Abstract: | The focus of the present study relates to an examination of how a nationalist government (and subsequent indigenous governments) conceived of cooperation as a concept of political mobilisation for grassroot involvement in development programmes. The necessary legal, administrative and financial-structures established to effect this ideal are examined, as is the extent to which the government machineries have achieved the ideals of the government's policy. Reasons for shortcomings are discussed. The data for the study are extracted from a survey of cooperative societies, cooperators, cooperative officials (elected and employed) and government officials handling cooperative matters which was carried out in 1974 in Ekiti and Ijesa areas of the then Western State of Nigeria. Fig., notes, tab. |