The Federal Government of Nigeria has finalized a partnership with the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria and Seamfix Limited to establish a national digital infrastructure for cooperative societies. This initiative includes an immediate six-month revalidation and re-certification process for all existing cooperatives nationwide.
Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, signed the agreement in Abuja. Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Minister of State for Agriculture, described this move as a critical step toward enhancing accountability and digital governance within the sector under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform & Revamp Programme.
Participating cooperatives must visit their state offices to verify their registration records. Once confirmed, they will be registered on the National Cooperative Smart Registry and assigned a Cooperative Verification Number. Individual members will subsequently receive a Cooperative Member Identification Number, or CoopID. This system aims to create a trustworthy database that allows the government to track the impact of support and ensure resources reach legitimate beneficiaries.
To ensure inclusivity, the platform will support USSD and feature-phone access, preventing the exclusion of members in rural areas without smartphones. Furthermore, the government intends to update the Nigerian Cooperative Societies Act to better accommodate these digital advancements, aiming to provide a robust legal framework that supports financial technology, data governance, and the potential creation of a Cooperative Bank of Nigeria.
Seamfix Limited will handle the technical deployment and maintenance of the registry. Frank Atube, the company’s Group Chief Operating Officer, noted that the infrastructure is designed to integrate with national systems to provide verifiable identities that facilitate easier access to bank loans, government aid, and private contracts. A pilot phase will commence across all six geopolitical zones to test the system’s adaptability.
