Edo State Warns Unregistered Cooperatives, Do the Needful, Register to Become Fully Functional

…Calls For More Collaboration  With Cooperatives Societies

…Warns Against Refusing To Make Their Books Available For Auditing 

…To Enhance the Skills and Knowledge of Cooperative Members via Training and Workshops

In his opening address on Wednesday,  Patrick Iria Uanseru, Edo State Commissioner of Businesses, Trade, and Cooperatives (MBTC), said during an all-stakeholders meeting with executive members of cooperative societies at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) Benin City that, in line with the Make Edo Great Again (MEGA) vision of the executive governor of Edo State, Dr. Godwin Obaseki, cooperatives across the state, must rise up to their responsibilities for the socio-economic development of Edo State.

Providing an overview of the ministry’s mission, goals, and key initiatives for cooperatives in the state, called for more collaborative efforts with the ministry from all cooperative societies operating within the State.

The MBTC Commissioner spoke on the significance of accountability and transparency, stating that the state frowned at situations where cooperatives blatantly go against the law by refusing to make their books available for auditing.

He raised the issue of groups disguising themselves as cooperatives and warned them to stop that sharp practice. “Unregistered cooperatives parading themselves as fully functional cooperatives must desist and do the needful by getting registered with the ministry,” the commissioner said.

After his remarks, during the interactive session, the Executives and Representatives from various Cooperative Societies shared insights into their respective Societies, highlighting their contributions to the local economy and the challenges they were facing.

These challenges included access to finance, technical training, marketing support, and infrastructure. etc.

There were various contributions on how the Ministry and cooperatives could collaborate effectively. Several potential areas of collaboration were also identified.

In response to some of the issues raised by the representatives of the Cooperative Societies in the state, the MBTC Honorable Commissioner said, addressing the issue of finance, the ministry has proposed the establishment of a cooperative partnership with financial institutions to facilitate easier access to loans and grants for cooperative members in the state.

He also said, on the issue of capacity building, the Ministry will be organizing pieces of training and workshops to enhance the skills and knowledge of cooperative members, focusing on areas such as business management, financial literacy, and modern agriculture, as well as strategies for marketing cooperative products both locally and internationally.

He further suggested organizing trade fairs, and exhibitions, also linking cooperatives with potential buyers.

Hon. Uanseru gave the assurance that his Ministry is committed to advocating policies that will promote and protect cooperative interests. He expressed enthusiasm about the potential impact of the collaborative efforts and thanked the cooperative executives and representatives in attendance for their valuable input.

He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to working closely with the cooperatives to achieve shared goals.

At the end of the meeting, a joint action plan was drafted, outlining specific steps and timelines for collaboration. These among others included regular stakeholder meetings to monitor progress and address challenges; development of training programs tailored to cooperative needs; identification of suitable markets for cooperative products.

Present at the meeting were key Cooperative Stakeholders in the State, Senior Officials of the Ministry, the Director of Cooperative Services, Officials and President of the Edo Cooperative Federation Ltd, and other several Representatives and Executives of Cooperative Societies operating within the State