Poverty Reduction: Agric Ministry moves to reform, revamp cooperatives
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By Gabriel Ewepu
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security vowed yesterday to reform and revamp cooperative societies to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Aliyu Abdullahi, stated this in a remark at a one-day workshop and retreat for the staff of the Federal Department of Cooperatives held in Abuja.
According to Abdullahi, cooperatives around the world have tirelessly lifted millions of people out of poverty and expanded access to finance, thereby creating resilience among communities. Therefore, Nigeria cannot be left behind at all to ensure its citizens are pulled out of the pit of excruciating poverty and hardship.
He further stated that the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, RH-CRRP, is a comprehensive home-grown blueprint designed to position the cooperative movement as a central driver of food security, job creation, community wealth creation, shared prosperity, and an inclusive cooperative ecosystem, and growth under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
The Minister of State also highlighted key components of transforming the cooperative sector: policy and regulatory reforms to improve governance; accountability and ease of conducting comprehensive business; transforming cooperative registrations through digitalization of both the federal and state levels; capacity building for cooperators; cooperative officers; service providers focusing on entrepreneurship; and financial literacy and institution development through strengthening Federal Department of Cooperative.
He stated that the retreat would provide an opportunity to resolve internal differences, build synergy, and reposition the department as the true engine room of cooperative development in Nigeria.
He said: “Around the world, cooperatives have lifted millions out of poverty, expanded access to finance, and built strong community resilience
“Nigeria can’t afford to be behind that is why we must reform, revamp and reposition cooperative sector to meet the demands of the present and future.”
He added that it would deepen staff understanding and ownership of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, RH-CRRP.
“Ensuring that together, we build a stronger and more impactful cooperative sector in Nigeria.
“This retreat will be a turning point, let it be the day when every staff member from the Federal Directors down to the recently recruited officers make a commitment: we are one team serving one vision for one Nigeria”, he added.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, appealed to the staff to “embrace this golden opportunity which aims at strengthening the bonds among all cadres of staff and officers.”
In his address of welcome, the Director, Federal Department of Cooperatives, Idris Sani, expressed optimism that the RH–CRRP would strengthen the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, CFN, as an umbrella
body for the cooperative movement in Nigeria, among others.
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