MEET: Idris Ali Sani – The Current Federal Director of Cooperatives in Nigeria

…His appointment is certainly a Round Peg in a Round Hole

The Federal Department of Cooperatives (FDC) is the National Regulatory Body recognized by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the Nigerian Cooperative Societies Act Cap. N98 LFN 2004 was saddled with the responsibility of registering, supervising, monitoring, and ensuring compliance with this Act by operators of National Apex Cooperative Organizations and Societies within Nigeria.

The head of this body is the Federal Director of Cooperatives (FDC) and we have a new man at the helm of affairs at the department in person of Idris Ali Sani.

The Director, Idris Ali Sani, started his civil service career within the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a Senior Registrar of Cooperatives and grew along the civil service cadre getting promotions upon promotions until he became a full-fledged Director in the federal civil service.

Prior to his ascension, as the current Federal Director of Cooperatives, of course, which has been described the best being a round peg, in a round hole based on the experiences and expertise he has garnered over the years, by leading most of the Divisions within the Department, from being the Head of the Enterprise Promotion Division, to Head the Cooperative Policy and Programme Division, Also, served as the Head of Education and Training Division. He has also, acted as the Federal Director of Cooperatives sometime from September 2018 to December 2019. This has made him the one and only FDC in recent times that had all these extensive practical cooperative experiences and expertise that are needed to drive the Cooperative policy and the ecosystem in Nigeria at this particular period we are in.

Idris Ali Sani was born in the late sixties, in Daura Katsina State of Nigeria. His primary and secondary education was at Walawa Primary School and Government College both in Daura Town respectively.

He further attended the College of Education Kafanchan from 1983 to 1986 to hone his professional teaching Skills as an educator.

Director Sani, as he is fondly called by staff attended the University of Maiduguri from 1990 – 1995, after graduation went to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Delta State and after the camping was redeployed to Kaduna State to finish his mandatory service year.

At Kaduna he was posted to the Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank (NACB) now rebranded as the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) where he garnered some banking skills and financial literacy rudiments.

After the Completion of his NYSC assignment. He was employed by the Federal Civil Service Commission in 1999 as Senior Registrar of Cooperatives in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In that capacity, He went to the Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna, where he obtained a postgraduate Professional Diploma in Cooperatives as he continues to grow along the civil service ladder up to his present rank of Director effective from January 2021 to date.

For the Department to have one of their own within the Ministry become the Federal Director of Cooperatives, is a thing of joy, unlike what we used to have in the last few years down the lane. Hence, this appointment is seen as a round peg in a round hole for the Department and we know it is a new dawn for it, because, in recent years, the FDC has gotten about three Federal Directors who are from separate fields of expertise to head the department.

Director Sani, over the years within the department, has led most of the Divisions. He has headed the Enterprise Promotion Division, and the Cooperative Policy and Programme Division and also served as the Head of the Education and Training Division, He has acted in this capacity as the Federal Director of Cooperatives sometime from September 2018 to December 2019.

He is an experienced and seasoned Cooperative Officer who has traveled around the world, wide and near to attend several Cooperative Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars in Nairobi – Kenya, Harare Zimbabwe, Kigali Rwanda including various cooperative activities in Nigeria, and promoted the registration of many National Apex Cooperative Organizations and Societies including Nigeria Women Cooperative Federation Alliance (NIWCOFA).

Director Sani is a happily married man who understands and holds family values in high esteem, He loves and cares for his wives and children.