{"id":{"repo_id":"sask","oai_identifier":"oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/17605"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/sask/oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/17605","repository":{"repo_id":"sask","name":"University of Saskatchewan","base_url":"https://harvest.usask.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Enhancing Agricultural Co-operatives and Food Security through Public Policy in Nigeria","abstract":"According to the United Nations, some 26.5 million people or 12% of the population in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, likely experienced food insecurity in 2024. As in many lesser developed (economically) countries, Nigeria’s policymakers have increasingly looked to agricultural co-operatives to play a role in addressing its food insecurity problems in the belief they can help farmers produce more food for themselves and others by overcoming long-standing challenges around high input costs, market access, education, and adoption of new technologies. To date, however, the results appear to have been underwhelming. This study seeks to understand these policy failures by examining the factors that have shaped the design and implementation of policies targeting agricultural co-operatives in Nigeria. As part of this investigation, the study explores the perspective of smallholder farmers who, with the help of their co-operatives, carry the brunt of helping realize the country’s food security ambitions. Based on findings from interviews with farmers, Nigerian academics, and government officials, the investigation found several problem areas, including little to non-existent consultation between officials and farmers in the policy design process, low levels of trust rooted in corruption and suspicions around policies motivated by “green revolution” thinking, and implementation failures around the delivery of promised loan funding, investment in roads, and education by extension officers.","abstract_html":"According to the United Nations, some 26.5 million people or 12% of the population in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, likely experienced food insecurity in 2024. As in many lesser developed (economically) countries, Nigeria’s policymakers have increasingly looked to agricultural co-operatives to play a role in addressing its food insecurity problems in the belief they can help farmers produce more food for themselves and others by overcoming long-standing challenges around high input costs, market access, education, and adoption of new technologies. To date, however, the results appear to have been underwhelming. This study seeks to understand these policy failures by examining the factors that have shaped the design and implementation of policies targeting agricultural co-operatives in Nigeria. As part of this investigation, the study explores the perspective of smallholder farmers who, with the help of their co-operatives, carry the brunt of helping realize the country’s food security ambitions. Based on findings from interviews with farmers, Nigerian academics, and government officials, the investigation found several problem areas, including little to non-existent consultation between officials and farmers in the policy design process, low levels of trust rooted in corruption and suspicions around policies motivated by “green revolution” thinking, and implementation failures around the delivery of promised loan funding, investment in roads, and education by extension officers.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Akintola, Olusola B"],"institution":"University of Saskatchewan","degree_name":"Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Public Policy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Pigeon, Marc-Andre"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Gertler, Michael","Bélanger, Marie-Christine"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-12-09","date_published":"2025-12-09","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:27:18Z","subjects":["Small-scale farmers","agricultural co-operatives","public policy","food security"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10388/17605","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Pigeon, Marc-Andre"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Gertler, Michael","Bélanger, Marie-Christine"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Akintola, Olusola B"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-12-09T15:47:58Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-12-09T15:47:58Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-12-09"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Public Policy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Saskatchewan"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Small-scale farmers","agricultural co-operatives","public policy","food security"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10388/17605"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["According to the United Nations, some 26.5 million people or 12% of the population in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, likely experienced food insecurity in 2024. As in many lesser developed (economically) countries, Nigeria’s policymakers have increasingly looked to agricultural co-operatives to play a role in addressing its food insecurity problems in the belief they can help farmers produce more food for themselves and others by overcoming long-standing challenges around high input costs, market access, education, and adoption of new technologies. To date, however, the results appear to have been underwhelming. This study seeks to understand these policy failures by examining the factors that have shaped the design and implementation of policies targeting agricultural co-operatives in Nigeria. As part of this investigation, the study explores the perspective of smallholder farmers who, with the help of their co-operatives, carry the brunt of helping realize the country’s food security ambitions. Based on findings from interviews with farmers, Nigerian academics, and government officials, the investigation found several problem areas, including little to non-existent consultation between officials and farmers in the policy design process, low levels of trust rooted in corruption and suspicions around policies motivated by “green revolution” thinking, and implementation failures around the delivery of promised loan funding, investment in roads, and education by extension officers."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Enhancing Agricultural Co-operatives and Food Security through Public Policy in Nigeria"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Pigeon, Marc-Andre"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Gertler, Michael","Bélanger, Marie-Christine"],"dc:creator":["Akintola, Olusola B"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-12-09T15:47:58Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-12-09T15:47:58Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-12-09"],"dc:description.abstract":["According to the United Nations, some 26.5 million people or 12% of the population in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, likely experienced food insecurity in 2024. As in many lesser developed (economically) countries, Nigeria’s policymakers have increasingly looked to agricultural co-operatives to play a role in addressing its food insecurity problems in the belief they can help farmers produce more food for themselves and others by overcoming long-standing challenges around high input costs, market access, education, and adoption of new technologies. To date, however, the results appear to have been underwhelming. This study seeks to understand these policy failures by examining the factors that have shaped the design and implementation of policies targeting agricultural co-operatives in Nigeria. As part of this investigation, the study explores the perspective of smallholder farmers who, with the help of their co-operatives, carry the brunt of helping realize the country’s food security ambitions. Based on findings from interviews with farmers, Nigerian academics, and government officials, the investigation found several problem areas, including little to non-existent consultation between officials and farmers in the policy design process, low levels of trust rooted in corruption and suspicions around policies motivated by “green revolution” thinking, and implementation failures around the delivery of promised loan funding, investment in roads, and education by extension officers."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10388/17605"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["Small-scale farmers","agricultural co-operatives","public policy","food security"],"dc:title":["Enhancing Agricultural Co-operatives and Food Security through Public Policy in Nigeria"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Public Policy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Saskatchewan"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:27:18Z"}