Nigeria launches digital ID system for cooperatives, begins revalidation exercise

The Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated a significant digital transformation for its cooperative sector through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN) and Seamfix Limited. This collaboration aims to deploy a national digital identity and governance infrastructure specifically for cooperative societies across the country.

Alongside the MoU signing, the government has launched an immediate six-month National Revalidation and Re-certification Exercise. This exercise requires all existing cooperative societies to undergo verification and authentication of their registration records with their respective State Departments of Cooperatives. Successful societies will be enrolled in the National Cooperative Smart Registry (NCSR) and receive a Cooperative Verification Number (CVN).

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the beginning of a new era of visibility, trust, accountability and digital governance

Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, hailed the initiative as a "new era of visibility, trust, accountability and digital governance." He stated that the new digital architecture, including the NCSR, CVN, and forthcoming Cooperative Member Identification Numbers (CoopID), will enhance the ability to identify and verify genuine cooperatives and their members. This will allow the government to more effectively identify beneficiaries of its interventions, track their locations, and assess the impact of support provided. A verified CVN will also serve as a crucial credential for cooperatives seeking access to government interventions, loans, contracts, and partnerships.

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We should be able to know who receives government support, where they are located and what impact that support is making