CFN Kicks off Enumeration of Cooperative Data: Pilots with OGSCOFED

The President of the International Cooperative Alliance – Africa (ICA-AFRICA) and Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN), High Chief Tajudeen Oriyomi Ayeola has announced the commencement of the enumeration of Cooperative Data.

Speaking on Thursday 6th April 2023 at the Cooperative House, ‘Tayo Sobanjo building, Asero, Abeokuta, Ogun State, High Chief Ayeola said “Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN) in conjunction with her technical and development partner in technology – Africoopers in-Tech is conducting a National Cooperative Enumeration to meet the extant challenges of the cooperative sector and meeting one of the core objectives of the Africa Cooperative Development Strategy (ACDS) – 2033.

“Data is vital for good governance, policy development and monitoring, follow-up, positioning to compete for the top 300 Cooperatives in the globe and reviewing processes for the National Cooperative Act in addition to the Africa Cooperative Development Strategy (ACDS) – 2033. Data contributes to inclusive Cooperative development and poverty reduction, regulating processes and instilling best practices. The project seeks to strengthen the capacity of the Federal Department of Cooperatives, the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, State Departments of Cooperatives, and the State Cooperative Federation to ensure access to high-quality, timely, reliable, and disaggregated data” he added.

Ayeola further stated that “the strength and capacity of the Department of Cooperatives and State Cooperative Federations vary widely across the six sub-regions in Nigeria. Responding to new and emerging data demands requires a strong and agile national cooperative statistical portal. Strengthening the capacity of the national Cooperative statistical portal requires policy support, resources, and transformative actions that can be accelerated and amplified through regional collaboration and targeted intervention. Consequent upon this, CFN works with stakeholders in implementing targeted intervention at the perceived elephantine cooperative challenges – National cooperative data being one of the lots”.

Mr. Opeyemi representative from Africoopers In-Tech made a presentation on the objectives of the National Cooperative project which are:
To collate current, reliable, and active registers of members, To gather information on cooperatives’ needs and potential activities in line with the Cooperative Act, to create a better local cooperative business environment through realistic data, Matching Validated Active Cooperatives to national and international opportunities and To Make Cooperative Data available on-the-go for decision makers with a view to competitively ferret development opportunities for Cooperative members in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the President of Ogun State Co-operative Federation Limited (OGSCOFED), Alhaji Wasiu Olaleye appreciates the CFN President for choosing Ogun State as the pilot State for the commencement of the project and pledging his support for the project.

Africoopers shall conduct train-the-trainer user training and test for 5 apprenticeships from 11th to 12th April 2023 in Lagos, while the training for the stakeholders will hold on 27th April 2023 at OGSCOFED building, Asero, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The focus of the training would be Online and Correspondence Data entry.