Empirical Investigation of Gender Differences in Cooperative Leadership and Organisational Outcomes in South West Nigeria

The relationship between gender diversity in cooperative leadership and organisational outcomes remains underexplored in the Nigerian context, where cultural norms and institutional practices interact to shape the representation of women in cooperative management. This study empirically investigated the relationship between female representation in cooperative leadership and organisational outcomes in South West Nigeria. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, with 50 cooperative societies from Lagos, Oyo, and Osun States classified by the proportion of women in elected leadership positions: male-dominated (below 30 percent female), mixed (30 to 60 percent), and female-led (above 60 percent). For each cooperative, governance quality scores, financial performance metrics, member satisfaction ratings, and social programme delivery were assessed through structured questionnaires administered to 300 members and document analysis of three-year accounts. ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests compared outcomes across leadership gender categories. Results showed that cooperatives in the mixed and female-led categories had significantly higher governance quality scores than male-dominated cooperatives (p < 0.01). Member satisfaction was highest in female-led cooperatives (mean 4.1 out of 5.0). Social programme delivery was significantly more active in cooperatives with high female leadership representation. Financial performance showed no significant difference by gender leadership category. The study contributes empirical gender-leadership evidence from the South West cooperative sector and recommends gender parity targets as part of cooperative governance standards in South West state-level cooperative regulations. Keywords: gender diversity, cooperative leadership, organisational outcomes, South West Nigeria, cooperative governance