FG, NDDC to launch $500m Niger Delta agriculture fund, Shettima to chair board
The federal government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will launch a $500 million Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund next week as part of efforts to attract large-scale investment into agriculture and diversify the region’s economy away from oil.
The fund will be unveiled on July 15 at the maiden Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit, to be held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Vice President Kashim Shettima will chair the fund’s Board of Trustees.
The summit, jointly organised by the Office of the Vice President and the NDDC, is expected to attract about 500 participants, including investors, development finance institutions, development partners, regional stakeholders and policymakers, alongside about 40 resource persons.
Speaking to State House correspondents on Thursday, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia, said President Bola Tinubu had endorsed the initiative as part of his administration’s drive to strengthen agriculture across the country.
According to Hadejia, the Niger Delta possesses enormous agricultural potential that has remained underutilised despite its capacity to boost food production and exports.
He said, “The Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit 2026 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. We are confident that this initiative will unlock new pathways for investment, create jobs, enhance food security, and position the Niger Delta as a key pillar in Nigeria’s agricultural future.”
Hadejia disclosed that the programme had attracted interest from international investment firms, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), foreign embassies and the Brazilian government, describing it as a global investment initiative.
