Senator (Dr.) Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (CON), Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, has called on African governments and development partners to establish pan-African financing mechanisms that will de-risk investments and channel resources directly to grassroots cooperatives.

Speaking on October 8, 2025 at the 14th Africa Ministerial Cooperative Conference (AMCCO) held at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Senator Abdullahi said the time has come for Africa to move from commitment to action by leveraging partnerships for sustainable cooperative development.

“It is time to finance to fortify,” the minister declared. “Let us design and support pan-African financing mechanisms. Nigeria is prepared to collaborate in de-risking investments and channeling resources directly to grassroots cooperatives.”

The conference, themed “From Commitment to Action: Leveraging Global, Regional, and Local Partnerships for Sustainable Cooperative Development in Africa,” was organized by the International Cooperative Alliance–Africa (ICA-Africa) in collaboration with the Kenyan Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development.

It drew participation from ministers, government leaders, cooperative heads, development partners, and stakeholders across the continent and beyond.

Senator Abdullahi explained that the conference theme aligns seamlessly with Nigeria’s 'Renewed Hope Agenda', which serves as the nation’s blueprint for inclusive growth and economic transformation.

At the heart of this agenda, he said, lies the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP) — a bold policy designed to reposition the cooperative sector as a vital engine for job creation, poverty eradication, food security, and sustainable development.

He outlined four action pillars of the RH-CRRP, namely:

· Governance and regulatory overhaul, to ensure transparency, accountability and strong governance;

· Strategic financing and credit access, through the proposed Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the Renewed Hope Cooperative Relief Fund;

· Digitalization and market access, via the National Cooperative Smart Registries to assign every cooperative and member a unique Verification Number and CoopID;

· Inclusive capacity building, empowering youth, women, and persons with disabilities as drivers of cooperative innovation.

The minister further issued a three-point call to action for African leaders: “Harmonize to Amplify, Finance to Fortify, and Share to Scale Up.”

He urged the formation of a Regional Cooperative Development Committee to harmonize policies, boost intra-African trade, and strengthen the movement of cooperative goods and services across borders.

“We cannot succeed in isolation,” he said. “Our efforts must be nested within a continental framework of cooperation and solidarity.”

Other dignitaries at the event included Hon. FCPA Dr. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya (EGH), Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development, and Dr. Ibrahim Abdulganiyu, Provost, Federal Cooperative College, Eleyele, Ibadan, among others.

In conclusion, Senator Abdullahi urged participants to turn policy discussions into measurable outcomes that directly impact communities.

“The work we do here in Nairobi will be judged not by declarations, but by the tangible results we deliver for our people,” he said. “Let us transform commitments into thriving, modern cooperatives that feed our continent, empower our people, and anchor Africa’s place in the global economy.”