DEPARTMENT'S STRUCTURE

STRUCTURE, ORGANIZATION, PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS

STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION: The Department is headed by the Federal Director of Cooperatives in line with the Cooperative Societies Act and assisted by Deputy Directors in Charge of the following Divisions:

• Cooperative Education and Training Division;
• Cooperative Inspectorate Division;
•  Cooperative Farmers and Other Organizations Division;
•  Cooperative Policy and Programmes Division;
•  Cooperative Entrepreneurship Promotion Division.

The Department maintains Field Offices in the 36 States and FCT manned by Registrars of Cooperatives or Cooperative Officers.

 working with the ATA Directors in the States. The cooperative movement in Nigeria has one command structure supervised by the Federal Department of Cooperatives. The Department relates to the State Departments regularly through retreats held yearly during which time policies and programmes are discussed.

OTHER COOPERATIVE ESTABLISHMENTS SUPERVISED BY THE DEPARTMENT:

A) Federal Cooperative Colleges (FCC): There are three (3) Federal Cooperative Colleges located in Ibadan, Kaduna and Oji-River (Enugu State). Each of the Colleges is headed by a Provost and staffed by officers from the Ministry. The colleges were established in 1976.The Colleges offer ND, HND and Professional Diploma as well as other short-term courses. The Colleges provide basic cooperative education, training, impact cooperative knowledge, and skills to cooperative members, staff and the public, and undertake research into cooperatives and related matters.

B) National Cooperative Development Centre (NCDC), Sheda, Abuja: The Centre is situated in a parcel of land measuring 12.9ha along Abuja-Lokoja Express Way. It is a centre of excellence for cooperative adaptive research and management studies. The Centre is fully built-up with Conference Centre containing 35 standard rooms, 11 suites, 4 classrooms, a conference hall of 150 sitting capacity well-furnished and other programme offices. The Centre has hosted many activities in the past including the International Year of Cooperatives, various training/capacity building programmes and National Council on Cooperative Affairs (NCCA) chaired by the Honourable Minister.

C) Integrated Cooperative Service Centres in The 36 States and FCT, Abuja: The Department is supervising the completion work on the 37 Integrated Cooperative Service Centres in the States and FCT. The ICSCs have office space and warehouse for the use of Apex Cooperatives. The Centres are at different levels of completion and use; although the use in some cases is currently by individuals and groups for whom the Centres are not meant. The Ministry is addressing the issue to ensure effective use of the Centres, and to complete those that were abandoned. The Centres are meant for three (3No) societies namely Cooperative Microfinance Societies, Cooperative Agro-Input & Marketing Societies and Cooperative Tractor Hiring Societies.

D) Cooperative Model Markets: The Ministry has supported the construction of four (4) Cooperative Model Markets in Ilorin, Kwara State; Owerri, Imo State, Nasarawa-Eggon, Nasarawa State and Karu, Nasarawa State. Three of the Model Markets are for Fish whilst the Cooperative Model Market at Karu, Nasarawa State is for Fruits and Vegetables. The markets were constructed through Public, Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with the Federal Government of Nigeria contributing 60% of the total cost and the Cooperative movement 40%.  Presently, the Ministry is supporting the reconstruction of the Cooperative Model Market at Karu following its damage by monster storm earlier this year.

Programme of Activities of the Department: The Department is implementing the Cooperative Transformation Action Plan (CTAP), which provides clear engagement of cooperatives in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).The Action Plan has (8) Objectives as follows:

• Resuscitating ailing cooperatives/farmers’ groups and promoting the formation of new viable ones;
• Strengthening the internal management of the cooperatives and capacity building among members;
• Sensitize cooperatives/farmers groups and other partners on the on-going activities of various commodity value chains;
•  Facilitate the linkage of cooperatives and farmers’ groups with various value chains;
• Link cooperatives/farmers’ groups with formal and informal financial service providers;
• Promote support in identifying various cooperative value chain clusters around Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZs);
• Popularize the Federal Cooperative Colleges and enhance academic performance of the students by improving the facilities;
• Prepare the National Cooperative Development Centre (NCDC), Sheda as a centre of excellence for cooperative management service and adaptive research.

Projects of the Department:

Cooperative Data Analysis System (CODAS): The Cooperative Data Analysis System is aimed at capturing the data of all registered cooperative societies into a national cooperative database or bank; It has covered 36 States of the Federation and FCT with a total of 19,786 registered cooperative societies fully enlisted. The establishment of CODAS-Nigeria Project is helping cooperative societies to network and partner with one another. It will also provide a management tool for cooperative policy and management decisions.

Rural Finance Institution Building Project, (RUFIN): The Federal Department of Cooperative along with CBN, Bank of Agriculture, defunct NAPEP, and the Federal Department of Rural Development is involved in the implementation of the multi-agency RUFIN programme. Activities performed by the Department under the programme include:-

• Preparation of Revised National Cooperative Development Policy, proposing amendment of the Cooperative Law and developing the subsidiary legislation;
• Review the curriculum of the Federal Cooperative Colleges and assess the impact of the colleges in their locations;
• Skill gap study and Capacity building of 50 Cooperative Inspectors and Field Officers in the 12 RUFIN pilot States;
• Enrolment of RUFIN mentored Financial Cooperatives on the CODAS-Nigeria platform;
• Assessment of FCC curriculum leading to approval of 9No new courses on microfinance of the FCCs, polytechnics and mono-techniques offering cooperative courses.
• Study on Governance System of Financial Cooperatives.
• A major outstanding task is the transmission of the draft revised Nigerian Cooperatives Policy, the amended Cooperative Societies Act and the Subsidiary Cooperative Society’s Legislation to FEC for approval and the National Assembly for enactment into law.

ACTIONS IN PROGRESS: A National Cooperative Development Fund (NCDF) is being developed to provide a guarantee scheme for cooperatives, which will enable them access credit from financial service providers especially under the MSMEDF.