As part of efforts towards unlocking a new era in cooperative financing, Mais Limited in collaboration with Maistrade Multipurpose Cooperative Society and Terra Industries have launched a $5 Billion AssuredInvest Cooperative Trust Fund in Abuja.
The fund which is demand-driven according to the imitator is also an assured invest/insurance fund with all stakeholders' interest factored in for efficiency and delivery.
The Chief Vision Officer of MAIS Limited, Mr. Benjamin Aduli at the launch at a press briefing on Saturday, explained that the Fund is "one of the most transformative financial vehicles ever created for the cooperative sector in Africa." He said his firm's objectives are to save, educate, train and lend to its over 252,000 members spread across 32 state in the country.
He said each member is expected to save a minimum of N5,000 monthly and that aside the contributions from the members, the organisation had signed an investment agreements with impact foreign investors to raise funds.
According to him, this $5billion AssuredInvest Cooperative Trust Fund, "This is not just another fund. It is a movement. A bold declaration that cooperative capital—when properly structured, transparently governed, and purposefully deployed, can unlock the full economic potential of our people, our farmlands, our small businesses, and our national future.
"For decades, the Nigerian cooperative system has been treated as an afterthought—underutilized, underfinanced, and underestimated.
"Today, that era ends. With this Fund, we are shifting from marginalization to mobilization.
"What makes the AssuredInvest Fund truly historic is its demand-driven nature. Unlike traditional financing models that are supply-driven—flooding the market with unsolicited capital—this fund responds only to verified cooperative demand.
"It is tailored to the real, structured needs of cooperative members—whether that’s a rice farmer in Lokoja, a housing cooperative in Enugu, an MSME cluster in Kaduna, or a youth cooperative in Abeokuta."
To give credence, he explained that the Fund is backed by institutional capital; governed by cooperative law, not securities law; driven by clear cooperative use-cases: food production, mechanisation, housing, education, clean energy, and digital inclusion.
He further explained that the Fund is a public investment scheme, adding that, "It is a secured cooperative financing framework, created by members, for members, and through members."
On the administration of the Fund, Aduli assured that it would be administered transparently with the oversight of trustee banks, insurance underwriters, and cooperative federations—including their partners from Cooperative Financing Agency of Nigeria (CFAN); National Agricultural Cooperative Organisation (NACO); Cooperative Housing Federation of Nigeria (COHFON) and Akilaah National Cooperative Federation (Akilaah).
"It is not a public investment scheme. It is a secured cooperative financing framework, created by members, for members, and through members.
"The Fund will be administered transparently with the oversight of trustee banks, insurance underwriters, and cooperative federations—including our partners .
"Together, we are building more than a financial fund—we are building a new era of economic justice, where membership equals access and contribution guarantees returns," he stated.
Aduli equally announced the launch of the National Drone Surveilance Programme for farmlands to secure farms of members.
On the National Drone Surveillance Programme for Nigerian Farmlands, the Chief Executive Officer of Terra Industries, the manufacturer of the drones, Mr. Nathan Nwachuku, assured that the initiative will mark the beginning of a bold and necessary transformation in Nigeria’s agricultural security and national food systems.
"The launch of the National Drone Surveillance Programme is not a ceremonial event. It is a strategic intervention—one that but recognises the urgent need to protect our food producers, safeguard agricultural assets, and ensure that the efforts of Nigeria’s farmers do not go to waste.
"Let us be clear: food insecurity is not just a rural problem; it is a national emergency. From climate-related threats to organized farm theft and communal disruptions, Nigerian farmers face daily risks that weaken our food chain and threaten our national stability.
"This drone program is our response—a fusion of technology, trust, and territorial protection. In the first phase of deployment, we rolling out surveillance coverage across 40,000 hectares in Kogi State, protecting over 20,000 rice farmers operating under the MAIS Cooperative network," he stated
He assured that these drones would deliver 24/7 aerial surveillance, persistent situational awareness, real-time threat detection and alerts as well as data analytics to inform security decisions.
"This initiative is not only about innovation—it’s about inclusion. We are embedding drone technology within the cooperative ecosystem so that even the smallest farmer in the remotest part of Nigeria can benefit from real-time security intelligence.
"That is the beauty of this partnership. It brings together global technology and grassroots organization—bridging the gap between capacity and community."
Earlier in her welcome remarks, the National President of Women in Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited, Dr. Esther Audu, described the launch as; "an awakening to the power of collective prosperity, of technological foresight, and of cooperative finance as a tool for development.
She commended the vision and leadership of Mr. Benjamin Aduli, Chief Vision Officer at MAIS, and thehe partnership spirit of Mr. Nathan Nwachuku and the Terra Industries team, for daring to dream beyond convention and executing with conviction.
"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 programs; 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.
"Let me commend the vision and leadership of Mr. Benjamin Aduli, our Chief Vision Officer at MAIS, and the partnership spirit of Mr. Nathan Nwachuku and the Terra Industries team, for daring to dream beyond convention and executing with conviction."