TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE DELIVERED BY THE PRESIDENT OF COOPERATIVE FEDERATION OF NIGERIA (CFN), HIGH CHIEF TAJUDEEN ORIYOMI AYEOLA HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 21ST JUNE, 2023 AT HAWTHORN SUITES, ABUJA.
All praises and adorations to God Almighty for making this press conference a reality.
I welcome and appreciate everyone for honouring our invitation to this Press conference. It is a privilege to brief you on behalf of the Board of Cooperative Federation of Nigeria as we approach the 2023 International Cooperative Day celebrations.
Congratulations
Let me start by congratulating His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR on his inauguration and attainment of the exalted position, as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is honour well deserved. I equally congratulate the Vice President, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima GCON.
2023 International Cooperative Day Theme
The first Saturday of July every year is set aside by International Cooperative Alliance to celebrate International Cooperative Day, this year being the 101st International Cooperative Day. In 1995, United Nations proclaimed the celebration on the centenary of the ICA and this year marks the 29th International Day of Cooperatives by the United Nations.
The aim of the celebration is to increase awareness on the contributions of the cooperative movement to providing solutions to some of the problems besetting the world. The celebration is used to highlight successes and challenges of cooperatives and chart a course of action for further growth and development for the coming years while strategizing to surmount identified challenges.
The theme for this year’s International Cooperative Day is Cooperatives for Sustainable Development. By this theme, we highlight the contributions of cooperatives to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) around the world.
The cooperative movement as one of the oldest and largest business networks was the first group of enterprises worldwide to endorse the SDG’s and be recognized as a partner in achieving these goals. Cooperative is a formidable and resilient business model which puts people rather than profits at the centre of its activities. The Cooperative Movement is a global organization with membership in 107 countries including Nigeria.
In Nigeria, cooperatives are in practically all spheres of human endeavour and all nooks and crannies of our rural and urban areas. Cooperative operations cover agriculture, health, transportation, manufacturing, production, housing and the most widely known, provision of affordable credit facilities for members.
As the President of Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN) and International Cooperative Alliance-Africa (ICA-Africa) as well as Vice President of International Cooperative Alliance (ICA-Global); I felicitate with all Co-operators around the world, Africa and Nigeria. I equally appreciate the Federal and State Departments of Cooperatives, Federal and State Cooperative Colleges, and other Stakeholders on this year’s International Cooperative Day.
Contributions of Cooperatives to the Nigerian Economy
While we celebrate the International Cooperative Day, it is important, I point out how cooperatives have been consciously involved in the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. Cooperatives provide members and micro, small and medium enterprises loans with affordable interest rates to develop their enterprises thereby creating more jobs and wealth. Many cooperatives across the country are involved in agriculture and manufacturing of agro allied products. Cooperatives and Co-operators in Nigeria have huge investments in land and water transportation, education (primary and secondary schools) housing and health facilities worth hundreds of billions of Naira.
In housing, many co-operators are home owners, courtesy of their cooperative societies whose terms are affordable. We are willing to do more for Nigerians in partnership with government through any of her agencies.
Let me at this juncture appeal to the Federal Government to pay adequate attention to the cooperative sector. Cooperative is a veritable tool for driving sustainable programs worldwide and has been recognized by the United Nations as a resilient business model. I therefore call on government to use the existing cooperative platforms for implementation of their socio-economic programs for sustainable and better welfare of the Nigerian people.
With over 20 million co-operative members across the country, we are willing to partner with the current administration in its stride to drive sustainable growth for our dear country particularly in the wake of government’s plan to roll out palliatives to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.
Let me also use this opportunity to appreciate AfriCoopers Limited for partnering with us for a National Cooperative Enumeration Exercise. The exercise is aimed at collecting and collating data on cooperative societies, their activities and members. This is to enable us have more reliable data for the cooperative sector in Nigeria, so as to be able to substantiate the contributions of cooperatives to the GDP of our country. We call on all stakeholders to join hands with us for the success of this exercise.
I implore Co-operators in all the states of the federation to participate actively in the coming weeks in the celebration of 2023 International Cooperative Day in their states, as the Cooperative Federations in the states in conjunction with the Department of Cooperatives have lined up series of activities for the celebrations. These include road shows, match pass, exhibition of cooperative products, lectures, workshops and concern for community projects. The concern for community project is the cooperative way of giving back to the society.
Conclusion
Conclusively, as we celebrate International Cooperative Day, let us acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of cooperatives and their members in building a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Through their inclusive and participatory approach, cooperatives empower individuals, promote economic resilience, and contribute to the achievements of the SDGs. Together, we can forge stronger partnerships to address the world’s most pressing challenges and create a better world for generations to come.
I thank you all for your kind attention.
AYEOLA Tajudeen Oriyomi
President, Cooperative Federation of Nigeria
President, International Cooperative Alliance-Africa (ICA-Africa)
Vice President (Africa) International Cooperative Alliance (ICA-Global)
21st June, 2023
