Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced plans to upgrade the Ogun State Cooperative College to award National Diploma and Higher National Diploma qualifications.
The governor also disclosed that his administration had disbursed more than ₦1bn in loans to cooperative societies, artisans, traders and small business owners to boost grassroots economic development.
Abiodun made this known on Wednesday during the 2026 International Day of Cooperatives celebration organised by the Ogun State Cooperative Federation Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives in Ijebu-Ode.
He said the proposed upgrade would involve improvements to the college’s infrastructure and academic capacity to enable it to provide professional training in cooperative management.
“Preparations are advancing for infrastructure improvement at the Ogun State Cooperative College to position it to award National Diploma and Higher National Diploma qualifications,” the governor said.
“Our objective is to prepare skilled professionals who can manage institutions, assess risks and protect members.”
On financial support for cooperative societies and small businesses, Abiodun said more than ₦500m had been disbursed through the Ogun State Cooperative Federation under the government’s revolving loan scheme.
He added that another ₦500m had been provided through the Oko ‘Owo’ Irinse Dapo Soft Loan Initiative to support artisans, traders and small business owners across the state’s 20 local government areas.
According to him, the interventions are designed to improve access to affordable financing, strengthen small businesses and promote inclusive economic growth.
The governor also pledged to provide land for cooperative societies to embark on agricultural production and housing projects.
He said the initiative would create more economic opportunities, improve food security and support access to affordable housing.
Abiodun described cooperative societies as important instruments of economic development, noting that they enable members to pool resources, access financing and undertake productive ventures that might be difficult to execute individually.
He urged cooperative members to embrace accountability, unity and sustainable business practices to ensure that government support reached the intended beneficiaries.
The governor also identified emerging investment opportunities in Ogun East, saying the discovery of significant crude oil deposits in Ogun Waterside, Ijebu North-East and Odogbolu local government areas could expand the state’s economic prospects.
He further described the proposed Ogun Deep Seaport as a major development project expected to attract investments, stimulate commercial activities and create employment opportunities upon completion.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperatives, Ademola Balogun, said Ogun State had about 14,700 registered cooperative organisations contributing to economic and social development across the state.
Balogun said cooperatives played important roles beyond providing financial assistance to members, adding that they also promoted unity, enterprise development and collective action at the grassroots.
He commended the governor for the revolving loan support and urged beneficiaries to use the funds judiciously to expand their businesses and strengthen the cooperative movement.
Similarly, the President of the Ogun State Cooperative Federation, Wasiu Olaleye, praised the state government’s support, describing the ₦500m revolving loan as a significant intervention to finance members’ economic activities.
Olaleye called for the upgrading of the Cooperative College at Shasha, Iperu-Remo, to an institution offering ND and HND programmes.
He said the move would help address manpower needs in the cooperative sector and expose trainees to modern cooperative management practices.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, represented by his Special Assistant on Cooperatives, Victor Oyegoke, also commended the state government’s commitment to cooperative development.
He said the Federal Government was engaging cooperative societies to extend development initiatives to grassroots communities by supporting members involved in agriculture and small-scale businesses.
