The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is set to launch a 500-million-dollar Agricultural Development Fund as part of efforts to boost agricultural production and investment across the Niger Delta region.
The Managing Director of the Commission, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this at a press conference ahead of the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit scheduled for 15 July in Abuja.
Dr Ogbuku said the summit is being organised by the NDDC in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President as part of efforts to reposition agriculture as a major driver of economic growth in the region.
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He said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places priority on achieving food security and promoting sustainable economic development across the country.
“This is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of repositioning agriculture as a tool for food security and sustainable growth,” he said.
The summit is expected to bring together government officials, investors and private sector stakeholders to unlock the region’s vast agricultural potential.
According to the NDDC Managing Director, the gathering will demonstrate how the Niger Delta intends to diversify its economy by shifting greater focus from oil to agriculture. It will also provide a platform to coordinate agricultural development, attract investment and establish a demand-driven strategy for developing viable agribusiness opportunities.
He explained that preparations for the summit began with a regional workshop held last year and supported by governors of the Niger Delta states and their commissioners for agriculture.
“That workshop laid the groundwork for the Abuja summit, which will bring together policymakers, investors and development partners to address systemic challenges in agriculture and jointly develop practical strategies for the next decade,” he said.
Dr Ogbuku highlighted ongoing interventions, including the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones and private sector investments in palm oil, cocoa, cassava and rice production, all aimed at increasing productivity and creating employment across the region.
He added that the Commission has already distributed more than 100 tractors to Niger Delta states, trained agricultural engineers in mechanised farming and partnered with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on a 60-million-dollar youth employment programme.
Also addressing State House correspondents, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hassan-Hadeja, said the initiative had received President Tinubu’s endorsement, reflecting the administration’s commitment to agricultural development across all parts of the country.
He said that, contrary to the widespread belief that the Niger Delta is solely an oil-producing region, it also possesses enormous agricultural potential.
“The Niger Delta, a region known for hydrocarbons, is also an agricultural treasure trove with a significant comparative advantage in a wide range of cash and food crops. These have been neglected despite their enormous potential to contribute to national food security and agricultural exports,” Hassan-Hadeja said.
The Deputy Chief of Staff said the summit is designed to move the region from planning to implementation.
“The Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit 2026 represents a strategic shift from potential to performance, from conversation to capital and from fragmentation to coordination.
“It aligns squarely with the national vision of building a resilient, diversified and inclusive Nigerian economy, with agriculture as a central driver. We are confident that this initiative will unlock new pathways for investment, create jobs, enhance food security and position the Niger Delta as a key pillar of Nigeria’s agricultural future,” he added.
Hassan-Hadeja disclosed that the summit would attract participants from within and outside Nigeria, including representatives of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Government of Brazil.
He also dismissed suggestions that the initiative would duplicate the responsibilities of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit, stressing that it complements existing national efforts to strengthen agricultural development.
The Deputy Chief of Staff further encouraged Nigerian youths to embrace farming as a viable and profitable economic opportunity.
