KOGI, September 4, 2026 — The Kogi State Government has begun the digital transformation of the state’s cooperative sector, with all registered societies set to undergo mandatory data revalidation before receiving automated digital certificates.
The reform is being implemented by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its Directorate of Cooperative Societies as part of efforts to improve transparency, accountability and efficiency in the administration of cooperatives.
The announcement was made in Lokoja during the 2026 Training Workshop for registered cooperative societies across the state, held at the State Secretariat Conference Hall under the theme, “Towards Strengthening Cooperatives for Sustainable Development in Kogi State.”
The workshop brought together representatives of cooperative societies operating across ministries, departments and agencies, professional organisations and grassroots trade groups.
The initiative is also being aligned with the Federal Government’s Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and the emerging national digital framework for cooperatives.
Chairing the workshop, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Hajia Sualihat Musa Amana, said cooperatives remained an important mechanism for delivering economic empowerment at grassroots level.
She said cooperatives enable members to access credit, benefit from collective purchasing power, organise marketing activities and develop disciplined savings, opportunities that individual members may find difficult to secure on their own.
But Amana said the administration of cooperatives in Kogi must now move away from manual systems.
She announced that the ministry was transitioning to a fully digitised cooperative registration system as part of the state government’s broader modernisation programme.
“All existing cooperative societies will be required to undergo a mandatory data revalidation exercise,” she said.
Societies whose records are successfully verified will receive automated digital certificates, replacing the existing manual certification process.
Amana urged cooperative leaders to participate in the revalidation exercise when it begins, warning that genuine and active societies risk being excluded from the new system if they fail to update and verify their records.
She also stressed that the adoption of technology should not undermine the fundamental principles of cooperation, including voluntary participation, democratic control, self-help, equality and solidarity.
National digital framework
Director of Cooperatives, Alhaji Tenimu Momoh, briefed participants on a national workshop for Directors of Cooperatives from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, held from August 11 to 14, 2026.
The workshop, held under the leadership of the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, focused on Nigeria’s Cooperative Digital Transformation Programme and the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria.
Momoh said a major milestone was reached on August 12, when the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the framework for the national digitalisation programme.
Under the system, registered cooperative societies are expected to receive a Cooperative Verification Number [CVN], while individual members will receive a Cooperative Identification Number [Coop ID].
The system is intended to create a reliable and verifiable database of cooperative societies and their members, while addressing gaps in documentation and identity verification.
The reforms could also make it easier for cooperatives to access formal financial services, investment opportunities and wider markets.
The Kogi State Government, under Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, has pledged to work with the cooperative sector to strengthen its operations and improve its contribution to economic development.
Ministry warns against unauthorised directives
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry also used the workshop to tighten administrative procedures and protect cooperative societies from fraudulent or unauthorised instructions.
Amana said all official correspondence addressed to the ministry must be directed to the Honourable Commissioner.
She added that correspondence issued by the ministry would only be valid if signed by either the Commissioner or the Permanent Secretary.
The measure, she said, was intended to protect cooperative societies from unauthorised directives, fraud and impersonation.
Amana commended the Cooperative Directorate for what she described as transparency and integrity, saying institutional safeguards should remain in place regardless of changes in personnel.
Poor governance threatens cooperatives
The workshop also examined the challenges affecting the sustainability of cooperative societies.
In a presentation titled “Why Some Cooperative Societies Are Struggling to Survive in Nigeria,” Chief Ibikunle Medubi identified poor governance and weak financial discipline among the major threats to cooperatives.
He cited financial opacity among executive committees, indiscriminate approval of loans without assessing members’ ability to repay, unauthorised sitting allowances, persistent loan defaults and members’ reluctance to hold leaders accountable.
Medubi urged cooperative societies to elect leaders with proven integrity, properly screen prospective members, comply with their bye-laws and impose effective sanctions on loan defaulters.
He also advised societies to protect their liquidity by prioritising appropriate short-term investments instead of committing funds to risky long-term ventures.
He said a cooperative that could not provide loans to qualified members when due or pay annual dividends was showing signs of financial distress.
Cooperatives, he said, should not be reduced to institutions that merely collect monthly contributions.
Leaders face statutory responsibilities
Momoh also addressed the statutory responsibilities of cooperative committees and the legal framework governing their operations.
He explained that the committee — comprising the President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer — is the governing body responsible for the affairs of a registered cooperative society.
He outlined eligibility requirements, including a minimum age of 21, and explained circumstances under which committee members could lose office, including insolvency, conviction for offences involving dishonesty and unexplained absence from three consecutive meetings.
Where a vacancy occurs, he said, it must be filled within 14 days.
Committee members are also responsible for representing their societies before public authorities, maintaining accurate financial records, submitting annual reports for audit and, in the case of credit societies, ensuring that loans are used for their approved purposes.
They may also face joint financial responsibility where a society suffers losses as a result of failure to comply with applicable regulations and bye-laws.
From savings groups to economic institutions
The reforms mark a significant shift in how Kogi intends to manage its cooperative sector, with the state seeking to move societies from largely manual and fragmented systems towards digital records, stronger governance and greater accountability.
With cooperatives providing savings, credit, agricultural support and enterprise development for communities, the success of the digitalisation programme could also influence their ability to connect with formal finance, investment and markets.
The message from the workshop was clear: Kogi wants its cooperative societies properly documented, digitally registered and more accountable.
The state is positioning the sector not only as a savings mechanism but also as a platform for financial inclusion, enterprise development, grassroots economic empowerment and sustainable growth.
The 2026 training workshop therefore marks a shift from paper-based administration towards a more digitally managed and accountable cooperative system.
https://thecooperator.news/nigeria-to-digitalise-cooperative-sector-in-major-reform-drive/
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