By Ndife David
The President of the Cooperative Federation of Anambra State (COFAS), Amb. Dr. Ogochukwu Soludo, has unveiled an ambitious three-year strategic roadmap designed to transform cooperative societies into powerful engines of economic growth, employment generation and community development across Anambra State.
Speaking at the 2026 International Cooperative Day celebration held at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat, Awka, Soludo declared that the revival of COFAS after 33 years marked the beginning of a new era for cooperative development in the state.
He told representatives from the state's 179 communities that cooperatives remain globally recognised as effective instruments for financial inclusion, poverty reduction and sustainable development, stressing that the federation would leverage the renewed momentum to improve the livelihoods of its members.
The COFAS President outlined plans to expand access to affordable finance, strengthen savings culture, support small businesses, promote women-led enterprises, encourage youth entrepreneurship and create stronger market linkages capable of increasing members' incomes.
He expressed concern over challenges confronting cooperative societies, including weak governance, inadequate financing, poor record management, low digital literacy, limited value addition, fragmented markets, regulatory bottlenecks and inadequate inclusion of persons with disabilities.
According to him, the federation's six-point strategic agenda will focus on governance reforms, financial inclusion, digital innovation, market expansion, youth and women empowerment, disability inclusion and stronger advocacy through strategic partnerships.
Soludo further appealed to the Anambra State Government to establish a Cooperative Development Fund and fully integrate cooperatives into the state's economic planning process, assuring stakeholders that COFAS would operate with transparency, accountability and measurable impact.