Govt using cooperative societies for improved welfare ─Fashola

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has said his government is working towards improving the welfare of the populace through cooperative societies.

He added that cooperative societies needed to register with the government in the ongoing revalidation of cooperative societies in order to access the benefits for the people.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Toyin Ayinde, spoke during the International Cooperative Day Award and Gala Nite in Ikeja.

Fashola said, “Government has created a comprehensive and up-to-date database in all the 20 cooperative area offices to network with the government.

“All cooperative societies are urged to get captured because the purpose of the revalidation is to enhance effective monitoring and supervision of the cooperative societies, as well as communal development.”

On the theme of the celebration, ‘Cooperative Enterprise: Achieving Sustainable Development for All’, Fashola said all hands must be on deck to achieve sustainable development for all cooperative societies in the state.

He said, “The theme was adopted by the International Cooperative Alliance to further promote cooperative identity and values while reinforcing concern for the community.

“Government all over the world can never underestimate the contribution of co-operators to good governance or ignore the need to involve this same people in all efforts at national development.”

Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Gbolahan Lawal, said the revalidation would make it easy for the societies to participate in government’s programmes, such job creation, transportation, housing, among others.

He said. “Cooperative societies were the forerunners of modern sustainability as displayed in their age-long principles. Cooperative enterprises have made positive contributions to sustainability through their ability to utilise the dynamics of human and natural resources within a given community for the benefit of such community and beyond.”