A cooperative group in Nigeria, Maistrade Multipurpose Cooperative Society, is set to launch the 5 billion-dollar AssuredInvest™ Cooperative Trust Fund to support its members and boost small and medium-scale enterprises in Nigeria and Africa.
The Chief Visionary Officer and President of Maistrade Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Mr Benjamin Aduli, disclosed this at a press briefing while addressing journalists in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, describing the trust fund as a transformative financial vehicle created for Africa’s cooperative sector.
Aduli noted that the fund has the potential of transforming small businesses and Nigeria’s economic future.
“This is not just another fund. It is a movement; a bold declaration that cooperative capital—when properly structured, transparently governed, and purposefully deployed—can unlock the full economic potential of our people, our farmlands, our small businesses, and our national future,” he asserted.
He decried the neglect of the Nigerian cooperative sector:
“For decades, the Nigerian cooperative system has been treated as an afterthought—underutilised, underfinanced, and underestimated. Today, that era ends. With this fund, we are shifting from marginalisation to mobilisation.”
“What makes the AssuredInvest™ Fund truly historic is its demand-driven nature. Unlike traditional financing models that are supply-driven—flooding the market with unsolicited capital—this fund responds only to verified cooperative demand.
It is tailored to the real, structured needs of cooperative members—whether that’s a rice farmer in Lokoja, a housing cooperative in Enugu, an MSME cluster in Kaduna, or a youth cooperative in Abeokuta,” he explained.
Highlights of the AssuredInvest™ Fund
He listed some important highlights of the fund to include being backed by institutional capital; being governed by cooperative law, not securities law and driven by clear cooperative use-cases, such as food production, mechanisation, housing, education, clean energy, and digital inclusion.
According to him, the fund is not a public investment scheme. It is a secured cooperative financing framework, created by members, for members, and through members.
A partner and a stakeholder of the Maistrade Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Dr Esther Audu, described the launch of the trust fund as a milestone for cooperatives in Nigeria and Africa.
“The AssuredInvest™ Fund is the first of its kind in Africa—a demand-driven fund, not a supply-driven one. It does not push capital into speculative programmes; rather, it responds to verified cooperative demand and needs—ensuring that every kobo mobilised directly impacts real people, real enterprises, and real communities.
It is built on the principles of shared risk, shared return, and shared vision. This fund is not a public investment scheme—it is a cooperative financing model, rooted in the law, backed by trust, and driven by a mission to uplift,” she added.
The official launch of the $5 Billion AssuredInvest™ Cooperative Trust Fund is set to hold on the 19th of July 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The International Day of Cooperatives
Marked globally on the first Saturday of every July, the theme for the 2025 International Day of Cooperatives, “Cooperatives Build a Better World”, highlights the cooperative movement’s role in driving inclusive and sustainable solutions for a better world.
It also emphasises how cooperatives contribute to social and economic empowerment, fostering solidarity, democracy, equality, and equity while promoting ethical principles.