By Julius Peter, Abuja
The Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion in the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, has urged cooperative societies across Nigeria to translate the knowledge, ideas and experiences gained at the 10th National Cooperative Summit, Exhibition and Awards into practical actions that will improve the lives of their members.
Zauro made the call while speaking with journalists at the 10th National Cooperative Summit, Exhibition and Awards organised by the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN).
The summit, which brought together cooperative stakeholders from different parts of the country, was held with the theme, “Cooperative Reform: Unlocking Cooperative Potentials for Peace, Sustainable Development and Economic Transformation.”
The event also featured side events focused on the participation and empowerment of women and youths in the cooperative movement, reflecting growing calls for broader inclusion in the sector.
Describing the summit as a significant platform for stakeholders, Zauro said the gathering had provided an opportunity for members of cooperative societies from different states to come together, share experiences and deliberate on practical ways of moving the cooperative movement forward.
According to him, the diversity of participants at the summit would enrich discussions and create opportunities for the exchange of ideas that could strengthen cooperative societies across the country.
“This is a very good summit that brings members from different states to discuss how to move the cooperative forward. I congratulate them and wish them fruitful deliberations,” he said.
Zauro expressed optimism that the discussions would generate useful ideas and solutions to some of the challenges confronting cooperative societies.
He noted that participants would have the opportunity to learn from one another, share experiences and acquire knowledge that could be applied in their respective cooperative organisations.
“I believe a lot of issues will be raised in the course of the discussion, and a lot of knowledge sharing and ideas will come,” he said.
He stressed that the real value of the summit would be measured by the ability of participants to take what they had learnt back to their respective cooperatives and use it to improve their operations and services.
“I believe that by the time they go back, all of this knowledge that they will gather from this gathering will help them to go back and do more in their various cooperatives and impact the lives of their members more,” Zauro added.
His comments came against the backdrop of increasing efforts by stakeholders to reposition the cooperative movement as an important vehicle for economic empowerment, financial inclusion and sustainable development.
Cooperative societies have traditionally provided members with opportunities to pool resources, access credit, undertake collective investments and improve their economic wellbeing.
However, stakeholders have continued to emphasise the need for stronger institutions, better access to finance, improved governance and greater adoption of technology if the sector is to meet emerging economic challenges.
Also speaking at the summit, the President of the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, Mrs. Hannatu Mershak, called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders and institutional reforms capable of strengthening the cooperative movement.
Mershak said cooperatives had a critical role to play in promoting peace, sustainable development and Nigeria’s economic transformation.
She stressed the importance of improving access to finance for cooperative societies and their members, noting that financial support remained crucial to enabling cooperatives to expand their activities and contribute more effectively to the economy.
The CFN president also called for greater participation of women and youths in the cooperative movement.
She noted that increased involvement of these groups would help broaden the reach and impact of cooperatives while creating more opportunities for economic empowerment and participation.
Mershak’s position aligns with the focus of the summit, which placed cooperative reform and the empowerment of women and youths at the centre of discussions.
The emphasis on knowledge sharing at the summit reflects the need for cooperative societies to learn from successful practices across different states and adapt them to their own circumstances.
Zauro said bringing cooperative members together from different parts of the country would enable them to compare experiences, discuss challenges and explore new approaches to improving their activities.
Such interaction, he noted, could help cooperative leaders return to their communities with practical knowledge capable of strengthening their organisations and improving the benefits available to members.
The summit therefore provided an avenue for stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges confronting the cooperative movement while exploring strategies for making cooperatives more responsive to the economic realities facing Nigerians.
The inclusion of women and youth-focused activities at the summit also highlighted the importance of expanding participation in the cooperative movement.
Stakeholders have increasingly recognised the need to create platforms through which young Nigerians and women can access economic opportunities, financial services, skills and collective support.
Greater participation of these groups in cooperative societies could also provide opportunities for leadership development, entrepreneurship and community-level economic empowerment.
For the CFN, ensuring that women and youths are adequately represented in the cooperative movement is part of the broader effort to make cooperatives more inclusive and responsive to the needs of their members.
The discussions at the 10th National Cooperative Summit come at a time when stakeholders are seeking new approaches to strengthening cooperative societies and expanding their contribution to Nigeria’s economic development.
For Zauro, the gathering represents more than an opportunity for speeches and deliberations, as participants are expected to return to their respective cooperative societies with ideas that can produce tangible improvements.
He urged participants to maximise the knowledge and experiences gained during the summit and apply them to the challenges facing their members.
The summit, according to stakeholders, could therefore serve as a catalyst for renewed collaboration, institutional strengthening and greater economic participation through cooperative societies.
As discussions continue around cooperative reform, access to finance and inclusion of women and youths, stakeholders are expected to translate the resolutions and ideas generated at the summit into concrete initiatives that will strengthen cooperatives and improve the economic wellbeing of their members.
