The Federal Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission will officially launch a $500 million agricultural investment fund on July 15 to stimulate commercial farming and agribusiness across the nine Niger Delta states.
The unveiling will take place during the inaugural Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Vice President Kashim Shettima will head the fund’s Board of Trustees.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, said the summit has President Bola Tinubu’s approval and is expected to bring together about 500 participants, including investors, development finance institutions, policymakers and agriculture stakeholders.
He said the initiative is aimed at unlocking the region’s vast agricultural resources and supporting the administration’s drive to diversify the economy through agriculture.
According to Hadejia, “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.”
He added that the programme has drawn interest from foreign investors, development partners, Afreximbank, embassies and the Brazilian government.
Responding to concerns over the role of the new body, Hadejia said it would not duplicate the responsibilities of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit.
He stated, “There is no duplication whatsoever. The Presidential Food Systems Coordination Council was set up by the President to achieve convergence among the various agricultural initiatives when we started having a food security crisis.”
NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, explained that the idea for the summit emerged after consultations with agriculture commissioners from the region’s nine states during a retreat held in Port Harcourt last year.
He said the event would also inaugurate the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Council to oversee the investment fund and coordinate partnerships with development finance institutions, commercial banks and private investors.
Ogbuku said, “A key highlight of the summit is the launch of a $500m Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund, a commercially managed investment vehicle designed to finance opportunities across priority value chains, including palm oil, cassava, cocoa, rice, horticulture, marine resources and livestock.”
He noted that the initiative is intended to revive agriculture in the Niger Delta, create jobs and reduce the region’s dependence on crude oil.
Explaining why the summit is taking place in Abuja, Ogbuku said major investors and donor organisations are based in the capital, making it the best location to attract funding.
He maintained that improved security in the Niger Delta has made the region more attractive for investment, saying, “Capital only goes to where it makes money, and we want to showcase that the Niger Delta is safe and secure for investment.”