Assessment of Women Agribusiness Cooperatives in Oyo State, Nigeria

The performance of women agribusiness cooperatives in Oyo State, Nigeria was assessed in this study. The study employed a multi-stage sampling technique to select 6 women cooperative groups (aggregating to 175 individuals); 36 individual women; and 4 institutions across 6 LGAs in two agricultural zones of the State. Findings show that majority (55.6%) of the respondents belong to processing organization and 86.1% participate in community development activities. Various benefits were indicated by the respondents as being gained from cooperative membership. Such benefits include access to credit (51.1%), access to group assets (34%), and financial assistance by the group (14.9%). A considerable number (52.8%) of the respondents did not receive any training. Majority (63.9%, 58.3%, and 55.6%) of the respondents indicated the need for training in cassava value addition, marketing strategies, and agribusiness management respectively. Drudgery (100%), inadequate capital (97.2%), and low return on investment (88.9%) were rated highest among the constraints militating the performance of the cooperatives. The major problems inhibiting women participation in agribusiness cooperatives identified in the study should be ameliorated using appropriate policy options. Government should engender commitment through appropriate legislative appropriation and budget. Also, Government should ensure that regular training and appropriate gender-sensitive technologies are provided for women agricultural activities through relevant research and extension agencies.