FG Unveils Major Cooperative Reform Programme

The federal government has unveiled the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP), a flagship initiative under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Speaking at the commemoration of the second United Nations International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) in Abuja, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security,  Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the initiative is part of the strategy to harness the collective strength of over 370,000 registered cooperative societies in Nigeria to drive poverty reduction, enhance food security, and empower women and youth.

“Across the globe, cooperatives provide over 280 million jobs, almost 10 per cent of the world’s employed population. In Nigeria, they are transforming lives in agriculture, housing, credit, transport and trade.

Our goal is to ensure they operate in a more enabling environment with improved regulation, access to finance, and digital infrastructure, ” the minister said.

Despite their wide presence, many Nigerian cooperatives struggle with poor governance, limited access to financing, outdated regulatory frameworks, and low digital penetration.

A 2023 study by the Nigerian Cooperative College and the International Cooperative Alliance found that less than 15% of cooperatives have access to formal financial services or updated digital recordkeeping systems—hindering their ability to scale or attract external investment.

Dr. Abdullahi outlined that the RH-CRRP would address these bottlenecks through; comprehensive policy and regulatory reform to improve ease of doing business for cooperatives, digitalisation of cooperative registries at federal and state levels and targeted capacity building in entrepreneurship, enterprise development and financial literacy, including improved oversight and transparency through stronger governance frameworks.

Cooperatives have long been recognised as a vital tool in Nigeria’s agricultural strategy, particularly in aggregating smallholder farmers for access to markets, inputs, credit, and training.

In recent months, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has stepped up efforts to link cooperatives to national programmes such as the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Aggregation (NAGS-AP) and Agro-Pocket Fertilizer Subsidy Scheme, aimed at increasing productivity and reducing food imports.

According to a March 2025 policy brief by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), revitalising cooperatives could unlock over N01.5 trillion in rural capital, while reducing youth unemployment by 20 per cent over the next five years if properly structured and financed.

The minister also announced that a National Stakeholders Validation Workshop will be held from July 30–31, 2025 in Abuja, bringing together cooperative leaders, development partners, and key sector actors to finalise the RH-CRRP blueprint.

Welcoming attendees at the Abuja event, the permanent secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi represented by Engr. Mohammed Bello, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to empowering cooperatives as a cornerstone of food security and inclusive economic growth.

For generations, cooperatives have played a quiet but powerful role in Nigeria’s food economy, this reform will give them the voice, structure, and support they need to compete and thrive in today’s economy.”