By Stella Odueme
The Federal Government has inaugurated a National Steering Committee (NSC) to oversee the implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP) 2025–2030, aimed at strengthening cooperatives, boosting food security and driving sustainable economic development.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and seeks to transform cooperatives into modern, digitally-enabled and investment-ready institutions.
According to him, the reform programme will reposition cooperatives as key drivers of agricultural production, enterprise development, job creation, financial inclusion and poverty reduction.
Abdullahi said the committee would provide strategic leadership for major initiatives, including the National Cooperative Smart Registry, Cooperative Verification Number (CVN), Cooperative Member Identification Number (CoopID), and the proposed Cooperative Bank of Nigeria.
He added that the committee would also support agricultural value chains, promote empowerment programmes for youths, women and vulnerable groups, and strengthen the legal and regulatory framework governing cooperatives.
“The success of the programme will be measured by the number of cooperatives strengthened, farmers empowered, jobs created, enterprises established and communities transformed,” he said.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, described the NSC as the apex body responsible for providing oversight, coordination and policy guidance for the programme’s implementation.
Also speaking, Director of the Federal Department of Cooperatives, Mohammed Abdulkadir, said the reform framework was designed to transform the cooperative sector into a major engine of inclusive economic growth, rural development and national prosperity.
The committee comprises representatives of key government agencies, financial institutions, cooperative bodies, the private sector and civil society organisations, and will oversee policy implementation, sector digitalisation, financing, monitoring and legal reforms across the country’s cooperative ecosystem.
