The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to host a regional agricultural summit and retreat in a renewed effort to boost food security and drive development in the Niger Delta.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Multi-Purpose Training Centre in Otuokpoti, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the programme will align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for agriculture under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Ogbuku stated that the Commission is determined to support the President’s focus on agriculture, noting that hunger and poverty are key drivers of unrest in the region.
“A hungry man is an angry man,” he said. “We want to use agriculture as a tool for peace, development, and food security in the Niger Delta.”
The planned retreat, to be held in collaboration with state governments in the region, will first bring together commissioners of agriculture across the Niger Delta to discuss each state’s strengths and opportunities in farming. The retreat will later evolve into a full regional agricultural summit, with a focus on creating a master plan for food production in the area.
Ogbuku also encouraged communities to return to local farming traditions, pointing to the decline in crops such as cocoyams in parts of Bayelsa. He urged the region to rediscover its agricultural roots.
“Who says we can’t grow the crops we are importing? We must come together and farm again,” he said.
The NDDC boss reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working with all stakeholders, including state governments and development partners, to make agriculture a backbone of the region’s economy. He revealed that NDDC had already trained 200 women and youths in livestock and agro-processing last year in Delta State.
Ogbuku also disclosed that the Commission is partnering with the **International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)** to roll out apprenticeship and training programmes aimed at empowering local farmers and young people across the Niger Delta.
He praised President Tinubu for providing strong leadership and thanked state governors and other stakeholders for supporting the Commission’s work.
“Development in the Niger Delta is a team effort. It is not only our work at NDDC but a collective push by all those who want peace and progress for our people,” Ogbuku concluded.
The agriculture summit and retreat are expected to take place soon, as the Commission finalizes logistics with the various state governments involved.
