Enhancing Agricultural Co-operatives and Food Security through Public Policy in Nigeria

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Public Policy

Grantor

University of Saskatchewan

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Akintola, Olusola B

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Pigeon, Marc-Andre

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Gertler, Michael
• Bélanger, Marie-Christine

• Small-scale farmers
• agricultural co-operatives
• public policy
• food security

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10388/17605

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/17605