NAN-H-69
Cooperatives
Victor Okoye
Abuja, Oct. 29, 2016 (NAN) A non-governmental organisation, Quintessential Business Women Association says that it will support women and youths cooperative in the agriculture and solid minerals sector across the country.
Mrs Judith Tanko, the Director-General of the association, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a Cooperative Career Conference and Exhibition in Abuja on Saturday.
The theme of the conference was, “Affirmative Finance Action for Women and Youths in Agriculture and Solid Minerals’’.
Tanko said the aim of the conference was to bring all stakeholders in the sectors as well as the association coordinators from the 36 states and FCT under one roof.
She said they would discuss the role of international development partners, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the financial institutions toward financial and enterprises development amongst women and youths in the sectors.
“Today’s event is about bringing our women cooperatives together to learn what they need to do to get updates.
“Also to sit with our partners like the banking institutions, international development partners and the ministries to understand what they need to do at a particular time.
“We invited three women representatives from the 36 states and FCT so that they will learn, go back and teach others at the grassroots.
“So, that the woman in the village would be knowledgeable about what association is all about and what they need to do as cooperatives and why we call it ‘Cooperative Career Conference,” she said.
She noted that the conference was an annual event, adding that it had added a lot of value, especially to the women at the grassroots.
“We are bringing our women to global market. This is not just about learning and running cooperatives the way we have been used to doing it.
“That is why we refer to ourselves as ‘game changers’. We are going international.
“We want that woman in the village to be able to produce and package her goods very well in accordance with international best practice.
“She must also learn how to save her money as well as being knowledgeable in banking history.
“Since we started Quintessential in 2013, we have achieved a lot.
“Today, we have women at the grassroots who are registered in various financial institutions and know how to ask for interest, including understanding the type of loan which can be beneficial to them as cooperatives.
“They also now know how to keep their records of minutes so as to meet up with international standard and become viable cooperatives,” Tanko said.
Also, Femi Oyelade, the Marketing and Promotion Director, explained that part of their duty was the identification of members who were into different agricultural products.
“We identify these members and try to get details about their planting and harvesting period so that we can forecast to our prospective buyers; both local and international, when these products will be ready for export.
“In other words, we create the market for their products because sometimes the rural woman is faced with the challenge of producing without any available market to sell her produce.
“Basically, this is what Quintessential is all about and there are a lot of testimonies out there from our members,” he said.
Miss Keke Bongos, a Consultant in the Ministry of Agriculture who represented the Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, noted that it was a laudable programme for the women and youths at the grassroots.
“It would add value by helping establish cottage industries within the communities whereby they would have full and proper ownership of these industries,” he said.
NAN reports that stakeholders at the conference include GEMS4, ENABLE2, MADE, Propcom, Diamond Bank, Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Others were Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and Industrial Training Fund.
The stakeholders agreed that women and youths in the country would need to adopt alternative financial option to harness better funding for their business in the face of the current financial challenges in the country.
They urged women to use cooperatives and other collective means to manage available funds.
The conference also deliberated on ways to improve family enterprise with the private sector in adding value to agricultural development. (NAN)
VO/FNO/OFN
Edited by Franca Ofili//Felix Nwadioha
