Project Report from the year 2021 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 96, Seinöjoki University of Applied Sciences - Finnish School of SME Business Administration Kauhava (Polytechnic), course: Business ADMINISTRATION management, language: English, abstract: The study examined the role of cooperative societies in the development of rural areas in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue state. The study was guided by four research questions, four objectives and two hypotheses. The need to develop the rural area has received the attention of many experts and researchers as well as the government in recent times. This is because rural areas constitute a large population with serious bottlenecks to the socio-economic development of the country as well as the communities. Rural development according to Atkinson (2018) involves efforts that are economic and social in nature intended to encourage concepts of retention, growth and expansion in areas outside cities including improving quality of life for rural residents through such activities.