Continental cooperative societies converge in Ghana

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday October 20, 2025 06:00

The convergence of over 700 delegates from the scantily populated diamond-rich country of Botswana in the southern tip of Africa to Africa's smallest country of Gambia, and to Nigeria, the giant of Africa, symbolised the high premium that Credit Unions attach to unity in diversity. The Gold Coast, as Ghana was known during the dark colonial age, is the cradle of the Credit union movement, having given birth to Africa's first Cooperative society in September 1955 in the town of Jirapa. Therefore, the return to Ghana was an emotional and exciting reunion with a country that planted a seed leading to the spread and flourishing of cooperatives across the length and breadth of the continent. The meeting in Ghana seems like a fulfilment of Kwame Nkrumah's dreams and aspirations of a United Africa anchored on harnessing diverse cultures and vast natural and human resources to achieve a common development purpose.

The credit unions thrive on collective wisdom, energies, shared education and experiences. The theme of the Congress, ' stronger together: SACCOs driving global progress in the International Year of Cooperatives of 2025', captured the mood of the moment as well as a desire to confront as a United front the hitherto elusive target of inclusive sustainable development. Sharing experiences would assist in advancing the pillars of the 2025 SACCA congress of positioning and strengthening financial cooperatives to play a prominent role in attainment of UN sustainable Development Goals, promotion of a strong regulatory environment to strengthen and protect credit unions, strengthen good governance, transparency, accountability through capacity building while also engaging stake critical stakeholders to participate in initiatives that pave the way to inclusivity. The cooperative model of economic development remains Africa's source of hope. Its uniqueness lies in making people he epicentre of development as the goal is to extend opportunities to all so that people can play active and prominent roles in shaping their destinies. At the heart of the credit union is sustainable development, which entails spending wisely to meet today's needs without necessarily compromising future prosperity and sustainability. Credit unions desire financial inclusivity in its true sense by making Africa a land of hope and opportunity for all inhabitants, by rolling back the frontiers of poverty and raising livelihoods.

The conference focused on building robust and resilient credit unions while also tackling the popular myth that cooperatives belong to the poor and old. To achieve future prosperity, Credit unions were urged to widen opportunities to cater for both old and young. Young people were highlighted as an important constituency. For Botswana, a country that has relied on a mono-sectoral economy for decades, Credit unions present themselves as the real game changer. Efforts, championed by the government to diversify the economy over the years, faltered, but now credit unions present a lifeline to an ailing economy by affording the people on the ground a rare opportunity to become the architects of their future. Several dignitaries graced the occasion, including Ghanaian Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo and other senior government officials, as well as the Executive Director of the African Confederation of Cooperatives Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA), George Ombado and Botswana's Jeanette Makgolo, the current Board Chair of ACCOSCA. The SACCA congress took place under the auspices of ACCOSCA. The 2026 Congress will be hosted by Tanzania.