By Abubakar Yunusa
The Federal Government has declared that farmers who feed the nation deserve access to decent and affordable housing, unveiling plans to use cooperative societies as a major vehicle to expand home ownership among low-income Nigerians.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, made the declaration on Tuesday at the Chief Executive Officers’ Forum of the 20th African International Housing Show in Abuja.
He said the Federal Government’s policy under the Renewed Hope Agenda recognises that food security and housing security are inseparable, stressing that farmers should enjoy not only quality agricultural inputs, affordable finance and profitable markets but also decent homes.
“Our policy message is clear: a farmer who feeds the nation deserves not only access to quality inputs, affordable finance and profitable markets, but also access to decent and affordable housing,” he said.
Abdullahi noted that millions of Nigerians, particularly farmers, artisans, traders, market women, transport operators, rural civil servants and other informal sector workers, remained locked out of home ownership because of limited access to affordable finance, rising construction costs, land administration challenges and inadequate long-term mortgage financing.
He recalled that he had made a similar case at the Housing Advocacy Summit in Abuja two weeks ago, where he described housing as more than shelter, saying it is central to family security, productivity, wealth creation and national development.
According to him, the government is leveraging the country’s long-standing cooperative tradition to address the housing deficit.
He said indigenous cooperative systems such as Ajo in the South-West, Gayya in the North and Ogbo in the South-East had for decades enabled Nigerians to mobilise savings, access credit and improve livelihoods through collective action.
The minister said the same model could now be deployed to help members pool resources, acquire land, secure financing, reduce construction costs and develop sustainable housing communities.
Abdullahi said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security was implementing the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Bank Programme to reposition cooperatives as drivers of economic empowerment, financial inclusion and rural transformation.
He disclosed that the government was digitising Nigeria’s cooperative sector through a National Cooperative Smart Registry, which would establish a central database and issue Cooperative Identification Numbers and Cooperative Member Registration Numbers to improve transparency, governance and investor confidence.
He added that the digital platform would also enable registered cooperatives to participate more effectively in affordable housing initiatives and other national development programmes.
The minister further revealed plans to establish the Cooperatives Bank of Nigeria, which he said would be owned, managed and financed by cooperative societies to provide affordable financing across the cooperative value chain, including housing.
He explained that the integration of digital identity, cooperative banking and financial inclusion would make it easier for farmers, workers and other low-income earners to save, borrow and eventually own homes.
Abdullahi called on governments, housing developers, financial institutions, development partners, private investors and technology providers to work together in developing integrated cooperative housing solutions.
He maintained that if cooperative societies had successfully contributed to feeding the nation, they also possessed the capacity to help solve Nigeria’s housing challenge.
The minister expressed confidence that stronger collaboration would ensure that hardworking farmers, artisans, traders and informal sector workers could not only earn sustainable incomes but also achieve the dignity and security of home ownership.
