Presidency Backs NDCCITMA’s $5 Billion Agribusiness Drive for the Niger Delta

AgricNews Digest

The Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture, NDCCITMA, has unveiled an ambitious plan to reposition the oil-producing region and the Presidency is fully throwing its weight behind it.
The goal is simple but bold: move the Niger Delta from dependence on oil to a diversified, investment-driven economy where agribusiness, manufacturing and enterprise can thrive.

Chairman of NDCCITMA, Ambassador Idaere Gogo Ogan, announced the plan at a pre-summit briefing in Port Harcourt. He disclosed that the Chamber is targeting up to $5 billion in structured investments over the next five years. The projection is that this capital injection will catalyze no fewer than 500,000 direct and indirect jobs across the nine Niger Delta states. While the headline figure covers multiple sectors, agro-industry and food security are positioned as priority pillars alongside manufacturing, infrastructure, gas, blue economy, technology, tourism, and improved access to finance.
This explains why the “500m” figure you may have heard is circulating, it is part of the broader $5 billion framework, with agriculture taking center stage.

The push will be driven through the Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit, scheduled for May 19 to 21, 2026 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The theme, “Driving Investment, Innovation, and Industrial Growth in the Niger Delta” sets the tone for what organizers describe as a shift from rhetoric to execution. President Bola Tinubu is expected to attend as Special Guest of Honour, while Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, will deliver the keynote address. Their presence signals the federal government’s commitment to treat the region as more than an oil corridor.

To make the summit practical, NDCCITMA is introducing a “Deal Room” model. Instead of endless panel talks, the Chamber will present 30 to 50 pre-screened, investment-ready projects to local and foreign investors. The idea is to match capital with bankable opportunities immediately, especially in agriculture value chains, processing, and rural enterprise development. Secretary of NDCCITMA and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Dr. Solomon Edebiri, said the summit is designed to reposition the region as a competitive hub for enterprise development and sustainable industrialization

This is not the only government effort on the ground. The Federal Government, in partnership with the NDDC and IFAD, is already implementing the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta, LIFE-ND
The project targets rural households with grants, training and market support. So far, $40 million, about N60 billion, has been invested into the rural economy, creating 26,100 jobs for women and youths. With the addition of NDDC states to the program, the target is to add 38,250 more jobs LIFE-ND and the NDCCITMA investment drive are meant to work together: one builds capacity at the grassroots, the other brings in large-scale private capital.

Ambassador Ogan was clear on the urgency. “Our ambition is bold but achievable. We are working to catalyse up to five billion dollars in structured investment commitments over the next five years. If done well, this pipeline can support more than 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, and reposition the region for wealth creation.”
The message from the recent Niger Delta Business Roundtable was the same: the region must now move from ambition to implementation

With the Presidency’s backing, NDCCITMA is betting big that agribusiness can be the new oil for the Niger Delta. The $5 billion target, 500,000 jobs goal, and the upcoming Port Harcourt summit all point to one direction: diversifying the economy, creating jobs, and ensuring food security. If executed, this could be the biggest coordinated investment push the region has seen in years.