The Federal Government has unveiled plans to digitise cooperative societies across Nigeria, a move aimed at modernising operations, strengthening governance and improving transparency in more than 30,000 registered cooperatives nationwide.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, announced the initiative in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting on the review of the Nigerian Cooperative Societies Act, Cap N98 LFN 2004.
According to the minister, digitalisation will transform cooperative operations by ensuring transparent financial reporting, accurate record-keeping and efficient administration, while reducing fraud and improving service delivery.
“Digitalisation will strengthen cooperative institutions, increase trust, improve service delivery, reduce fraud, and unlock new opportunities across the cooperative economy,” Abdullahi said.
He noted that when properly structured and supported, cooperative societies could become powerful instruments for capital mobilisation, inclusive growth and shared wealth creation.
Abdullahi, who is spearheading the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP), said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of mobilising all sectors of the economy to achieve a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
Describing the RH-CRRP as a bold and transformational national framework, the minister said it is designed to reposition cooperatives as key drivers of community wealth creation, poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth.
He explained that the reform programme prioritises digital registration, the creation of a national cooperative database, a digital membership identification system, electronic documentation, and improved administration, filings and reporting processes.
“Cooperatives must no longer be treated as a side activity. They are strategic institutions capable of mobilising capital, empowering citizens, creating jobs, driving agricultural productivity and strengthening the national economy,” Abdullahi said.
While acknowledging the contributions of the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN) and International IDEA, the minister stressed that the initiative must be led by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), which has the statutory mandate to supervise cooperative development in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the ministry has fixed a date for a broader harmonisation process to consolidate inputs from the stakeholders’ meeting and parallel technical work into a final national reform document.
According to him, the document will align with the International Cooperative Alliance–Africa Model Cooperative Law and the Africa Ministerial Declaration and Action Plan, which Nigeria co-signed during the 14th Africa Ministerial Cooperative Conference (AMCCO) held in Kenya in October 2025.
Abdullahi also announced that International IDEA will join the Coalition of the Willing (CoW)—a group of credible partners supporting the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme.
He commended the Federal Department of Cooperatives and other key stakeholders for their role in advancing the reform agenda.
Speaking at the meeting, the President of the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Mrs. Hannatu Mershak, described digitalisation as a strategic necessity rather than a cosmetic innovation.
“Digitisation is not just innovation for innovation’s sake. It is for efficiency, for integrity, for inclusion, and for sustainable growth,” she said.
Mershak added that the initiative would strengthen cooperative institutions, deepen trust among members, enhance service delivery and unlock new opportunities across Nigeria’s cooperative ecosystem.
