,,,,,,,,,$5b AssuredInvest Cooperative Trust Fund Launched.
Dr.Esther Audu
From Abuja.
No fewer than 20,000 rice farmers across Kogi State will benefit from the launch of a drone-powered farmland surveillance system which is expected to bring real-time protection and digital intelligence to food systems in the state.
The National President, Women in Agriculture and Cooperative Federation Limited, WIACFL, Dr.Esther Audu,disclosed this in her address of welcome during a press conference at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja on Saturday.
“This is the future of agricultural security,and Nigeria is taking the lead,” she said.
Our correspondent reports that the event, organized by Maistrade Multipurpose Cooperative Society in collaboration with MAIS Limited and Terra Industries, also featured the launch of two groundbreaking initiatives aimed at transforming the agricultural and cooperative finance sectors of the country.
They are the official unveiling of the $5 Billion AssuredInvest Cooperative Trust Fund and the launching of National Drone Surveillance Programme.
Dr.Audu described the event where the two programmes were launched as a “historic gathering” and “a bold new chapter in Nigeria’s cooperative and agricultural transformation.”
She said: “Today, we stand on the threshold of innovation and impact, as we formally unveil two landmark initiatives: the $5 Billion AssuredInvest Cooperative Trust Fund and the National Drone Surveillance Programme, a strategic partnership between Maistrade Multipurpose Cooperative Society, MAIS Limited, and Terra Industries.
“This is more than a press conference. It is a national awakening. An awakening to the power of collective prosperity, of technological foresight, and of cooperative finance as a tool for development.
“The AssuredInvest” Trust 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 mobilized 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.
“Similarly, the launch of a drone-powered farmland surveillance system, starting with 20,000 rice farmers across Kogi State, brings real-time protection and digital intelligence to our food systems. This is the future of agricultural security,and Nigeria is taking the lead.”
She commended the vision and leadership of Mr. Benjamin Aduli, the Chief Vision Officer at MAIS, the partnership spirit of Mr. Nathan Nwachuku and the Terra Industries team, for daring to dream beyond convention and executing with conviction.
Dr. Audu also praised cooperative federations, banking partners, development allies, the gathering and media professionals,for their presence at the event, adding that their presence “validates our efforts and strengthens our cause.”
“As we proceed, let us remember that this is not just a launch. It is a signal. A signal that Nigeria’s cooperative movement is ready, ready to scale, ready to secure, and ready to serve,”she stressed.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
