The Nigerian Co-operative Law: Taking the Baton from P.A. Oluyede

Abstract

Some of the challenges hindering the development of co-operatives and their governing laws 
in Nigeria are the inadequacy of literature, and the lack of standardized classification on the 
subject of co-operative law. With the aim to identify and espouse relevant literature on the 
subject matter, this paper seeks to collect, collate and review the relevant literature. A classic 
was identified in the work of P.A. Oluyede (1988) Nigeria Administrative Law, in chapter four, 
entitled “Public Corporations, and Public Enterprises.” Among other findings, the learned 
author dedicated the chapter to the historical development of Nigerian co-operative societies 
and their governing laws, situated cooperatives as public enterprises, and made 
recommendations. Furthermore, it was observed that there have been few contributions within 
the annals of the Nigerian academic and research community on co-operative law. Thus, 
Oluyede’s classics retains its position as a primary reference material for the modernization 
of the Nigerian cooperative law and sets the path for its standardization. However, supposedly 
consequential development has remained elusive, hence the imperatives to build on some of 
the positions espoused in Oluyede’s chapter in view of current realities. Although P.A 
Oluyede’s contribution retains its position as a top-notch reference material, some of the 
positions canvassed are no longer applicable to Nigerian co-operatives, hence the need to 
review Nigerian cooperative law as recommended.