DETERMINANTS OF WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES IN KOGI STATE, NIGERIA: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC APPROACH

Ifeoma Jeraldine Echukwu, Frank O. Nwankwo

Abstract


Women participation in agricultural cooperatives has not been adequate and this has been attributed to some social and economic challenges. This paper examined the socio-economic determinants of women participation in agricultural cooperatives in Kogi State, Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted. The population was six thousand and forty-four (6,044), registered members of women agricultural cooperatives in the Kogi State, and a sample size of three hundred and seventy-five (375) was generated using Taro Yamane formula. Multi-stage sampling technique employed. Structured questionnaire was the major instrument for data collection. Data were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean ratings and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that social factors, such as social migration, sustained social inequality, discouragement on cooperative leadership, domineering gender orientation of men and gender gap caused about 75% variations on women participation in agricultural cooperatives in the State. It was again found that economic factors, such as inadequate finance, pressure on loan repayment, lack of credit for agricultural development, administrative delay of getting credit and undue interest charges caused about 68% variations on women participation in agricultural cooperatives in Kogi State. Therefore, this paper concluded that women participation in agricultural cooperatives in the State is significant but low and this is as a result of the identified socio-economic factors. This paper recommended among others that the government should try to provide basic amenities in the rural communities where the bulk of farmers reside and legislate against land right deprivation of women. This will help curtail the issue of social migration from rural to urban centres in search of better living conditions.

Keywords


agriculture, cooperative society, economic factors, participation, social factors.

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