The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has restated the Commission’s commitment to transforming the Niger Delta region into Nigeria’s food production hub through sustainable agricultural development and regional collaboration.
Ogbuku stated this during a strategic retreat tagged “Niger Delta Critical Stakeholders’ Agenda Setting on Unlocking Agricultural Potential of the Niger Delta Region,” held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He noted that agriculture remained the most sustainable pathway to economic growth, peace, and food security in the region.
According to him, “This retreat is aimed at ensuring food security in the Niger Delta, in the long run build an agricultural hub that can feed this nation”.
“We have the potential and comparative advantage in terms of aquaculture. This is the time to make agriculture a cardinal focus of the Renewed Hope Agenda. We must leave a lasting legacy for generations,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that before the advent of crude oil exploration, the people of the Niger Delta were predominantly farmers, stressing that a return to agriculture offers a more sustainable and inclusive economic future.
He added: “It is only through agriculture that we can create employment. With agriculture, we can guarantee food export.
“The NDDC and other partners should come together and see how we can invest in agriculture. We have to take advantage of our blue economy. Let us grow back our staples that have disappeared, such as bananas and cocoyam. Let us, in this retreat, develop a workable framework. For us in the NDDC, we are committed to making history”.
The NDDC Chief Executive also disclosed that the Commission is in discussions with the Origin Group to explore a partnership that would establish a regional food hub in the Niger Delta. The initiative aims to integrate agricultural value chains and promote large-scale food processing and export.
Also speaking, the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai, described the gathering as a “call to action,” urging stakeholders to take bold and deliberate steps to drive agricultural transformation across the Niger Delta.
He stated: “Today’s gathering is not just another meeting; it is a call to action.
“Agriculture remains our surest path to inclusive growth, job creation, and food security in the Niger Delta. With vast arable land, rich waterways, and a resilient population, our region has the resources to become Nigeria’s next powerhouse in agricultural productivity”.
