Nigeria launches $500 million Niger Delta agricultural fund

The Federal Government, in partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission, launched a $500 million agricultural investment fund on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, aiming to diversify the oil-dependent economy of the Niger Delta region. The initiative was unveiled at the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, an event jointly convened by the Office of the Vice President and the NDDC and attended by the governors of all nine Niger Delta states.

Vice President Kashim Shettima described the newly launched Niger Delta Agricultural Investment Fund as a commercial, returns-driven vehicle designed to finance projects across the agricultural value chain. The fund will target sectors including aquaculture, palm oil, cassava, cocoa, rice, horticulture, marine resources, and livestock. Shettima stated that the fund would coordinate commitments from international development finance institutions such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, alongside private and commercial financiers.

Shettima emphasized that agriculture remains...