By BARBARA KALU, Port-Harcourt –
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is set to organize a summit aimed at revolutionizing agriculture across the nine states of the Niger Delta region
. According to the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the summit will bring together state governments and stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive master plan for agriculture in the region.
“We aim to establish a framework for regional agricultural integration, which will subsequently evolve into a full regional agricultural summit,” Ogbuku was quoted as saying in a statement on Sunday issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Seledi Thompson-Wakama in Port-Harcourt.
The summit will focus on the role of agriculture in fostering peace, security, and food sufficiency in the Niger Delta.
Ogbuku emphasized the need to reduce the region’s dependence on crude oil and promote food security.
“Who says that some of the crops currently imported into the country cannot be cultivated in this region? Many of our states have abandoned crop cultivation, but we can revive this culture,” he said.
The NDDC has already taken steps to promote agriculture in the region, including training 200 women and youths in livestock farming and agro-processing, and partnering with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to deliver apprenticeship programmes.
The initiative is part of the commission’s broader strategy to: Promote food security, reduce poverty, implement policies and programmes that support sustainable agriculture in the nine states of the Niger Delta region.
