A critical analysis of the 'cooperative' strategy to poverty reduction : a case study of cooperatives in Lagos, Nigeria

2007

The aim of this thesis is to critically examine whether cooperatives can be effective at poverty reduction, in response to the renewed call for a cooperative strategy to poverty reduction. The thesis studied cooperatives as a social organization and examined the interrelationships between the cooperatives and the members, the factors that hold both together to promote and deter the success of the cooperatives, the motivation for members’ participation and their expectations from the cooperatives. These were then used to discuss and evaluate cooperatives as a poverty reduction strategy. The study followed an inductive method for data collection and analysis. Focus group discussions were held…