MAIS Limited, in collaboration with key industry partners, has unveiled the $5 billion AssuredInvest Cooperative Trust Fund, introducing a groundbreaking demand-driven financing model designed specifically for cooperative societies across Nigeria.
Launched in Abuja, the fund aims to mobilize capital to meet the genuine needs of cooperatives while promoting transparency, accountability, and active member engagement. Unlike traditional top-down financing schemes, AssuredInvest disburses funds only in response to verified demands, ensuring a more inclusive and responsive system.
Speaking at the launch, Chief Vision Officer of MAIS Limited, Benjamin Aduli, described the initiative as more than just another fund. “It is a declaration that cooperative capital, when transparently structured and purposefully deployed, can unlock the true economic potential of our people,” he said.
According to Aduli, the fund will be governed under strict oversight by trustee banks, insurance firms, and national cooperative bodies, including the Cooperative Financing Agency of Nigeria (CFAN), the National Agricultural Cooperative Organisation (NACO), and the Cooperative Housing Federation of Nigeria (COHFON).
The initial phase will focus on onboarding verified cooperative societies nationwide. Aduli also urged stakeholders to connect with the Maistrade Ecosystem to access participation kits and funding tools.
National President of the Women in Agric Cooperative Federation, Easter Audu, praised the launch as a “national awakening,” highlighting the simultaneous rollout of a national drone surveillance program developed by MAIS and Terra Industries. She said the initiative will initially serve 20,000 rice farmers in Kogi State, enhancing farmland protection and agricultural intelligence in rural areas.
Audu described the trust fund as the first of its kind in Africa—a demand-driven, not supply-driven model. “It doesn’t inject capital into speculative ventures but responds to verified cooperative needs. Every kobo mobilized impacts real people, real enterprises, and real communities. It’s built on shared risk, shared returns, and a shared vision,” she said. “This is not a public investment scheme—it’s a cooperative model rooted in law, backed by trust, and driven by the mission to uplift.”
In his remarks, Nathan Nwachuku, CEO of Terra Industries, called the drone program a strategic intervention to secure agricultural production and food systems. “Food insecurity is a national emergency. Nigerian farmers face daily threats—from climate change to organised theft and communal conflicts. This drone initiative fuses technology and trust to protect our food sources,” he explained.
In the first phase, the program will deploy drones to provide continuous aerial surveillance over 40,000 hectares of farmland in Kogi State. The drones will offer real-time threat detection, alerts, and data analytics to aid security decisions.
Nwachuku added that this is only the beginning of a nationwide rollout. “Our roadmap includes expansion to all 36 states, creating a scalable digital backbone for agro-security, smart irrigation, crop monitoring, and disaster response.”
Beyond technology, the initiative emphasizes inclusivity by integrating drone capabilities into the cooperative system, ensuring that even smallholder farmers can access real-time farm security support.
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The national drone program is expected to expand steadily, positioning Nigeria as a continental leader in digital farm security and resilience.
