The Role of Cooperative Societies in Reducing Unemployment Among Youth in Kaduna State

Youth unemployment is a critical socioeconomic challenge in northern Nigeria, and cooperative societies have been identified as potential mechanisms for creating self-employment and economic inclusion for young people. This study examined the role of cooperative societies in addressing youth unemployment in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 180 youth cooperative members and 20 cooperative registrars from Kaduna North, Kaduna South, and Igabi Local Government Areas. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Results showed that 62.2 percent of surveyed youth had joined cooperative societies primarily as a livelihood strategy following inability to secure formal employment. Business types supported through cooperatives included tailoring, poultry farming, and small-scale trading. Youth members who had been cooperative members for more than two years reported significantly higher monthly earnings than new members. However, limited start-up capital, inadequate managerial skills, and weak access to markets constrained cooperative-driven employment creation. Only 28.9 percent of youth cooperatives had received any government support or training within the preceding three years. The study concludes that cooperatives offer viable but under-supported pathways to youth employment creation in Kaduna State. Recommendations include targeted state government funding for youth cooperative start-ups, vocational training integration, and formal linkage of youth cooperatives to existing enterprise development programmes under the Kaduna State Investment Promotion Agency.

Keywords: youth unemployment, cooperative societies, Kaduna State, self-employment, North West Nigeria