By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) has inaugurated the NAOWA Multipurpose Cooperative Society (NMCS) to strengthen the entrepreneurial capacity and economic wellbeing of women in military barracks nationwide.
The President of NAOWA, Mrs Safiyyah Shaibu, at the unveiling on Thursday in Abuja, said the initiative was designed to provide a dependable platform for members to save, access credit and grow sustainable businesses.
Shaibu said the cooperative was conceptualised and developed by her predecessor and current President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Merna Oluyede.
She said the conceptualisation of the scheme was in line with NAOWA’s commitment to improving the welfare of officers’ wives, young entrepreneurs and widows of fallen heroes.
“Today is a proud moment for our association. This cooperative will serve as a financial support system to strengthen our members economically and promote self-reliance across our communities,” she said.
NAOWA President commended Oluyede for her foresight and leadership in laying the foundation for the cooperative, adding that it was fitting for her to perform the formal launch.
“As the current NAOWA president, I pledge our full support to ensure the cooperative remains transparent and becomes a dependable platform for all members,” she added.
The President of DEPOWA, Mrs Oluyede, said the cooperative was “a vision born in one administration and nurtured into reality by another.”
Oluyede, who initiated the idea during her tenure as NAOWA President, said seeing the cooperative take off under her successor was a powerful reminder that leadership is strongest when it transcends personal tenure.
She said the cooperative would help women cushion the financial shocks that frequently come with military life — frequent transfers, separation from spouses, and the strain of raising families in duty barracks.
Oluyede stressed that beyond loans, the cooperative would provide the structure, discipline and training that many women need to grow small businesses, build savings, or secure future investments.
“In NAOWA, we don’t build for ourselves alone. We build for the women coming behind us.
“This is about dignity. It is about ensuring that no woman in our community stands alone,” she said.
She added that financial literacy, youth skills development, and partnerships with reputable institutions would position NAOWA families for long-term stability.
Oluyede praised NAOWA’s leadership for sustaining the vision, saying the unity between past and present presidents showed that women’s associations could build enduring structures when they work hand in hand.
She described the cooperative as “a gift from women to women — and a symbol of what empowered military wives can achieve.”
A member of the NMCS Management Committee, Mrs Eyotoyosi Sonibare, said the newly inaugurated body had evolved from a concept seven months ago into a full-fledged institution built on resilience, shared purpose and the collective spirit of NAOWA members.
Sonibare said the cooperative was created to provide a platform for economic advancement, offering members opportunities to improve their livelihoods through agriculture, trading, manufacturing, real estate and other productive ventures.
She said the NMCS was designed to make funding more accessible for women in barracks to start or expand their businesses, invest in property and benefit from training and partnerships that strengthen capacity.
According to her, the overarching goal was to deepen financial independence, promote wealth creation and enhance social cohesion within NAOWA, in line with its tagline, “Together we thrive, together we grow.”
She added that the cooperative belongs to all members and expressed confidence that it would become a model of excellence and a symbol of unity for future generations. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Yakubu Uba
