Assessment of socio-economic characteristics of community based organizations in alleviating poverty in Edo state, Nigeria

Abstract

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) are voluntary, non-profit, and highly localized institutions, with the objective of improving the socio-economic well-being of members. This study adopts a multi-stage sampling procedure, which combines purposive sampling and random sampling to select two local government areas of Igueben and Ikpoba-Okha of Edo State. The instrument of the study – structured questionnaire - is divided into two sections of A and B. They solicit responses on the socio-economic characteristics and medium of information/constraints respectively. It found that there is an unstable decrease in the trend of establishment of CBOs overtime, with membership mostly between 1 -100 people, who mostly engaged in agriculture. It also finds that membership contribution is the most source of finance, while their sources of information are mostly neighbours and festivals. The highest constraints facing the CBOs are embezzlement and corruption. All is not well to enable them play the role of alleviating poverty because of the monumental problems they face, especially as members dwell in the rural areas. It recommends that the government should step in many ways; as such interventions will mean much improvement.

Keywords: Socio-cultural, Characteristics, Neighbours, Festivals, Community, Nigeria