The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, says the Commission will organise a retreat and agricultural summit for the Niger Delta region in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s agrarian programme.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer, who announced this during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Multi-Purpose Training Centre in Otuokpoti, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, stated that the retreat would be put together in conjunction with the state governments in the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC was determined to make the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government a reality in the Niger Delta region. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Commission’s Board and Management to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to change the narrative in Nigeria’s oil-producing region.
He assured: “The NDDC will align with the President’s vision for agriculture, ensuring that we utilise agriculture as a platform for peace and security in the Niger Delta region. A hungry man is an angry man. We cannot train people solely for the sake of training. We aim to promote agriculture by partnering with all state governments in the region.
“At any time from now, the Commission will convene a mini-agricultural retreat for state governments and commissioners of agriculture. Every state in the region has their various areas of strength in agriculture. We aim to establish a regional integration for agriculture, which will later evolve into a regional agricultural summit where a comprehensive master plan for the region’s agriculture will be developed. This is for the promotion of food security in the Niger Delta region.”
Ogbuku observed: “Who says that some of the crops imported into the country cannot be grown in this region? Let us strive to ensure that the region comes together to achieve food sufficiency and security. Most of our states do not grow crops again. For example, the Ogbia Local Government Area was well known for its cocoyams. Today, they are no longer found in our land. Why can’t we bring it back?
“All these are achievable because we have people who are working with us. We are not the most intelligent people. It does not mean that we understand the administration more than everyone else; rather, it is because people have come together to make it easier for us, and those people who have come together to make it easier for us are our leaders. Mr. President is there, and he is giving us that purposeful guidance under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The Managing Director affirmed that the NDDC was engaging all stakeholders to ensure harmony and cooperation in the task of developing the hitherto neglected Niger Delta region, noting: “It is not only by our efforts, it is a synergy and combined efforts from all the stakeholders who believe the time has come when there should be stability in the NDDC and to ensure that we deliver development to the people of the Niger Delta region.”
“We thank our stakeholders for their support and encouragement, which has boosted our desire to ensure that we give our people what they deserve. We appreciate the state governments for supporting us and partnering with us in several areas of development.”
Reflecting on the Agricultural programmes of the Federal Government, Ogbuku stressed the need to bring it home to the Niger Delta region, noting that the NDDC had continued to promote policies and programmes that enhance food security and poverty reduction in the states under its purview.
The NDDC Boss recalled that last year, the Commission trained 200 women and youths in Livestock Farming and Agro-Processing at Okiemutie Farms in Eku, Amukpe, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State.
Ogbuku noted that the Commission was partnering with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to provide apprenticeship programmes for residents of the Niger Delta region.
