the increase due to the short of basic needs, housing, healthcare services, shelter, education opportunities and access to clean and safe water (UNDP, 2015; MDG, 2013). World Bank (2000) affirmed that these situations signals poverty and described it as a complex issue that has attracted several universally recognized descriptions. Sweetman (2002) referred poverty to as the inadequacy of income and productive resources required to cause a lasting livelihood, free of hunger and starvation, bad health, unimpressive level of education and other fundamental facilities, heightened mortality, morbidity, lack of housing, insecure environment, homelessness, social exclusion and discrimination. He further posited that poverty is exemplified by constraints of participation of decision making particularly in civil, cultural and social life. Pearse (2014) maintained that

Challenges and Opportunities of Agricultural Cooperative Societies on Economic Sustainability of Rural Dwellers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

“…The impact of the major role is in improving the agriculture sector of the economy where vast majority of the population depends on it for livelihood most importantly the rural dwellers [9]. The involvement of rural dwellers in agricultural cooperative societies is to ensure improvement in livelihood as poverty has remained a noticeable national issue caused by the challenge of short and long term deprivation of good living condition and an extreme lack of basic human needs [10].…”