An Analytical Study of the Determinants of Member Exit from Cooperative Societies in Kano State

Member attrition is a significant problem facing cooperative societies in northern Nigeria, eroding the membership base, capital, and social capital that cooperative effectiveness depends on. This study analytically examined the determinants of member exit from cooperative societies in Kano State, North West Nigeria. A retrospective cohort analytical design was adopted, sampling 240 members who had exited cooperatives in the preceding three years and 240 currently active members from the same cooperatives in Kano Municipal, Dala, and Ungogo LGAs. A structured questionnaire measured service satisfaction, financial return perceptions, governance confidence, social capital, and competing financial alternatives as potential exit predictors. Binary logistic regression with propensity score matching was used to control for selection bias and identify independent exit determinants. Results showed that dissatisfaction with loan accessibility was the strongest exit predictor (OR 5.8; p < 0.001), followed by perceived governance failures (OR 4.2; p < 0.001) and availability of fintech savings alternatives (OR 3.1; p < 0.01). Members with longer tenure (above five years) had significantly lower exit probability. Social network ties within the cooperative significantly reduced exit probability (OR 0.31; p < 0.001). The study fills a significant research gap in cooperative member retention analysis in northern Nigeria, providing empirical evidence on the relative importance of service quality, governance, and competitive factors in driving exit behaviour, and recommends targeted retention strategies prioritising loan accessibility improvement and governance communication. Keywords: member exit, cooperative attrition, member retention, Kano State, cooperative societies