<p>Cooperative non-orthogonal multiple access (C-NOMA) involves transmitting from a base station (BS) to an edge user over a weak channel, and transmitting from the centre user, serving as a relay, to the edge user over a strong channel. While C-NOMA is an efficient technique, it faces challenges arising from channel fading due to the shared resource block among users with varying channel conditions. We propose an innovative solution to mitigate the effects of multipath fading in C-NOMA. The proposed identical code-data cyclic shift (ICDCS) transmission incorporates cyclic shifting of the data stream and code, along with cyclic interleaving. Consequently, ICDCS maintains orthogonality among the multipath components to reduce interference due to fading. Furthermore, the dual-maximal ratio combining (MRC) technique employed at the edge user combines the transmitted signal from the BS and the centre user, along with their multiple copies received from multipath propagation. Simulation results affirm that the combination of ICDCS and dual-MRC significantly enhances diversity reception and the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Ultimately, the proposed scheme provides a more reliable and robust form of communication compared to traditional C-NOMA techniques.</p>