The Federal government has began effort to revitalise the Nigeria Cooperative sector through the development of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP), a comprehensive national agenda designed to reposition the cooperative sector for the 21st century.

Speaking at the 8th regular meeting of National Council of Cooperative Affairs, the Minister of State Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Senator Sabi Abdullahi said the RH-CRRP is built on seven pillars including governance legal and regulatory reform, institutional Strenghtening, Cooperative Digitalization & Data Management.

He said the reform is also built on improve access to affordable credit through cooperative financing and expanding funding opportunities, facilitate the formation of Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, as well as promoting Financial Cooperative systems (SACCOs) with the Renewed Hope Cooperative Relief Fund.

It also involves enterprise development & Value Chain Integration by promoting cooperative businesses across agricultural farms and key sectors. Comparative Cooperative Farms (CCFs) Localized Processing Hubs and Farm Equipment Schemes adding that the reform will enhance inclusive stakeholder engagement and Strategic Partnerships –

He said they would also ensure Monitoring, evaluation and sustainability framework to ensure accountability, impact measurement, and long-term sustainability

The Minister while emphasized that cooperatives is backbone of:

Food production and distribution,

Rural and community development,

Housing and microfinance systems,

Transportation and market organisation,

Youths, PWDs, and women empowerment, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises sustainability.

He acknowledged that the cooperative sector has for years struggled due to weak governance and outdated policies and legal frameworks, poor data and unreliable records, underfunding and exclusion from mainstream financial opportunities, limited digital adoption, fragmented operations across states,

Inadequate training for cooperative leaders, managers, and regulators and lack of inclusive-programmatic approach to development.

Senator Abdullahi stressed that “If Nigeria must feed itself, empower its citizens, reduce poverty, and expand prosperity, then revamping and modernizing the cooperative sector is not optional, it is urgent and non-negotiable.”

He however harped that revitalizing the cooperative sector is a collective responsibility and called on the council to embrace technology, enforce accountability, strengthen governance, support innovation, and empower cooperative societies to thrive.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, represented by the Director, Department of Planning and Policy Coordination, Mr Ibrahim Tanimu said that “cooperatives remain central to empowering farmers, youth, women and persons with Special Needs, while driving rural economic growth and agribusiness expansion,”

He emphasized that ‘’the reform programme includes capacity building for cooperative leaders, harmonized accounting standards nationwide and stronger regulatory frameworks to enhance accountability and investor confidence.

During her goodwill message, the President, Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Mrs Hannatu Mershak stated that ‘’the cooperative movement remains one of the most powerful instruments for grassroots mobilization, poverty reduction, and economic empowerment’’.

She added that across Nigeria, ‘’cooperative societies continue to provide access to finance, enhance agricultural productivity, create employment opportunities, and strengthen community resilience. In many rural and underserved communities, cooperatives are not just economic entities they are lifelines’’