Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund, saying Nigeria must return to farming to boost the economy and improve food security.
Shettima also inaugurated a Coordinating Council for Agricultural Development during the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The summit was organised by the Office of the Vice President and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with support from the nine Niger Delta states. Its theme was “Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in the Niger Delta.”
The Vice President said the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places agriculture at the centre of Nigeria’s economic development.
He said that before oil became Nigeria’s major source of income, agriculture was the backbone of the country’s economy.
“Before oil took centre stage in our economy, it was the soil that paid our bills. We must return to agriculture for our economic development,” Shettima said.
He explained that the new fund would bring together government, private investors and development partners to unlock the agricultural potential of the Niger Delta and create jobs, improve food production and grow the economy.
Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, urged investors to look beyond oil and gas, describing the Niger Delta as a region with great potential to improve Nigeria’s food security. He said modern and mechanised farming is the future of agriculture.
NDDC Board Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, said the Niger Delta is not only rich in oil and gas but also has vast fertile land for farming. He added that the Commission remains committed to the President’s priorities of food security, poverty reduction and job creation.
The Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the Commission is investing in infrastructure that will support agriculture. He announced that the 1.2-kilometre Kaa-Ataba Bridge, linking Khana and Andoni Local Government Areas of Rivers State, will soon be completed.
Ogbuku said it is time for the Niger Delta to take advantage of its fertile land and develop agriculture as a major source of food, employment and economic growth.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, said Nigeria must move from small-scale farming to mechanised agriculture to achieve lasting food security.
The keynote speaker, Prince S.J. Samuel, also called for increased investment in mechanised farming, describing the Niger Delta as an agricultural giant waiting to be fully developed.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, represented by Deputy Governor Senator Akon Eyakenyi, praised the NDDC and the Office of the Vice President for organising the summit. He said Akwa Ibom State remains committed to reviving agriculture.
Also speaking, NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Winifred Madume, said the Niger Delta has fertile land, rivers, a long coastline and easy market access, making it suitable for crop farming, fish farming, livestock production and agro-processing.
She said the goal is not only to increase food production but also to build a strong agricultural economy that will attract investment and make the Niger Delta one of Nigeria’s leading agribusiness hubs.
