Education, Farming Projects Will Strengthen Support For Tinubu – Amgbare

The managing director of the Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority (NDRBDA) , Ebitimi Amgbare, says ongoing government interventions in education, agriculture, and economic development are laying the groundwork for increased support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Amgbare told journalists in Abuja that he had started mobilising support for Tinubu’s return to office while seeking to reinforce the All Progressives Congress’ grassroots political structure.
He said the initiative would work alongside the party’s activities at the ward, local government and state levels.

Amgbare said government agency chiefs had a responsibility to ensure that policies introduced by the administration translated into practical benefits for citizens rather than remaining at the level of policy announcements.

He cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as an example, saying the programme had reached approximately 1.6 million students with financial assistance.

The NDRBDA boss said the support covered tuition and other educational requirements and had helped reduce the burden on families struggling to finance their children’s education.

For Amgbare, sustaining such interventions is important because a stronger education system is central to Nigeria’s long-term economic and social development.

Turning to the Niger Delta, he said the NDRBDA was pursuing a range of projects in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States, with agriculture, flood management and access to clean water among its priorities.

He said the authority was investing in human capacity by sending staff members to Porto-Novo, Benin Republic, for hands-on training in modern commercial agriculture.

NDRBDA has also begun efforts to expand oil palm cultivation, with more than 2,000 seedlings already planted, according to its managing director.

Amgbare said Nigeria once occupied an important position in the international oil palm industry and recalled that Malaysia had obtained planting materials from Nigeria before establishing itself as a major producer.

He said expanding oil palm cultivation in the Niger Delta could help create an alternative source of economic activity as Nigeria seeks to reduce its dependence on crude oil and gas.

Fishing is another area the authority is seeking to modernise. Amgbare said investors had been brought on board to train people in the region in deep-sea fishing using contemporary equipment and techniques.

He also pointed to the Niger Delta’s wetlands as an underutilised resource capable of supporting food security.