BACKGROUND  OF THE STUDY

       The subject, self reliance and small scale enterprises is a topical one an becomes even so when allied with the co-operatives. This is because there is continuity decrease there is continuity decrease of resources, particularly of the third world. There is constant screech for all sort of needles, including the co-operatives to deals with small and large scale firms.

       In this research, all effort are made to explain the concept and developments of self – reliance with special reference to the co-operatives societies the performance of the co-operatives in the attainment of set objectives, the problems encountered and the prospects for future.

       Self – reliance is an expression, which has over time generated a lot of interest and has become conceptually and practically, attractive, particularly in developing countries wrestling with the economic for its of meeting numerous needs with limited resources.

       A form Nigeria head of state and presently Nigeria president once stated, “While it is the day of government to ensure that our production capacity is qualitative and quantitatively improved, the citizen to must retrieve their taste buds for those things we do not produce (Obasanjo 1978)

       Self reliance is one of those euphemistic terms sounded about like bridging the gap, meeting basic needs and eco-development in the international efforts to reduce world hunger, diseases, unemployment and generate poverty.

       The topic was generated a lot of interest among writers and defines as “the ability to use ones own forces”

       As government job witness contraction in the fact of present economic circumstance and as well as salaries diminished, and all these bring accompanied by inflationary tendencies, self employment is now considered the voque for sustainable existence nowadays. The retrenched, unemployment, retired including those who re-signed for salaries job, now look up to self employed as the only saving grace.

       Private enterprises, especially indigenous small scale firms, have a vital role to play in promoting the social and economic well being of the nation. Hence indigenous entrepreneurship is likely to be much more recognized and much more heralded strategy of industrial development in development countries and managerial skills.

       Increased productivity, natural income, market leadership, gigantic technological innovative of the sagacity of Japan, America and other developed countries are based on the foundation held by small scale industries.

       Although, economics activities of developed and developing countries and sometimes viewed to be eliminated by large scale business such as cocacla, Toyota, Although, economic activities of developed and developing countries are sometimes viewed to be eliminated by large scale business such as cocoa – cola, Toyota, Itonda, AUC, John Holt e.t.c. however, it is important to note that the present sat giant companies were once small scale industries which grew over the years to become grant companies.