The Federal Government, in partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has announced plans to launch a $500 million agricultural investment fund aimed at transforming the Niger Delta into one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural production and export hubs.
The initiative will be officially unveiled during the inaugural Niger Delta Agriculture Development and Investment Summit, scheduled to hold on July 15 in Abuja, as part of the Tinubu administration’s broader strategy to diversify Nigeria’s economy, strengthen food security, create jobs and attract large-scale private investment into agriculture.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in the Niger Delta,” is a collaborative initiative between the Office of the Vice President and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
According to organisers, the event is expected to attract over 500 participants, including international investors, development finance institutions, agribusiness companies, policymakers, global development partners, diplomatic missions, international oil companies and key stakeholders from across the Niger Delta.
Speaking to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, described the summit as a landmark initiative that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda.
Hadejia said the President has fully endorsed the programme because of its potential to reposition agriculture as a major contributor to inclusive economic growth, food production, export expansion and employment generation.
He noted that the summit would provide a strategic platform for attracting long-term investments, removing structural barriers limiting agricultural productivity and promoting sustainable development across the Niger Delta.
The summit 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, Hadejia said.
He explained that although the Niger Delta has traditionally been recognised for its vast oil and gas reserves, the region also possesses enormous agricultural potential that remains largely untapped.
According to him, the area has comparative advantages in several food and cash crops capable of improving Nigeria’s food security while boosting non-oil exports and foreign exchange earnings.
Also speaking, NDDC Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku revealed that the commission is working to establish a $500 million investment fund dedicated to commercial agriculture across the nine Niger Delta states.
He explained that unlike previous gatherings focused largely on policy discussions, the upcoming summit has been designed as an investment marketplace where investors, financiers, agribusiness operators and development partners can negotiate and secure funding opportunities.
We are moving agriculture in the Niger Delta from subsistence to large-scale commercial production. The target is to mobilise a $500 million investment fund that will catalyse agricultural development across the region,” Ogbuku stated.
According to him, Abuja was deliberately selected as the venue because it offers convenient access to foreign missions, international development agencies, donor organisations and investment institutions expected to participate.
It is a global programme. We are bringing the Niger Delta to where the capital is. Most of the investors, donor agencies and international organisations are based in Abuja. Holding the summit here makes participation easier and significantly reduces logistics costs,” he explained.
Ogbuku noted that the partnership with the Office of the Vice President provides strong institutional leadership for the initiative, particularly because Vice President Kashim Shettima oversees several federal programmes relating to agriculture, economic development and food security.
He said the NDDC is gradually moving away from traditional intervention projects towards sustainable financing models capable of attracting private-sector investment and delivering lasting economic benefits.
The proposed investment fund, he explained, will be professionally managed using international best practices and structured around equity participation alongside direct capital mobilisation rather than relying solely on government loans.
As part of its broader agricultural development strategy, Ogbuku disclosed that the commission has established the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, backed with ₦5 billion, to provide structured financing for small and medium-sized enterprises under a transparent and repayable funding model.
He said the commission is also supporting out-grower farming schemes that connect farmers directly with guaranteed buyers while partnering with private investors to establish modern storage facilities aimed at reducing post-harvest losses.
According to him, these initiatives are designed to improve farmers’ incomes, increase food production and strengthen agricultural value chains throughout the region.
Reflecting on previous agricultural interventions, Ogbuku stressed that successful agribusiness development depends on strengthening every segment of the value chain.
He recalled that an NDDC-supported rice processing facility in Rivers State struggled to achieve its objectives because there was insufficient paddy rice available to sustain operations.You cannot build processing facilities without guaranteeing raw materials. Development works only when every component of the value chain functions together,” he said.
The NDDC boss added that the commission remains an active co-funder of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) supported LIFE-ND Programme, which continues to provide support for thousands of smallholder farmers across the Niger Delta.
Ogbuku acknowledged the increasing industrial demand for cassava and cassava-based products but warned against allowing commercial processing to threaten domestic food supply.
We must strike a balance between industrial use and food security because cassava remains a staple food for our people,” he said.
He emphasised that agricultural expansion must simultaneously support industrial development, rural livelihoods and national food security objectives.
On security concerns, Ogbuku assured prospective investors that the security situation across the Niger Delta has improved considerably, making the region one of Nigeria’s safest destinations for investment.
I can confidently say today that the Niger Delta is one of the safest regions in Nigeria for investment. We want investors to know that the region is secure and ready for large-scale agriculture,” he stated.
He further disclosed that all nine Niger Delta states have endorsed the agricultural investment initiative during a regional retreat, describing it as a unified strategy to stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities, strengthen food security and reposition the region as a major contributor to Nigeria’s agricultural economy.
The planned summit represents one of the Federal Government’s most ambitious efforts to unlock private capital for agriculture while reducing Nigeria’s dependence on crude oil revenues.
By bringing together international investors, development finance institutions, agribusiness companies and policymakers, the Federal Government and the NDDC hope to transform the Niger Delta into a globally competitive agricultural hub capable of driving sustainable development, increasing exports, boosting rural incomes and supporting Nigeria’s long-term economic diversification agenda.
