MEDLAB Cooperative Society Holds Constructive Meeting with Nigeria’s Minister in Charge of Cooperatives

…Seek support for their agricultural and Housing projects

At the meeting, the opening formalities were done by Mr. Victor Oyegoke, SA to the Honourable Minister on Cooperatives and Farmers Welfare who introduced the MEDLAB Cooperative delegation who had come for the visitation that the Society President led in person of Mr. IO Benjamin to the Honorable Minister. Afterward, the Minister asked the society to table their agenda for the visit.

Self-introductions were done respectively by everyone at the meeting. The President of the MEDLAD Cooperative Society presented their newly registered national certificate of registration to the HMS.

The MEDLAB Cooperative President then spoke about the moderate successes and achievements of the  Cooperative Society so far since its inception which includes the following:

1. The successful cultivation of 9 hectares of beans farm in Yobe State being managed by agricultural experts and insured.

2. Processing and acquisition of 100 hectares of land in Kuje, Abuja  for the proposed MEDLAB Estate.

3. Ongoing cultivation of another 50 hectares of land for beans and soya-beans in the same plot of land in Kuje.

4. Development of a sophisticated Cooperative App and an Estate App – thereby automating processes.

The President further informed the HMS of some of the areas where the assistance of the office of the HMS is needed which is the main reason for the visit and solicited support of the HMS in the following two major areas that include:

1. Assistance with acquisition of farm inputs such as seedlings, pests control AGENTS and small machinery for agriculture at subsidized rates.

2. Facilitating the processing of all documents for the Kuje landed property with the FCDA since the Cooperative Society only currently has the FCT area council papers.

The President further reiterated that the land property is interior, access road is a challenge so the Cooperative Society would need the assistance of the HMS on some of the ventures such as grading of the access roads and construction of small bridges which are too heavy for the Cooperative Society to handle at this time.

The President of the Cooperative Society also appealed for the intervention of the HMS on Bank of Agriculture to partner with the Cooperative Society to be able to access grants and soft loans to further boost the Cooperative’ s agribusinesses.

In response, the HMS welcomed the delegates of the cooperative society and congratulated MEDLAB Cooperatives for their achievements so far. And to further encouraged the Cooperative to look inward and evolve with innovations and creativity, He cited an innovation now operating in other climes, particularly in India where they now have Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) where the FPOs are registered under the Cooperative Act and the FPCs under the CAMA kind of laws in India.

He further explained the basic features and differences in FPOs and Farmer Cooperatives that here we are still operating with our old Coop Act that Limits membership shares not be transferable to a third party, hence hindering the growth and not allowing investors to come in but for FPOs their shares are transferable and another can take up the shares of another.

The HMS further advised that the Cooperative Society stay focused to on the core mandates of the Cooperative Society by having subsidiaries registered in cooperatives like Housing, Agriculture etc. and not go to Corporate Affairs Commission to register if the cooperatives wants support from his ministry that it is only cooperative society that they can assist and not businesses registered under CAC.

He then urged the President to work closely with members who are honest and truthful to the byelaws of the Cooperative Society. And the Executives should work with 100% transparency and accountability.

He also stated that the MEDLAB Homes and Properties Ltd as a business is not in line with the constitutional provisions that a civil servant working with the government cannot operate a business, hence, the real estate business should be duly registered as a separate Housing and Real Estate Cooperative Society Limited that would be subsidiary of the MEDLAB Cooperatives.

Meanwhile, the HMS pledged his guidance to the Cooperative Society accelerated achievements in order of the forecast of his office.

Conclusively, the President of the Cooperative Society expressed his appreciation on behalf of all members of the Cooperative Society to the HMS and assured him that the Cooperative would streamline with all his observations and instructions.

We have at the meeting the following personalities from the minister’s team Victor Oyegoke (SA to the HMS on Cooperatives and Farmers Welfare, and  Dr. Edet Ekong SA Technical to the HMS and others from the MEDLAB Cooperative Presidents Team; MLS Patrick Eneji (MD MHPL), MLS Obiageli Benson (VP NAMCSL, North Central), MLS Ifeoma Akueche ( NAMCSL Management Committee Member) and MLS Sidikat Oshiafi (EA to President of NAMCSL).

The meeting ended with a group photograph by the team with the Honorable Minister.