The Federal Government has entered into a partnership with the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN) and Seamfix Ltd. to establish a nationwide digital identity and governance system for cooperatives across the country.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday in Abuja by Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), on behalf of the ministry. The agreement was reached during a national technical workshop focused on digitising Nigeria’s cooperative sector.
Speaking at the event, Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister for Cooperative Affairs, described the agreement as a major step towards improving transparency, accountability and visibility within the cooperative system.
He said the initiative would move the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP) 2030 from the pilot stage into full implementation under the Public-Private-People Partnership model.
Under the arrangement, existing cooperatives will first be verified by their respective State Departments of Cooperatives before being registered on the National Cooperative Smart Registry (NCSR).
Verified cooperatives will be issued Cooperative Verification Numbers (CVNs), while individual members will gradually receive Cooperative Member Identification Numbers (CoopIDs).
According to Abdullahi, these digital identities will form key components of the National Cooperative Digital Architecture Platform (NCDAP), designed to address long-standing problems associated with cooperative identification and data management.
He explained that the system would enable the government to distinguish legitimate cooperatives, monitor interventions and assess the impact of support programmes.
The CVN would also serve as an official credential for cooperatives seeking government assistance, bank financing, contracts and other partnerships.
The platform is expected to connect with CoopCHECK, a cooperative credit bureau, to strengthen credit assessment and improve access to loans. Rural members will also be able to access the system through USSD and feature phones.
Abdullahi said the initiative was built around the principle of giving every genuine cooperative a verifiable identity and every cooperative member an individual digital identification.
He added that the verification process would help enforce Section 54 of the Cooperative Societies Act and curb the unauthorised use of the term “Co-operative”.
The minister further advocated for the harmonisation of ongoing reviews of the Nigerian Cooperative Societies Act, leading to a new bill for its repeal and re-enactment.
He said the proposed legislation should accommodate digital registration, electronic records, identity management, data governance and financial technology.
Abdullahi said the ministry would collaborate with the CFN, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and other relevant stakeholders to establish an updated legal framework for the cooperative sector.
Ogunbiyi said the agriculture ministry would provide institutional coordination and facilitate stakeholder engagement to support the implementation of the agreement.
He explained that Seamfix would be responsible for deploying, operating and maintaining the initial digital infrastructure covering cooperative registration, verification and identity management.
State directors of cooperatives would implement the digital system at the state level, with the long-term goal of creating a nationwide cooperative identity and digital trust network.
Frank Atune, Executive Director of Seamfix Ltd., said the CVN would give every registered cooperative a nationally recognised and verifiable identity.
He added that the CoopID would provide individual cooperative members with identities linked to their respective societies and connected to the national identity system.
Atune said the initiative would make it easier for verified cooperatives and their members to access government programmes, regulatory assistance, development partnerships and credit facilities.