Nigeria launches $500 million Niger Delta agriculture fund

Nigeria's Federal Government, in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), announced plans for a $500 million agricultural investment summit. Scheduled for July 15 in Abuja, the event aims to unlock investment for sustainable agricultural transformation in the Niger Delta region.

The summit is expected to draw approximately 500 participants, including global investors, development finance institutions, agribusiness firms, policymakers, and regional stakeholders. The presidency views this initiative as a significant milestone in President Bola Tinubu's economic diversification agenda, emphasizing its role in transforming agriculture into a driver of inclusive growth, food security, and job creation.

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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.

Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, highlighted that the summit represents a strategic shift towards mobilizing capital and coordinating efforts to reposition the Niger Delta as a major agricultural production and export zone. While the region is known for its hydrocarbon wealth, it possesses vast underutilized agricultural resources with the potential to significantly enhance Nigeria's food security and export earnings.

NDDC Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku stated that the commission is targeting a $500 million investment fund to catalyze commercial agriculture across the nine Niger Delta states. He described the summit as an investment marketplace designed to connect investors, financiers, and development partners, moving agriculture in the region from subsistence farming to large-scale commercial production.

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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.