FG inaugurates national steering committee for renewed hope cooperative to achieve food security
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Sen Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (C) and other members of NSC during the inauguration Tuesday in Abuja
Omeiza Bilal
In an effort to expedite development in the cooperative sector and achieve food security and sustainable economic development, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has inaugurated the National Steering Committee (NSC) for the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP), 2025–2030, to ensure that the vision of the programme is translated into measurable outcomes across the federation
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held Tuesday in Abuja, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi stated that cooperatives would serve as critical platforms for agricultural production, enterprise development, access to finance, value chain integration, and inclusive economic participation.
Sen. Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi revealed that ‘’the RH-CRRP is fully aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and seeks to transform cooperatives into modern, digitally enabled, transparent, productive, and investment-ready institutions capable of driving national development’’
He pointed out that “this occasion marks another significant milestone in the implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP) 2025–2030, a transformative national framework approved by the National Council on Cooperative Affairs (NCCA), to reposition Nigeria’s cooperative sector as a strategic vehicle for food security, economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, financial inclusion, and social empowerment.
“It is for this reason that the RH-CRRP provides for the establishment of a National Steering Committee (NSC) to serve as the apex coordinating and policy-guiding body for the Programme.”
The Minister mentioned that the NSC would focus on Strengthening cooperative governance and institutions, Driving nationwide cooperative sector digitalization through the National Cooperative Smart Registry (NCSR), Cooperative Verification Number (CVN), and Cooperative Member Identification Number (CoopID), Facilitating the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and related cooperative financing mechanisms, Promoting agricultural value chains through Farmers Producer Cooperative Organizations (FPCOs) and Comparative Cooperative Farms (CCFs), Supporting youth, women, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups through targeted cooperative empowerment initiatives, Modernizing the legal and regulatory framework governing cooperatives in Nigeria and Establishing a robust monitoring, evaluation, and accountability framework for sustainable impact.
He charged members “to approach this assignment with patriotism, professionalism, integrity, and a deep commitment to national development and to work collaboratively, provide strategic leadership as well as ensure stakeholder engagement, monitor implementation rigorously, and support the realization of the objectives of the Programme.”
He added that “the success of the RH-CRRP will not be measured by the number of meetings held or reports produced. It will be measured by the number of cooperatives strengthened, farmers empowered, jobs created, enterprises established, citizens financially included, and communities transformed.”
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi stated that “the RH-CRRP National Steering Committee is established under the supervision of the Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security (Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs) as the apex oversight, coordination, advisory, and policy-guidance body for the implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP).”
He pointed out that the Committee would provide strategic leadership and oversight for the successful implementation of the RH-CRRP in the country
During his welcome address, the Director, Federal Department of Cooperative, Dr. Mohammed Abdulkadir stated that “the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, through the Federal Department of Cooperatives, under the leadership of the Minister, developed the RH-CRRP as a comprehensive reform framework aimed at transforming the cooperative ecosystem and positioning cooperatives as strategic engines of inclusive economic growth, food security, rural development, and national prosperity.”
The committee’s terms of reference include: Policy and Strategic Oversight; Provide overall strategic direction for the implementation of the RH-CRRP; Advise the Honourable Minister on policy matters relating to cooperative sector reforms; Ensure alignment of RH-CRRP initiatives with the Renewed Hope Agenda and national development priorities; and Recommend policy, legal, and regulatory reforms necessary for cooperative sector modernization.
The Committee is chaired by the Hon. Minister of State and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs comprises representatives from” Federal Department of Cooperatives, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Federal Ministry of Interior, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), National Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), National Agricultural Development Fund (NADFund), and Small & Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
Others include: National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Nigeria Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Security Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Consumer Competition & Protection Commission (FCCPC), Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
In addition, there is the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), National Orientation Agency (NOA), CreditRegistry Bureau, Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Institute of Cooperative Professionals of Nigeria (ICOPRON), National Cooperative Financing Agency of Nigeria (CFAN), National Cooperative Insurance Society of Nigeria (NCIS), Nigeria Cooperative Share Exchange Society (NCSX), Cooperative Rating & Award Society of Nigeria (CRASoN), Organized Private Sector Bodies (MAN, NECA, NACCIMA, NASME, NASSI, etc.), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and other stakeholders as may be approved by the Minister.
