Professional Development Programme Design for Cooperative Society Managers in North East Nigeria

The managerial capacity of cooperative society leaders in North East Nigeria is widely cited as a critical barrier to cooperative effectiveness, yet structured professional development programmes tailored for cooperative managers in the region are largely absent. This study designed a professional development programme for cooperative society managers in the North East geopolitical zone, focusing on Borno, Gombe, and Adamawa States. A training needs analysis and programme development methodology was employed. The training needs analysis involved structured questionnaires administered to 90 cooperative managers assessing knowledge gaps in financial management, member relations, cooperative law, strategic planning, and digital tools use. Results identified financial management (72.2 percent inadequate knowledge), strategic planning (80.0 percent), and digital tools use (88.9 percent) as the most critical training priority areas. A literature review of cooperative management training programmes from sub-Saharan Africa informed programme design. The resulting programme covers eight competency modules: principles and laws of cooperatives, cooperative financial management, strategic planning, member education and communication, digital management tools, credit and risk management, conflict management, and leadership and governance. Delivery through a blended format of three-day residential workshops and online self-paced modules is proposed, with a focus on Hausa-language materials and case studies from the North East context. The programme was reviewed by twelve cooperative management educators and practitioners. The study recommends programme adoption by the Federal Cooperative College and delivery through its Northeast Campus.

Keywords: professional development programme, cooperative managers, North East Nigeria, cooperative training, managerial capacity