Entrepreneurship Cooperatives: Platform for Industrial Development in Nigeria

Abstract

The research investigated the effort of entrepreneurship cooperatives in the industrial development of Nigeria. This was prompted by the extent to which entrepreneurship cooperatives industrial development efforts have not been adequately analyzed. The specific objectives were: to determine the contributions of entrepreneurship cooperatives to the industrial development of Nigeria, appraise the ability of entrepreneurship cooperatives to enhance production and distribution and determine the extent to which it can create employment opportunities. The questionnaires were administered, completed and returned by the 240 respondents which were randomly selected for the study from different entrepreneurship cooperatives in two states of Imo and Abia. The three hypotheses were tested using one-way analysis of variance and least square type of multiple regression analysis. The result revealed that: entrepreneurship cooperatives contribute to industrial development through industry, food sufficiency and infrastructural provisions, create employment opportunities in their domain and enhance production and distribution. It recommends that: government should assist through policy drive in the area of making funds available for industrial development through entrepreneurship cooperatives and need for massive sensitization to promote entrepreneurship cooperatives formation and encourage the existing ones.