The Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives in charge of Cooperatives, Hon. Alero Tom Aza, has called on leaders and communities in Gulu City to embrace the cooperative movement as a practical pathway to wealth creation, poverty reduction and sustainable economic transformation.
Speaking during a familiarization visit to Gulu City, the Minister said he had been sent by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to sensitize the public on the importance of cooperatives and assess the status of the sector across the country.
He describes Gulu as the heart of Acholi and applauds the region’s resilience, saying it provides a strong foundation for thriving cooperative societies.
He notes that while an individual farmer has limited bargaining power, organised cooperatives can negotiate better prices, access larger markets and improve members’ incomes.
The Minister linked the cooperative movement to Uganda’s 10-Fold Growth Strategy, which seeks to transform the country from a lower-middle-income to an upper-middle-income economy by 2040 through commercial production and value addition.
Hon. Tom Aza observes that Gulu City has significant potential for cooperative development due to its available land, active youth and women groups, and the presence of established cooperative unions.
The Minister attributes the collapse of many cooperatives to weak governance, poor leadership, conflicts of interest and inadequate accountability, but assures stakeholders that the Ministry would continue providing policy guidance, governance training, regular audits and market linkages to strengthen cooperative societies.
During the engagement, Gulu City leaders presented several challenges affecting the sector and appealed for government intervention.
By Patrick Uma
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