12. Joining SCAFI

Before you start.

• The scheme must be open (section 11).
• Your cooperative must be registered and verified on DFFMS. Only verified cooperatives appear in the list. If yours is missing, ask it to register with the SAPZ coordination office.
• Have your NIN and BVN (11 digits each). Both are required.
• For civil servants, have your Staff or IPPIS number and your ministry, department or agency.
• Have your bank account for payouts, with its 10-digit account number.

Example: Musa Ibrahim, a civil servant at the Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture, joins through the Kaduna State Civil Servants Multipurpose Cooperative Society. He signs in as musa.ibrahim@demo.dffms.org.

Steps.

1. Sign in and select Investments.
2. Under Open schemes, select Join on SCAFI. The Join SCAFI form opens.
3. Choose your Cooperative society.
4. Choose your Employment, and type the Ministry, department, agency or employer and the Staff or IPPIS number.
5. Type your Phone number, and choose your State and Gender.
6. Tick Aged 18–35 or Living outside Nigeria if they apply.
7. Type your NIN and BVN. The form says they are "Stored only as a secure token." DFFMS does not keep the plain numbers, and one identity cannot join twice.
8. Enter your payout Bank for payouts, Account name and Account number (NUBAN). Only the last 4 digits of the account are kept.
9. Tick the Consent box, then select Submit application.

What happens next. You get a membership number such as SCAFI-000001. Your status is Awaiting verification, and registrars are told to check you. When they confirm your cooperative and your staff or IPPIS number, your status becomes Active and you are notified. You can pay in only when you are Active.

Common problems.

• Your cooperative is not listed. It is not verified yet.
• The application says the identity is already used. The NIN or BVN is already on a membership. Contact DFFMS. Do not apply again.
• You stay at Awaiting verification. Contact your cooperative or DFFMS with your details.