Study of Members’ Knowledge of Cooperative Principles in Fishermen’s Cooperatives in Akwa Ibom State

Members who understand cooperative principles are better positioned to contribute to cooperative democracy, hold leaders accountable, and derive full value from their membership. This study assessed the level of knowledge of cooperative principles among fishermen's cooperative members in Akwa Ibom State, South South Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with 180 members from fourteen fishermen's cooperatives in Eket, Eastern Obolo, and Oron LGAs completing structured questionnaires. Knowledge was assessed across the seven ICA cooperative principles using a validated 35-item knowledge inventory, with scores categorised as high, moderate, or low. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were employed. Results showed that only 26.1 percent of respondents demonstrated high knowledge of cooperative principles. Knowledge of voluntary and open membership and democratic control was moderate in 47.8 percent of members, while knowledge of cooperative education, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community was low for the majority. Knowledge scores were significantly higher for members who had attended formal cooperative education sessions (F = 18.4; p < 0.001) and for those who had been members for more than five years. The study concludes that cooperative principle knowledge is inadequate among fishermen's cooperative members in Akwa Ibom, undermining democratic governance. Recommendations include formalised induction training for new members, regular knowledge refresher sessions, and development of audio-visual cooperative education materials in Ibibio and Annang languages. Keywords: cooperative principles knowledge, fishermen's cooperatives, Akwa Ibom State, cooperative education, South South Nigeria