NDDC targets agric revolution with $500m loans from World Bank, AFDB, others 

…..To create Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Council, with a Board of Trustees 

Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, in Thursday, unveiled plans to strengthen agriculture within the Niger Delta region with a $500m credit facility from the World Bank, African Development Bank(AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The fund is also expected from private equity and private debt funds, as well as other commercial banks.

This is just as the Commission also unveiled plans to establish the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Council, with a Board of Trustees to be  chaired by  Vice President Kashim Shettima, while  the NDDC Managing Director will serve as Secretary.

Ibrahim Hadejia, the deputy chief of staff to the President, office of the Vice President, while unveiling the plan at the presidential Villa, Abuja, noted that the region known for its rich biodiversity and agricultural potentials had over the years, faced with numerous challenges that hinder the growth and sustainability of its agricultural sector and associated value chains.

As part of the plans, the NDDC and the Office of the Vice President will host an Agric Summit at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, on July 15, 2026, to ” formally launch the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund, establish a coordinating platform for agricultural development and investment, and define a demand-side strategy to generate a credible pipeline of investable agricultural opportunities.

The summit is expected to mobilise the collective commitment of government, investors, development partners, and the private sector to transform the Niger Delta’s agricultural potential into measurable economic progress.

“Agricultural Stakeholders will provide a high-level platform to address systemic challenges in agriculture, unlock investment pipelines, and co-create actionable strategies to shape Nigeria’s agricultural economy over the next decade.

He explained that the target is to build on the strengths of the Niger Delta States in various crops.

“The logic is simple, build on Bayelsa’s aquaculture, Delta’s cassava, Rivers’ fisheries, Ondo’s cocoa, Edo’s oil palm, among others. Alone, they are state projects. Integrated, they are a food system.

He announced that the Commission will align with the President’s vision “to ensure that agriculture serves as a platform for peace and security in the Niger Delta region.”

“Farms will  replace bunkering, while agricultural cooperatives replace militancy.

Samuel Ogbuku, the NDDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said the  Commission is “determined to make the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government a reality in the Niger Delta region by ensuring food security for the people.”

He noted that agriculture which was the backbone of the Nigerian economy before oil took centre stage, remains the road to greener pastures, adding that”Nigeria has no choice but to join the progressive train of Countries that have turned to modern agriculture to fortify their economies and fuel the engine of sustainable growth.

“It is undoubtedly in our best interest to learn from other oil-producing countries that have diversified their economies to guarantee a secure future.

“Unarguably, a large proportion of Nigeria’s rural population depends on subsistence agriculture for survival. Despite this, 65-years after Independence. the nation still grapples with food security challenges. Any hope of turning things around would hinge on an improved agricultural sector capable of transforming the rural economy.

“Surely, agriculture remains the surest path to sustainable development. It provides food on the table, employs millions of people, and provides raw materials for our industries. It could play a pivotal role in the country’s economy, as it did for the United States of America and Malaysia, among others.

“It is well-known that more than 80 per cent of Niger Deltans were farmers and fishermen before oil exploration and exploitation changed the equation.

“Now, most of these hitherto self-reliant people have been rendered jobless by the activities of the Oil Companies. No thanks to many years of ceaseless gas flaring and incessant oil spillages, which rendered the land and rivers unproductive. The challenges of pollution notwithstanding, providing sustainable means of livelihoods for the army of the unemployed in the Niger Delta region calls for a return to serious farming”

He noted that the region is now laying  emphasis on modern farming techniques, adding that ” the  NDDC has taken up the challenge to lead the way back to farming with modern implements.

He noted that the plan is also part of the Federal Government’s programme to diversify the Nigerian economy from dependence on oil.

According to him ” the Commission has distributed more than 100 tractors to State Ministries of Agriculture in the nine Niger Delta States to boost food production, in recognition of the fact that, for Nigeria to tackle youth unemployment and achieve self-sufficiency in food production, it must adopt mechanised farming.

“As part of its efforts to fast-track the process of properly engaging our youths and ensure that we play our role in the development process, the NDDC also facilitated the training of 11 agricultural engineers in mechanised farming. The beneficiaries were trained in India on tractor maintenance and operation and are now at the core of the Commission’s mechanised agro-development plan across the region.

“To further take its agricultural programmes to rural communities, the NDDC is partnering with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on a $60 million (about N21 billion) job-creation programme designed to help reduce youth unemployment in the Niger Delta.

“The NDDC has also made an impact in promoting agricultural development through the implementation of entrepreneurial skill development programmes for youth and women, the disbursement of microcredit facilities to NDDC-trained farmers, and the procurement and distribution of tractors and fishing tools for farmers and fisher-folk in the region.”

He  revealed that the NDDC built two rice processing plants, with a combined capacity of 210 metric tonnes per day, at Elele Alimini in Rivers State and Mbiabet-Ikpe in Akwa Ibom State. The rice mills would encourage local farmers to produce more rice and develop the out-growers scheme, in which community members would be encouraged to grow rice.

He assured that prospects for the future look good, as the  Abuja gathering is expected to produce a comprehensive master plan for the region’s agriculture.

“This time, the Stakeholders will move beyond communiqués to a working document for 2026-2030.”