THE ROLE OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL SCALE ENTERPRISE(A SURVEY OF SOME SELECTED COOPERATIVES IN UVWIE L.G.A)

This study is on the role of cooperative society in the development of small scale enterprise. Cooperative is an autonomous association of persons limited voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly – owned and democratically controlled enterprise. The objective of the study is to highlight the role of cooperative societies in the development of small scale enterprise, and to find out how cooperative assist small enterprise and to identify the techniques used by cooperatives in the development of small scale enterprise. The survey design is adopted for this study; the population of this study is all cooperative societies in Uvwie local government area of delta state. While a sample size of 70 respondents were selected using simple random sampling technique. The questionnaire is used for data collection which was validated by the project supervisor before being administered to the respondent; the data collected were analyzed using the simple percentage method. The findings of the study revealed that cooperative societies play is very significant role in the development of small scale enterprise. In conclusion it is realized that the role of cooperative societies in the development of small scale enterprises cannot be over emphasized. It was recommended that the government should provide the enabling environment for cooperative societies to perform effectively and finally the study suggested that a similar study be carried out in other local government areas.