FG Should Explore the Cooperatives Option for Job Creation – Fareed Joels

  Mr. Eben Fareed Joels, President of FOBA has urged the Federal government to explore the cooperatives option to create jobs for youths across the country. According to him, government should understand that the cooperative society is also a business model that could reduce the poverty rate and as such should be encouraged and empowered to own companies and create jobs for Nigerians. He said that government should promote the formation of national cooperative societies which will help youths become self reliant instead of relying on the government for jobs. He said, “I want government to understand that cooperatives should not just become something that we leave in the hands of people alone but something that could be harnessed for national development. National cooperatives should be encouraged among the youths so that rather than sit down and blame government for everything under the sun, they would at least try to do something with their own time.” Joels explained that the difference between a cooperative and a corporation is the profit motive adding that there are other motives beyond that of profit making when it comes to running cooperative societies. He continued, “Cooperatives are supposed to demonstrate clearly that profit alone is not the motive, showing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and democracy operating within it.”