By Chesa Chesa
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has unveiled plans to reposition the Niger Delta as a major agricultural hub, announcing that it will formally launch the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund at an Agriculture Summit scheduled for July 15, 2026, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Speaking at a press conference at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the summit, organised in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, would mobilise government, investors, development partners and the private sector to unlock the region’s vast agricultural potential.
Ogbuku said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to diversify Nigeria’s economy, strengthen food security and create jobs through agriculture.
According to him, the summit will formally launch the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund, establish a coordinated platform for agricultural development and investment, and develop a pipeline of bankable agricultural projects across the nine Niger Delta states.
He explained that the commission was shifting focus from the region’s long dependence on oil to agriculture as a sustainable driver of economic growth and peace.
“The Niger Delta has for decades been known for oil, but it is time to unlock the enormous opportunities beneath its fertile soil. Agriculture offers the region a pathway to food security, employment, investment and lasting prosperity,” Ogbuku said.
He noted that preparations for the summit began with a regional agricultural workshop convened by the NDDC last year, which brought together commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors of agriculture from the Niger Delta states.
The outcome of the workshop, he said, informed subsequent consultations with Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, to fine-tune plans for the summit.
Ogbuku disclosed that the Minister had pledged the technical support of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to ensure the success of the initiative.
He said discussions with the ministry also highlighted ongoing federal interventions in the region, including the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project, the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme and private sector investments in key value chains such as palm oil, cocoa, rubber, cassava and rice.
The NDDC boss said the summit would leverage the comparative advantages of each Niger Delta state, including aquaculture in Bayelsa, cassava production in Delta, fisheries in Rivers, cocoa in Ondo and oil palm in Edo, to build an integrated regional food system.
According to him, the commission is committed to ensuring that agriculture becomes a platform for peace, security and economic inclusion in the Niger Delta by creating sustainable livelihoods that would discourage illegal activities.
NDDC to launch Niger Delta Agric Investment Fund at July 15 summit
