Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima has launched the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund and inaugurated the Coordinating Council for Agricultural Development and Investment in the Niger Delta.
Speaking at the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Shettima said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that agriculture remains central to economic diversification, food security, and job creation.
He urged stakeholders to harness the region’s vast agricultural potential, noting: “Before oil took centre stage in our economy, it was the soil that paid our bills.”
The summit, jointly organised by the Office of the Vice President and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with the support of the governors of the nine Niger Delta states, had as theme, “Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in the Niger Delta.”
The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, called on investors to look beyond oil and gas, describing the Niger Delta as a future hub for food security through mechanised and innovative agriculture.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director/CEO NDDC, Chief Samuel Ogbuku PhD reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transforming the Niger Delta through agriculture and infrastructure. He also announced the imminent completion of the 1.2 kilometre Kaa–Ataba Bridge in Rivers State to improve access to agricultural activities.
The Chairman of the Governing Board, NDDC Mr Chiedu Ebie, highlighted the region’s vast arable land, while the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, emphasised the need to transition from subsistence to mechanised farming.
The keynote speaker, Prince S. J. Samuel, encouraged the region to embrace modern agriculture, while the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, represented by Senator Akon Eyakenyi, commended the partnership between the Office of the Vice President and the NDDC.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Projects, NDDC Victor Antai PhD, stressed that strategic partnerships would drive sustainable agricultural development, while the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Winifred Madume, said the Niger Delta possesses the natural resources and investment potential to become one of Nigeria’s leading agribusiness destinations.
