Kano Correspondents’ Chapel Unveils Cooperative Society, Distributes Ramadan Foodstuff
By Abdallahi Yusuf
The Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),on Saturday unveiled its first-ever Cooperative Society, and inaugurated eminent personalities as Trustees of the newly-formed platform.
Similarly, the Chapel launched its first-ever Ramadan Foodstuff Programme during which food items were distributed to members.
A cash support in various sums was also distributed to members of the Chapel,as part of the programme which was held at NUJ conference hall,Kano.
Trustees of the Cooperative Society are: Associate Professor Sule Ya’u Sule, the Kano State Governor’s Spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, and the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Hajiya Bilkisu Shehu Mai Mota.
In his remarks at the ceremony, former Chairman of the NUJ Kano State Council and National Trustee of the union, Comrade Abbas Ibrahim, traced the history of cooperative movements in Nigeria, describing them as deeply rooted in the country’s economic and cultural development.
Comrade Abbas cited examples of cooperative models across regions and professional bodies, including trade unions and public service associations.
He advised the Chapel not to rely solely on deductions from members, but to embrace sound financial management and proper record keeping to ensure sustainability.
He commended the leadership of the Chapel for the initiative and called for adequate sensitisation of members on the principles of cooperative society.
The Kano State Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Investment, Alhaji Shehu Wada Sagagi, represented by the Director of Cooperatives in the ministry, Alhaji Najib Dahiru Alkali, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting cooperative societies as reliable vehicles for grassroots economic development.
Sagagi said the Abba Kabir Yusuf administration in the state remained committed to transparency, accountability, capacity building and adherence to cooperative laws, adding that compliance with legal frameworks would guarantee positive outcomes.
He urged members of the Chapel to remain united and assured them of continued government support.
Chairman of the Cooperative Trustees, Associate Professor Sule Ya’u Sule, commended the leadership of the Chapel for introducing various welfare-driven initiatives, including tea breaks, retreats and other programmes aimed at improving members’ wellbeing.
Prof.Sule expressed confidence that the cooperative society would help to address financial challenges faced by members and reduce “ethical pressures” in the profession.
He called on stakeholders, philanthropists and well-meaning individuals in Kano to support the initiative and pledged to ensure its success.
The Kano NUJ Chairman, represented by its Vice Chairman,Comrade Mustapha Muhammad Gambo, praised the Chapel’s leadership for fulfilling its campaign promises and introducing impactful programmes.
Gambo urged members of the chapel to support the leadership to enable it to sustain the momentum and strengthen the union.
In his address, Chairman of the Chapel, Comrade Murtala Adewale, described the occasion as a turning point in the history of the Chapel.
Adewale said the cooperative idea was conceived during the leadership’s manifesto presentation in July 2025 and nurtured into reality through collective efforts.
He disclosed that the Kano State Government provided a seed fund of N10 million to support the initiative, expressing appreciation to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and other key officials for their support.
According to him, the cooperative is structured to promote a savings culture and providing access to soft loans and supporting members during financial challenges, guided by the core values of transparency, accountability and trust.
He further disclosed that about N3 million had been earmarked from the cooperative fund for the procurement and distribution of Ramadan food items, with each member eligible to access up to N100,000 worth of food items or a combination of food and cash support under flexible repayment terms.
“A financially secure journalist is more confident and independent. When there is no food on our table, the tendency to compromise increases while productivity declines,” the chairman said.
In a vote of thanks, a member of the chapel, Malam Abdullahi Yusuf, described the initiative as timely and commendable, expressing optimism that it would significantly alleviate hardships among members.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the event including veteran journalist Bashir Mohammed, commended the chapel’s leadership for its visionary and impactful initiatives.