Abstract

This work, Historicizing Cooperative Societies as a Growth Mechanism in Africa: Lessons from JOSTUMCOOPS and Otabo Savings and Loans as institutional and group based Cooperative Societies 2000-2025, aims at reconstructing the historical existence of Cooperative Societies, from the background of the Industrial Revolution era, spanning through its spread to Africa, Nigeria and Benue State in particular, with emphasis on JOSTUMCOOPS and Otabo Savings and Loans, between the period 2000 and 2025. The paper intends to bridge the gap between the global international cooperative societies and JOSTUMCOOPS as well as Otabo savings and Loans in areas of funding of members, embracing technology in improving efficiency and connectivity. This paper contends the identification of giant strides of the cooperative societies on the organizational work force of the institution, unraveling their ability to meet the global aim for cooperatives. The researchers employed multidisciplinary approach to carry out this research. Indeed, the researchers’ quest is to fill the gap of inadequate literature on the subject matter especially on study cases such as these. Among the many cooperatives within the study area, most of them failed to exist beyond ten years while the study cases have proven to weather the storm beyond twenty years hence the choice of researching on their origin, constitutions and operational guidelines as well as their impact on members and their immediate communities. In addition, the paper maintains that cooperative societies when effectively and prudently operated can improve the fortunes of their members over time and serve as real growth opportunities as exemplified in the operations of the studied cooperative societies. Findings have shown that the cooperative societies have impacted positively on the institutional work force, even though with some identifiable shortcomings.