Shettima launches Niger Delta Agricultural Development, Investment Fund

By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt

Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund and inaugurated a Coordinating Council for agricultural development and investment in the region.

Speaking at the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Shettima said the initiative was directly linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agrarian programme under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the summit would mobilise the collective commitment of government, investors, development partners and the private sector towards transforming the agricultural potential of the Niger Delta into measurable economic progress.

The summit, jointly organised by the Office of the Vice President and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with the support of governors of the nine Niger Delta mandate states, was anchored on the theme: “Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in the Niger Delta.”

The Vice President noted that agriculture remained central to Nigeria’s economic development, recalling that before oil became the mainstay of the economy, agriculture played a significant role in sustaining the country.

“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,” he said.

In his remarks, the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, urged investors to look beyond oil and gas and recognise the Niger Delta as a major contributor to Nigeria’s food security.

He described the region as not only an oil hub but also a potential agricultural powerhouse, stressing that mechanised and innovative farming remained the future of agriculture.

“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,” he said.

The Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr Chiedu Ebie, said the Niger Delta, though widely known as the home of oil and gas, was also endowed with vast arable land suitable for agricultural development.

He said the commission remained aligned with the agricultural policies of the Federal Government,

adding that the eight presidential priorities, including food security, poverty eradication, job creation and the fight against corruption, remained the roadmap towards a prosperous Niger Delta.

“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,” he said.

Earlier, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to President Tinubu’s mandate of changing the narrative of the oil-producing region.

Ogbuku said the summit aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to diversify Nigeria’s economy, improve food security and create jobs through agriculture.

“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,” he said.

He noted that infrastructure remained critical to the success of agricultural programmes, adding that the NDDC was committed to providing the necessary infrastructure to support development.

Ogbuku announced that the commission would soon complete the 1.2-kilometre Kaa-Ataba Bridge linking Khana Local Government Area with Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, said food security remained a priority of the Tinubu administration, stressing the need to move from subsistence farming to mechanised agriculture.

The keynote speaker at the summit, Prince S. J. Samuel, also urged the Niger Delta region to embrace mechanised farming, while speaking on the topic: “Niger Delta: Awakening an Agricultural Giant.”

In a goodwill message, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, commended the NDDC for partnering with the Office of the Vice President to organise the summit.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, said the state government remained committed to reviving agriculture in the Niger Delta region.

Also speaking, NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai, said partnerships would provide the needed support to drive and sustain the development and investment plan discussed at the summit.

The NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Winifred Madume, said the future of the Niger Delta must be built around modern, commercially driven agriculture capable of attracting investment, creating employment and competing globally.

She said the region possessed the natural resources required to become a major agribusiness destination, including fertile land, freshwater resources, diverse ecological zones, coastline and inland waterways, as well as access to domestic and international markets.

“The Niger Delta possesses the natural and economic fundamentals that investors seek. Our region is endowed with fertile land, abundant freshwater resources, diverse ecological zones, extensive coastline and inland waterways, and access to major domestic and export markets,” she said.

Madume added that the initiative was not only about increasing food production but also about building an agricultural economy capable of rewarding investment, driving industrial growth and positioning the Niger Delta as one of Nigeria’s leading agribusiness destinations.