FG moves to revamp, eliminate fake cooperative societies

Daniel Adaji, Abuja

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to overhauling Nigeria’s cooperative societies, vowing to eliminate fake and corrupt entities that exploit innocent citizens.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, disclosed this in Kaduna at the National Intensive Training Workshop for trustees, management committees, and managers of cooperative societies in Nigeria.

In a statement on Thursday, the Minister emphasised that fraudulent cooperatives will no longer have a place in the sector. He assured stakeholders that decisive actions were being taken to restore credibility.

“As we embark on the Renewed Hope Agenda for the cooperative sector, we are serious about overhauling the system through our reform and revamp program. We aim to bring innovation by renovating first, revitalizing the sector to restore confidence in the masses and bringing back the glory of the cooperative movement as a force to reckon with in socio-economic development in Nigeria,” he said.

To achieve this, he stated that the National Council on Cooperative Affairs would soon be convened to foster synergy between the Federal Government and state cooperative structures.

According to Abdullahi, the reform efforts will include reviewing and amending the Nigeria Cooperative Act to align with global best practices. Additionally, a regulatory framework will be developed to enforce compliance and accountability.

“The reform and revamp will focus on review and amendments of the Nigeria Cooperative Act to bring it up to date with global best practices and the local realities; development of regulatory framework to ensure compliance and due diligence in management of cooperatives; robust stakeholder mapping and analysis to guarantee participation,” he stated.

The Minister also commended the Provost of the Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna, Dr. Ibrahim Auwal, and the Provost of the Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology, Kano, Dr. Mohammed Gwaram, for launching the training initiative.

He acknowledged similar efforts by Federal Cooperative Colleges in Ibadan and Oji-River, aimed at expanding cooperative education to the Western and Eastern geo-political zones.

Speaking at the event, Auwal stressed the significance of the training, describing it as the foundation for a stronger and more transparent cooperative sector.

“The training would mark the beginning of a journey that will equip participants with the essential tools, knowledge, and strategies needed to advance cooperatives and strengthen the communities they serve.”

He added that the workshop would provide both cooperative management principles and modern economic strategies to help participants navigate emerging challenges and opportunities.

The event concluded with an inspection of the Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna, by the Minister, followed by presentations from the provosts of Kaduna and Kano cooperative colleges.