The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to revitalising Nigeria’s cooperative sector as a key strategy for enhancing food security, creating jobs, and promoting inclusive economic growth.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, made this known on Thursday in Abuja during the 8th National Council on Cooperative Affairs.
He highlighted the importance of cooperatives in driving national development, describing them as people-focused economic structures with far-reaching impact across multiple sectors.
According to the minister, cooperatives play vital roles in food production and distribution, rural development, housing, microfinance, transportation, and market coordination. He added that they also support youth, women, persons with disabilities, and small businesses.
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Abdullahi said the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognises the sector’s potential, positioning cooperative reform as a central pillar for achieving economic stability and social inclusion.
Despite this, he acknowledged that the sector has faced persistent challenges over the years, including weak governance structures, outdated legal frameworks, inadequate funding, poor data systems, and limited adoption of digital technologies.
Other issues, he noted, include fragmented operations, insufficient training, and gaps in inclusive development practices.
The minister stressed that reforming the cooperative sector is both urgent and essential to national progress.
“To achieve food security, reduce poverty, and expand economic opportunities, modernising the cooperative system is not optional—it is imperative,” he said.
To address these challenges, Abdullahi disclosed that the government has introduced the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive initiative aimed at repositioning the sector for long-term growth.
He explained that the programme focuses on key areas such as regulatory and governance reforms, institutional strengthening, digital transformation, improved access to finance, enterprise development, stakeholder collaboration, and sustainability.
The minister also noted that progress has already been made in laying the groundwork for the reform agenda, particularly through efforts by the Federal Department of Cooperatives.
He said the ongoing council meeting is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the future of the sector by providing a platform for stakeholders to deliberate and adopt key policy directions.
According to him, discussions at the meeting will centre on adopting the reform framework, integrating digital systems, standardising reporting processes, supporting the proposed Cooperative Bank, strengthening state-level institutions, and approving a national action plan.
Abdullahi emphasised that the success of the reforms will depend on collective effort and collaboration among stakeholders.
He urged participants to engage constructively to develop practical solutions that will improve the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians who rely on cooperatives for income and economic advancement.
