08/11/2025
ICOPRON 9TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN JOS: COOPERATIVE PROFESSIONALS CHART PATH TO STRONGER NATIONAL ECONOMY
By Badejo Adeyẹmi
In a landmark event for the advancement of Nigeria’s cooperative movement, the Institute of Cooperative Professionals of Nigeria (ICOPRON) successfully hosted its 9th National Conference at Crispan Suites and Events Centre, Jos, Plateau State, from November 4–8, 2025.
The five-day conference, themed “Unlocking Opportunities in Cooperatives to Build a Stronger and More Effective National Economy,” brought together key stakeholders, practitioners, and policymakers from across Nigeria, including delegates from Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Bauchi, Imo, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Osun, Enugu, Anambra, Abuja, and Plateau States, among others. The event served as a hub for knowledge exchange, professional networking, and strategic discussions on cooperative reform and sustainability.
Declaring the conference open, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, represented by Hon. Mohammed Nyalun, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, expressed the administration’s unwavering commitment to economic empowerment, commerce, and industrial growth as vital components of Plateau’s development agenda.
Governor Mutfwang commended cooperatives for their unifying power and their role in empowering citizens through collective ownership, resource pooling, and risk-sharing. He emphasized that cooperatives remain a vital mechanism for promoting inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and grassroots development in Nigeria.
He urged cooperative professionals to reflect on achievements and challenges within the sector and develop actionable policy recommendations that will drive national economic transformation.
The Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator (Dr.) Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, CON, represented by Hon. Victor Oyegoke, delivered an inspiring address aligning the conference theme with the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP), a key initiative under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He highlighted the federal government’s strategic commitment to repositioning cooperatives as engines of inclusive economic growth, rural development, and financial inclusion.
Key components of the programme include:
Establishment of a National Cooperative Smart Registry to digitalize cooperative registration;
Creation of a National Cooperative Data System integrated with NIMC;
Establishment of a Renewed Hope Cooperative Relief Fund and Cooperative Bank of Nigeria;
Capacity building and institutional revitalization for cooperative bodies nationwide.
Sen. Abdullahi commended ICOPRON for its “unwavering commitment to capacity building, professional ethics, and good governance,” noting that ICOPRON’s role as a key implementing partner of the RH-CRRP demonstrates the government’s trust in its expertise and leadership.
In her goodwill message, the newly elected President of the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Mrs. Hannatu Mershak, congratulated the leadership of ICOPRON for their consistency and impact. She noted that the conference marked her first official outing since her election two weeks prior and lauded ICOPRON for advancing cooperative professionalism in Nigeria.
Delivering his keynote address, Dr. Olubunmi Adebayo Fajobi, FICP, mni, National President of ICOPRON, expressed profound joy over the Institute’s steady progress and consistency in holding its annual conference every first full week of November.
Dr. Fajobi reviewed ICOPRON’s notable achievements over the past eight years, including:
Active contributions to cooperative law and policy reviews at state and federal levels;
Advocacy visits to government agencies to strengthen institutional relations;
Regular publications, conferences, and professional training to enhance cooperative education and practice;
Mandatory Continuous Professional Training (MCPT) held across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones to ensure no member is left behind.
He further disclosed that ICOPRON is at the final stage of attaining a Chartered status, a development that will legally institutionalize the Institute as the governing body for cooperative professionals in Nigeria.
Dr. Fajobi reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and the promotion of ethical standards within cooperative practice. He emphasized collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to advance reforms, improve data management, and establish a National Cooperative Development Centre (NACODEV) at Sheda, Abuja.
The conference featured the presentation of awards to distinguished personalities, including Governor Caleb Mutfwang and others who have significantly contributed to cooperative development and economic growth.
The highlight of the Award and Gala Night was the induction of new members and the decoration of outstanding individuals as Fellows of the Institute, among whom were Senator (Dr.) Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, CON, and Mrs. Hannatu Mershak, the CFN President.
The four-day event featured intensive technical sessions and paper presentations on strategic sub-themes, such as:
1. UNLOCKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CO-OPERATIVES TO BUILD A MORE RESILIENT AND PRODUCTIVE NATIONAL ECONOMY FOR ALL: A STRATEGIC NATIONAL RECOVERY AGENDA. The Lead PaperPresented by:Prof. S.Y. BERKO
2. Cooperative innovativeness Through Entrepreneurship And Value Addition: THE NIGERIAN CONTEXT . Paper presented by Dr Okafo OkoreaffiaJP, FICP, FIMC, FIRSM, CMC, HFHATMAN (Department of Cooperative Economics and Management, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri)
3. Access To Cooperative Finance And Market For Greater Growth And Scalability. Paper Presented By:Alh Aliyu Abdullahi (SMCP. FMIPMA.)
4. Cooperative And Positive Social/Environmental Impacts on National Development in Nigeria. Paper presented by Prof. Musa E. Umar, mni NIPSS, Kuru
5. Supporting Members' Businesses Through Cooperative Outreach and Stakeholders Engagements. Paper presented By: ‘Braheem, Fattah O. ficp (Provost, Ogun State Cooperative College, Ijeja, Abeokuta)
6. Audit & Auditing Procedures in Cooperatives Societies: Management Regulatory Tool. PAPER PRESENTED BY ICHIE EMMA OKECHUKWU, Ph.D, FICP, FNIM, FIMC, CMC,
7. The Factors Driving Nigeria Police Force Cooperative ByInspector-General of Police, (IGP) Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun Ph.D, NPM
The conference concluded with ICOPRON’s General Meeting, where members deliberated on key issues affecting the Institute and charted new directions for cooperative professionalism in Nigeria.
The 9th ICOPRON National Conference reaffirmed the Institute’s unwavering commitment to strengthening the cooperative profession, empowering practitioners, and positioning cooperatives as instruments of sustainable national development.
As Nigeria seeks pathways to inclusive prosperity, the cooperative sector under the leadership of ICOPRON continues to stand as a beacon of hope, innovation, and collective growth.
