ABUJA, February 8, 2026 — The Government of Nigeria has announced plans to overhaul the country’s cooperative sector through a comprehensive digitalisation drive aimed at modernising operations, improving governance, and enhancing financial transparency.
The reforms, which will affect more than 30,000 registered cooperative societies nationwide, are intended to help authorities identify fraudulent entities and ensure that government funding and support schemes reach legitimate organisations.
The minister of agriculture and food security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, unveiled the plans at a stakeholders’ meeting on the review of the Nigerian Cooperative Societies Act.
“Digitalisation will strengthen cooperative institutions, increase trust, improve service delivery, reduce fraud, and unlock new opportunities across the cooperative economy,” Abdullahi said.
He described digitalisation as a central pillar of the proposed reforms, noting that it would enable better oversight and accountability within the sector. Planned measures include digital registration of cooperatives, the creation of a national cooperative database, digital membership identification systems, and the adoption of electronic documentation.
Abdullahi said cooperatives should be recognised as strategic institutions capable of mobilising capital, empowering citizens, creating jobs, driving agricultural productivity, and boosting economic growth.
He added that the revised legal framework would align Nigeria’s cooperative sector with international and continental standards.
“This document will align with the International Cooperative Alliance–Africa Model Cooperative Law and the Africa Ministerial Declaration and Action Plan,” he said. “Nigeria co-signed these instruments with other African countries in Kenya during the 14th Africa Ministerial Cooperative Conference in October 2025.”
https://thecooperator.news/coops-in-nigeria-s-edo-state-to-be-revitalised-official/
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