By Abdul Kareem

In Borno, a state that was once the capital of Nigeria’s northeastern region, a remarkable 28,000 cooperatives have been registered since 1958. But industry insiders said the majority of these cooperatives are either non-operational or rarely active.

Despite the vast number of registered cooperatives, Borno has fallen behind its contemporaries — states that were once part of its territory — in harnessing the potential of this sector.

At a press briefing in Maiduguri, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo, who spearheads the North/East Cooperative Stakeholders Forum, announced the group’s mission to advocate for the rejuvenation of defunct cooperatives within the state.

Concerns have been raised by the Forum regarding Borno’s underperformance across all levels of cooperative structures, which include the apex body, unions, and primary societies.

Alhaji Lawan Mustapha, the president of both the Borno Cooperatives Apex organisation and the Cooperative Trading and Marketing Union, recalled that the Union’s establishment in 1958, located opposite the Dujima Hotel in Wulari, Maiduguri. He lamented that many of the 28,000 registered cooperatives are either inactive or minimally operational.

Mustapha recalled a time when the state’s populace benefited from cooperative services, particularly through the establishment of Cooperative and Consumer shops that provided members with essential goods at reasonable prices, to be paid for at a later date.

He stressed that the current economic challenges faced by Borno’s citizens could be alleviated by the presence of functional cooperative societies. However, he warned that if the vast majority of these cooperatives remain dormant, the state’s issues with hunger and its associated consequences will persist, regardless of the government’s efforts to provide food and material assistance.

“Therefore, it is imperative for us, the people of Borno and the Northeast, to assert ourselves as leaders in agriculture and commerce,” he said. “We possess the resources necessary to not only sustain ourselves but also contribute significantly to the nation’s food supply.” 

He emphasised the need to revitalise the cooperatives to shift from being recipients of aid to becoming providers for others.

The Forum has outlined plans to engage with key government stakeholders to explore ways of reactivating idle cooperatives, updating their registrations, and fostering an environment conducive to establishing new ones. 

The leader of the Northeast Cooperative Stakeholders Forum, Barrister Jalo, announced that his group will be unveiling a product called solid water technology. This technology is designed to help grow crops like potatoes within one’s homes without the need for water and in a short amount of time. Jalo stated that the initiative aims to support the government and the people of Borno in addressing hunger and the challenges of food production.