Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund and inaugurated a Coordinating Council aimed at accelerating agricultural development and investment across the Niger Delta region.
The launch took place during the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where government officials, development partners, investors and stakeholders gathered to discuss strategies for transforming the region into a major agricultural hub.
The summit, jointly organised by the Office of the Vice President and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with support from the governors of the nine Niger Delta states, was themed “Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in the Niger Delta.”
Speaking at the event, Shettima said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on agriculture as a driver of economic growth, job creation and food security.
According to the Vice President, the summit was designed to mobilise collaboration among government, investors, development partners and the private sector to unlock the agricultural potential of the Niger Delta and convert it into measurable economic gains.
“Before oil took centre stage in our economy, it was the soil that paid our bills. We must, therefore, return to agriculture for our economic development,” Shettima said.
Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, urged investors to look beyond the region’s oil and gas resources and recognise its agricultural potential.
He described the Niger Delta as a critical contributor to Nigeria’s food security and stressed the need for mechanised and innovative farming practices to drive productivity and sustainable growth.
“The future of agriculture is in mechanised and innovative farming, and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu has placed agriculture at the heart of Nigeria’s economic development,” Momoh said.
Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Chiedu Ebie, said although the Niger Delta is widely known for its oil and gas reserves, it is equally endowed with vast arable land suitable for agriculture.
He noted that the commission remains aligned with the Federal Government’s priorities on food security, poverty reduction and job creation.
“We remain guided and aligned with the agricultural policies of the Federal Government. The eight presidential priorities encompassing food security, poverty eradication, job creation and the fight against corruption serve as our roadmap toward a brighter and more prosperous Niger Delta,” Ebie said.
In his address, NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the summit reflects the commission’s commitment to supporting efforts to diversify Nigeria’s economy through agriculture.
He noted that while the Niger Delta has historically been associated with oil production, agriculture presents an opportunity to create jobs, attract investment and enhance food security.
“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 also highlighted the importance of infrastructure in supporting agricultural development, disclosing that the NDDC would soon complete the 1.2-kilometre Kaa-Ataba Bridge linking Khana and Andoni local government areas of Rivers State.
Representing the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving food security through increased investment in agriculture and a transition from subsistence farming to mechanised production.
The keynote speaker, Prince S. J. Samuel, called for the adoption of modern farming techniques across the region, describing the Niger Delta as an “agricultural giant” with untapped potential.
Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, represented by Deputy Governor Akon Eyakenyi, commended the NDDC and the Office of the Vice President for organising the summit and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to agricultural development.
Also speaking, NDDC Executive Director of Projects, Dr Victor Antai, emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships in driving sustainable agricultural investment and development across the region.
Earlier, NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Winifred Madume, said the future of the Niger Delta must be built on modern, commercially driven agriculture capable of attracting investment, generating employment and competing in global markets.
She highlighted the region’s comparative advantages, including fertile land, abundant freshwater resources, diverse ecological zones, extensive waterways and access to domestic and international markets.
According to her, the region holds significant opportunities in crop production, aquaculture, livestock development, agro-processing and agricultural trade.
“This is not simply about growing more food. It is about building an agricultural economy that rewards investment, drives industrial growth and positions the Niger Delta as one of Nigeria’s leading destinations for agribusiness,” Madume said..