By Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, Oct.31, 2025
PORT HARCOURT – The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku has declared war on “black gold,” vowing to turn the swampy, crude-soaked area into a massive ‘food production hub’ that will feed the nation.
Ogbuku made the bold pledge at a recent “strategic retreat” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In a shock move away from the region’s infamous dependence on oil—a major source of conflict and corruption—Ogbuku insisted that “agriculture is the most sustainable pathway to economic growth, peace, and food security.”
The NDDC chief didn’t hold back, urging regional leaders to abandon the oil-money mindset and embrace the farm.
”This is the time to make agriculture a cardinal focus… We have the potential and comparative advantage in terms of aquaculture,” Ogbuku declared. “We must leave a lasting legacy for generations.”
In a throwback to a time before Big Oil, he stressed that the Delta people were “predominantly farmers” and that a return to the land is the only way to create jobs and boost exports.
He even singled out lost favourites that must be revived: “Let us grow back our staples that have disappeared, such as bananas and cocoyam.”
In a sign that this isn’t just hot air, Ogbuku revealed the NDDC is already in talks with the Origin Group to set up a massive regional food hub. The plan? To link up farms, build huge processing plants, and create a system ready for large-scale export.
Director, Dr Victor Antai, backed the move, calling the gathering a “call to action”.
”Agriculture remains our surest path to inclusive growth, job creation, and food security in the Niger Delta,” he said.
With huge tracts of arable land and rich waterways, the Niger Delta—better known for militant attacks and oil spills—is being pitched as Nigeria’s “next powerhouse in agricultural productivity.”
Across the region, state officials are already on board.
Akwa Ibom State is pushing its youth into palm crop production, while Bayelsa State is helping farmers with free land clearing and equipment.
