The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has inaugurated the Ministerial Technical Committee on the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP) (2025- 2030), to boost Cooperative sector contribution to Nigeria’s Socio – Economic development as well as revolutionize the Agricultural Ecosystem.
The Initiative aimed at repositioning cooperatives sector as strategic engines of inclusive growth, food security, and rural development by aligning them with presidential directives and national development priorities.
Speaking during the Inauguration ceremony held at the Ministry’s Conference Room, in Abuja on Thursday 14th May, 2026, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, stated that the cooperative sector in Nigeria plays a vital role in the country’s economic development contributing significantly to food security, job creation, economic growth, social cohesion, and poverty reduction.
Sen Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi said that the programme is a national response to the structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s cooperative and agricultural ecosystems.
He pointed out that ‘’by addressing the sector’s challenges and strengthening its institutions, the programme will enhance the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s economic development, improving the lives of millions of Nigerians’’.
The Minister mentioned the Key Strategic Initiative (7-Pillars) of the RH-CRRP;
Cooperative Governance and Institutional Reforms; Cooperative Financing and the Establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria; Cooperative Sector Digitalization and Data Management Systems Capacity Building, Cooperative Education and Human Capital Development; Value Chain Development, Enterprise Growth and Market Access; Youth, Women and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Inclusion and Empowerment; and Strategic Partnerships, Investments and Global Cooperative Competitiveness.
According to him, ‘’the expected outcomes includes the following; Enhanced contribution to food security, job creation, economic growth, social cohesion, and poverty reduction, Improved governance, leadership, and management of cooperative societies, Increased access to funding, markets, and technology for cooperative societies, Strengthened partnership and collaboration among cooperative societies, government agencies, private sector organizations, and civil society as well as Increased awareness and recognition of the cooperative sector’s role in Nigeria’s economic development’’.
He tasked the Technical Committee to work assiduously towards achieving its mandate in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda in agricultural sector as well as contribute to the One-Trillion-Dollar Economy for the nation within the decade as projected by Mr. President.
The Minister revealed that the Term of Reference (ToR) is as follows;
(i) To serve as the lead coordinating Ministry from FMAFS on RH-CRRP;
(ii) Review the Renewed Hope document and come up with a RHCRRP zero draft;
(iii) Drive policy implementation and inter-ministerial collaboration;
(iv) support Farmer Producer Cooperative (FPCOs) and Comparative Cooperative Farms (CCFs) through input access, farm out aggregation and Extension Services;
(v) Facilitate National Food System and Anchor Borrowers’ programme.
In his welcome address, the Director, Federal Department of Cooperative, Dr. Mohammed Abdulkadir stated that ‘’the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs (NCCA) with the theme “Revitalizing Nigeria’s Cooperative Sector: A Catalyst for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable National Development Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, Approved for the establishment of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP) (2025 – 2030) as Nigeria’s official cooperative development framework for cooperative transformation, digitalization, and economic revitalization’’.
He added that ‘’as part of the approved implementation work plan, it has also provided for the composition of the FMAFS RH-CRRP Ministerial Technical Committee as lead coordinating committee in the Ministry to drive the Policy and programme implementation’’.
FMAFS RH-CRRP MINISTERIAL TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
SN FMAFS DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCY POSITION
i Permanent Sec. FMAFS Chairman
ii Fed. Dept. of Cooperatives Alternate Chairman
iii Fed. Dept. of Agriculture Member
iv Fed. Dept. Nutrition & Food Safety Member
v Fed. Dept of Farm Inputs Support Services Member
vi Fed. Dept. Agric Extension Member
vii Fed. Dept. of Rural Devt, Member
viii Fed. Dept. of Horticulture Member
ix Fed. Dept of Agric Business Mgt. Member
x Fed. Dept. of Planning & Policy Coordination Member
xi Dept. of Agricultural Land Climate Change Mgt Services Member
xii Fed. Coop. College, Kaduna Member
xiii Fed. Coop. College, Oji-River Member
xiv Fed. Coop. College, Ibadan Member
xv Fed. Dept. of Food & Strategic Reserve Member
xvi Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation Member
xvii National Agricultural Development Fund Member
xviii Bank of Agriculture Member
xix Agricultural & Rural Management Training Institute Member
xx Nigeria Agricultural Seed Council Member
xxi Fed. Dept. of Plant Health & Pest Control Services Member
xxii Fed. Dept. of Dev. Partners Projects Member
xxiii Fed. Dept. of Agric. Mechanization Member
xxiv Fed. Dept. of Agric. Data & Analytics Member
xxv. Fed. Dept. of Cooperatives Secretariat
Ezeaja Ikemefuna
Head, Department of Information
14/5/2026
