President, Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), Safiyyah Shaibu, has urged officers’ wives to cultivate a strong savings culture and embrace cooperative initiatives to achieve financial independence for sustainable empowerment.

Ms Shaibu made the call on Thursday in Abuja during a sensitisation programme on the NAOWA Multipurpose Cooperative Society (NMCS) and Drug Prevention, Treatment and Care.

She described the cooperative as a strategic platform for savings, investments, financial support and entrepreneurship, urging members to take full advantage of its opportunities.

According to her, a strong cooperative society provides members with access to savings, financial assistance, investments and economic advancement.

She urged participants to pay close attention to the sensitisation programme, understand how the cooperative operates and share the knowledge with members in their respective chapters.

Ms Shaibu also called on leaders of the association to diligently implement resolutions reached at the National Executive Meeting, saying leadership should be guided by trust, integrity and selfless service.

She said members should remain committed to learning and applying new knowledge for the benefit of their families and the association.

The Chairperson of the NAOWA Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Adaobi Onubogu, said the cooperative was established to complement NAOWA’s welfare programmes by creating sustainable economic opportunities for military families.

Ms Onubogu commended Ms Shaibu for sustaining and expanding the achievements of previous administrations, describing her as a leader committed to continuity and lasting impact.

She said the cooperative was designed to move beyond the traditional savings-and-loan model by promoting investments, business partnerships, entrepreneurship, mentorship and wealth creation.

According to her, membership is open to serving officers’ wives, widows, wives of retired officers and other persons directly connected to the military community.

She said members would pay a one-time registration fee of N2,000 and make flexible contributions based on their financial capacity.

Ms Onubogu noted that the cooperative aimed to attract more than 500 members before the end of the year and eventually establish functional offices across military formations nationwide.

She added that society planned to invest in strategic sectors, support members’ businesses through partnership financing and create employment opportunities while strengthening the financial security of military families.

“The cooperative has the capacity to do great things, not only for members but for NAOWA and the nation as a whole,” she said. 

(NAN)