NDDC Launches $500m Investment Fund To Drive Niger Delta Agricultural Transformation

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has unveiled plans to establish a $500 million Niger Delta Agricultural Development Investment Fund to attract large-scale investments, create jobs and reposition the Niger Delta as a leading agricultural hub.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, during the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit 2026 held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The summit, themed “Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in the Niger Delta,” also witnessed the inauguration of the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Council by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who will chair the council.

Speaking at the event, Ogbuku said the proposed investment fund would operate as a commercially driven financing vehicle targeting investment opportunities across the agricultural value chain, including aquaculture, oil palm, cassava, cocoa, rice, livestock and other agribusiness ventures.

According to him, the initiative is aimed at diversifying the Niger Delta economy from its long-standing dependence on crude oil while attracting both local and international investors.

“This summit is not one of those talk shops where people gather to speak and leave. It is expected to produce concrete results,” Ogbuku said.

He explained that Abuja was deliberately chosen as the venue for the summit because it provided easier access for investors and development finance institutions.

“When we secure this fund, it will finance viable agricultural investment opportunities across the value chain. Properly managed, it will transform the investment landscape of the Niger Delta,” he added.

The NDDC boss said the commission had continued to regain public confidence under the administration of President Bola Tinubu through the execution of key infrastructure projects across the region.

He cited the Ogbia-Nembe Road and the 1.2-kilometre Elekpoki-Ogbia Bridge in Bayelsa State, expressing confidence that the projects would be completed next month.

Ogbuku recalled that before the discovery of crude oil, agriculture and fishing sustained the Niger Delta economy, with the region contributing significantly to Nigeria’s exports through palm oil and cocoa production.

He noted that the new investment initiative was designed to restore that agricultural heritage while creating wealth, generating employment and promoting sustainable development.

The NDDC managing director also urged investors to take advantage of what he described as the region’s favourable investment climate, insisting that the Niger Delta remains one of the safest parts of the country for business.

In his remarks, Vice President Shettima described the launch of the investment fund as a significant step towards restoring agriculture as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.

He said the fund would coordinate financial commitments from development partners, including the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), alongside private sector financiers.

According to the Vice President, the commercial investment vehicle will finance projects across aquaculture, oil palm, cassava, cocoa, rice, horticulture, marine resources and livestock value chains.

Shettima said the newly inaugurated Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Council would provide strategic oversight for the initiative, while the NDDC would serve as its secretariat.

He noted that President Bola Tinubu had prioritised food security since assuming office, recalling that the Federal Government declared a state of emergency on food security in 2023 before rolling out several mechanisation initiatives.

The Vice President listed programmes including the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, the John Deere Tractorisation Programme, the Green Imperative Programme, and the Green Hope Project as part of ongoing efforts to boost food production nationwide.

Shettima argued that Nigeria could earn billions of dollars annually by increasing productivity in strategic commodities such as oil palm and cassava.

Drawing comparisons with Indonesia and Thailand, he said Nigeria’s agricultural potential remained largely untapped despite being among the world’s leading producers of several crops.

He also highlighted opportunities in marine agriculture, noting that the Niger Delta, as one of the world’s largest delta regions, possesses enormous potential for fish farming, shellfish production and other mariculture activities.

The Vice President urged state governments, development partners and private investors to support the initiative, stressing that the summit marked the beginning of a long-term agricultural transformation programme rather than a ceremonial event.

Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity, Dr Kingsley Uzoma, said the summit was convened by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with the NDDC, governors of the nine Niger Delta states and technical partners.

Uzoma explained that the summit was organised in response to President Tinubu’s directive to expand non-oil investments, accelerate agricultural development and position the Niger Delta as a major contributor to Nigeria’s food security and economic growth.

He added that the programme was designed to move beyond policy discussions by focusing on financing, strategic partnerships, project development and institutional coordination.

According to him, the summit will culminate in the formal launch of the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund, the inauguration of the Agricultural Development and Investment Council, and the adoption of a communiqué outlining implementation strategies and stakeholders’ commitments.