Repositioning the Women ‘August Meeting’ in South East Nigeria for Sustainable Development

The Igbo of South East Nigeria are well known for their self help initiatives. After the Nigeria- Biafra war (1967 ? 1970) ravaged populations, homes and infrastructural facilities in the region, town unions mobilized funds for community development. Schools and roads were rebuilt while communities were provided with portable water. In the 1980s when the town unions seemed to have run out of steam, the women of South East Nigeria organized themselves under the aegis of ‘August meeting’ to embark on development projects in the region. More than two decades into the existence of the ‘August meeting’, her score card leaves much to be desired. Employing the political economy paradigm and relying mainly on secondary sources of data this paper critically reappraises the strengths and weakness of the ‘August meeting’ movement to deliver sustainable development in South East Nigeria. The paper suggests realignment towards the formation and management of cooperative societies for skills acquisition as livelihood programs through which the twin goals of women empowerment and community development can be actualized, leading to sustainable development