The Federal Government has launched the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP 2030) in the South-South geopolitical zone, urging cooperative societies to support the establishment of the proposed Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digital transformation of the cooperative sector.
The appeal was made by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, during the grand finale of the 2026 United Nations International Day of Cooperatives celebration and the South-South Zonal Engagement of the Ministerial Advocacy Tour in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Represented by his Special Assistant on Cooperative and Farmers Welfare, Victor Oyegoke, the minister described cooperatives as critical instruments for peacebuilding, poverty reduction, financial inclusion and sustainable economic development.
Speaking on the theme, "Cooperatives for a Peaceful World," Abdullahi said the cooperative movement remained central to the Federal Government's efforts to drive food security, enterprise development, employment generation and inclusive growth under President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said RH-CRRP 2030, approved by the National Council on Cooperative Affairs (NCCA), is anchored on two major reforms—the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the National Cooperative Sector Digitalisation Drive.
According to him, the proposed Cooperative Bank will be government-enabled but owned and controlled by cooperative societies, providing affordable financial services to farmers, artisans, traders, women, youths, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and other cooperative businesses.
He called on cooperative societies across the South-South to participate in the ongoing share capital mobilisation campaign and become foundation owners of the proposed financial institution.
On digitalisation, the minister disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with technology partners, is developing the National Cooperative Digital Architecture Platform (NCDAP), beginning with the National Cooperative Smart Registry (NCSR).
He explained that every registered cooperative would receive a Cooperative Verification Number (CVN), while individual members would be assigned a Cooperative Member Identification Number (CoopID) to strengthen transparency, improve governance, eliminate fraudulent cooperatives and enhance access to finance.
Abdullahi stressed that the reforms were designed to be driven by the cooperative movement itself rather than imposed by government, noting that their success would depend on the commitment of governments, cooperative federations, development partners, investors and cooperative members.
The minister also commended the Bayelsa State Government for supporting cooperative development through its Bureau for Cooperative Development, saying the state had demonstrated how cooperatives could promote financial inclusion, local enterprise and economic empowerment.
He further highlighted the South-South's historical contribution to Nigeria's cooperative movement, recalling that the region produced Chief J. U. Eka, the country's first indigenous Registrar of Cooperative Societies.
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment, Ebieri Jones, said the state had strengthened the governance framework for cooperative societies through reforms that had improved accountability and enhanced members' returns.
Also speaking, President of the Bayelsa Cooperative Federation, Toney Soroh, welcomed the Federal Government's reform agenda and pledged that the state's 43 active cooperative societies would subscribe to shares in the proposed Cooperative Bank of Nigeria.
More than 40 cooperative societies participated in the 2026 United Nations International Day of Cooperatives celebration held at the Government House Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.