The Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, has called on the Lagos State Cooperative College to champion digital transformation and poverty reduction through innovation, capacity building, and tech-driven cooperative models.

Ambrose-Medebem made this appeal on Wednesday at the inauguration of LASCOCO’s Governing Council, held at Alausa, Ikeja.

She highlighted the college’s potential to drive inclusive economic growth and societal advancement across the state.

“LASCOCO is about empowering communities. Economic transformation is your mandate. But it starts with leadership—vision defines the ‘what’ and ‘why’, while mission answers the ‘how’. Clear objectives must guide your action,” the commissioner said.

Drawing inspiration from Kenya’s cooperative success – now boasting a full-fledged cooperative university – Ambrose-Medebem advocated global benchmarking and collaboration.

“Kenya is a great example of what a cooperative ecosystem can achieve. We should learn from their model, whether through visits, exchanges, or digital platforms,” she said.

She further revealed that ongoing reforms would link access to affordable finance with cooperative membership.

This initiative, she said, would not only enhance financial inclusion but also boost LASCOCO’s enrolment and data integration.

To address issues of transparency and operational efficiency, Ambrose-Medebem stressed the need for cooperatives to adopt digital tools—a transformation LASCOCO must lead through targeted training and workforce development.

“We must digitise cooperative operations to foster accountability and curb fraud. But we need a properly trained workforce to support this—and that’s where LASCOCO plays a vital role,” she said.

She also encouraged the college’s leadership to explore strategic international partnerships, particularly with countries like Kenya, to enrich the state’s cooperative ecosystem.

In his remarks, LASCOCO Provost, Akorede Ojomu, credited Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for bringing the college to life.

“Although LASCOCO was legally established in 2018, it remained inactive until Governor Sanwo-Olu took decisive action. His support has been instrumental in our development,” Ojomu said.



https://punchng.com/govt-urges-cooperatives-to-digitise-operations/