Co-operative societies are very information instrument
development. It's relevance in development cannot be over emphasized. The socio-economic situation of this country is such a

complex one. The rich are accorded with a lot of privilege, they active believe the urban are many enjoying a lot of Nigeria population live in the rural area. The rural area are characterized by how per capital income and how agricultural output, the consequent on poor soil, tools and weak infrastructures. It is in realization of this, the government rural want to each to this rural area and helps them to develop through the use of co-operative enterprises. Nigeria co-operative societies had their genesis in the wake of the word depression of 1930-1935. The major interest of the colonial masters introduces co-operative societies room sprang-up. Co-operative are socio-economic organization whose usefulness In the transformation of communities have been internationally acknowledge. The international co-operative alliance (I.C.A) in declaring the co-operative decade assented the need for co- operative as an aid to development in the less developed countries. The co-operatives society is generally regarded as instrument for economic and social progress. In order to produce more food for our teeming population farmers should join co-operative societies.

Co-operative is the fresh way to mobilization the peasant and
harnessing of land for increase food production. Beside, it is only through co-operative societies that government aid can reach farmers in the form of loans, tractors, fertilizers seeds and seeding. Through co- operative farmers can learn new method of farming and received technical assistance from extension workers, Onuoh (1988: 1). Statement of the root are true, enough but they suffer one handicap, they are vague and abstract and can be misleading. The can mislead people into thinking that the word co-operative has magic powers, once your form a co-operative food can be produced in abundance and the socio-economic difference with be abridge, no matter what co- operative and no matter hour efficient the co-operative is management and structured just form a co-operative society set it registered and the problem is solved. To avoid deceiving people, it is again this back group that the research wants to look at the effect of co-operative towards rural development of Imo State and Orlu Local Government Area in particular.

Definition of Co-operative

Co-operative is a pan-humanic business organization formed by individuals who are desirous of pooling themselves and their resources together to form a democratically controlled organization devoid of pecuniary again.

Function of Co-operative

1. Co-operative must be legally constituted and incorporated.

2. They must be registered with the government.

3. The co-operative must run-some business enterprise or undertake such undertaking must be run efficiently.

4. The co-operative undertaking must be controlled democratically.

5. The net result' from co-operative business must be shared fairly, so that no members can obtain services at cost.

How can co-operative help in developing rural area

l. To initiate plans and encourage the community to execute
projects that would improve the economic, social and cultural
conditions, of the rural area.

2. To promote community development activities in the rural area.

3. To articulate all the fact needs sent up by various area and
villages, reconcile them with the overall towns felt need and
forward same to the local government community development committee for further actions.

4. To co-operative and work together with all the extension
workers in the field so as to avoid misunderstanding and
conflicts.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There are many problem that likely to affect any co-operative
society in the process of its application in bring development to its
communities. The problems are:

1. Lack of Education: This demands a basic reorientation of
education policy because the present training and education IS
undertaker with a bias against the rural dwellers. Education is the
bedrock of development no discovery of progress has even been done by illiteracy people.

2. Lack of Employment: This is a situation whereby the predominance of poverty in the rural area force job seekers and able bodied men and women to troop in their large numbers in search of gene pastures in the urban areas.

3. Lack of Development: This is a situation whereby the expansion of peoples capabilities, a process of emancipation from necessities that contain fuller realization of human freedom.

Generally, the country has both internal and external problem frustrate any substantially the internal problem manifest themselves in the nature of in appropriate economic measure, like deficit budgeting, over-valued exchange rate huge external debts, unemployment, using population, inflation on and other externally most developing countries like over depended on the developed countries. It is in view of this ugly trend that the government has takes a gigantic step to bring development to the grass root so as to abridge the socio-economic gaps between the rural and urban dwellers, and also to help resuscitated he Nigeria economy, this use of co-operative societies among other strategies. Co-
operative are believed to be the best organ to bring development to the grass root. Most state urban and rural area are not that developed despite the presence of co-operative societies based on this, the researcher tends to trance the effect of co-operative society asa development strategy in two state and Orlu L.G.A. in participate.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of the study is to determine the effect of co-
operatives toward development of the rural government area.

The specific Objectives are to:

1. Determine the roles of co-operative in the area of study.

2. Identify the various societies existing in the area under school.

3. Identify the strategies for rural development in the study area.

4.Determine the problems facing the co-operative in the area.

5.Proffer solution to the identified problems in the study area.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What are roles of co-operative in the area of study?

What are the various problem encountered by co-operative societies?

3. What part does the government play in promoting co-operative societies?

4. What are the problem facing the co-operative in the study area?

5. What are the possible solutions to all identified problems in the study area?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCES OF THE STUDY

These are the significance:

This would equally sensitize the populace and the members of a co-operative enterprise, to enhance extent, in the development objective of a co-operative enterprise.

The findings of this study with the relevance to various communities who desire development objective of a co-operative enterprise.

The finding of this study will be relevance to various communities who desire development but have not established any viable co-operative society in their area.

Which also be of relevance of the Nigeria policy makers in their nature development plans by bring out the importance of co- operatives society in fostering development in rural area.

5. Lastly, this study on its finding will be of educationally importance to the various universities, polytechnics, researcher department in the various schools to enhance the study of co- operatives.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY

The researcher will limit this study to the effect of co-operative towards rural development of Imo State. A case study of Orlu Local Government Area.

The Limitations of this Study Area

Time

Finance

Attitude of the respondents

Time: Is a problem because my case study is far from the place my school is located, so the time to go back to get the information invent for the project is not there.

Finance: As a student you depend on your parent or guidance for money, it became a problem, because money is need to get more information on the topic.

Attitude of the respondents: Some of the staff of the question that we ask so base on that it affected the information that would have benefited the write up positively.