Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched the $500 million Niger Delta Agricultural Investment Fund, describing the initiative as a major step towards reviving Nigeria’s agricultural economy and strengthening national food security.

Speaking on Wednesday at the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit in Abuja, Shettima said Nigeria must not take the promise of an agricultural renaissance for granted, stressing that no nation can achieve lasting prosperity without the capacity to feed its people.

The summit was jointly organised by the Office of the Vice President and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to mobilise investments for agricultural development across the Niger Delta region.

The Vice President described agriculture as the foundation of civilisation and a key pillar of political stability, noting that nations earn the confidence of their citizens by guaranteeing food security and sustainable livelihoods.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s history, Shettima recalled that the groundnut pyramids of the North, cocoa plantations of the West, and palm produce from the East and the Niger Delta financed the country’s early schools, hospitals and public institutions before the discovery of oil.

He, however, lamented that the oil boom shifted national attention away from agriculture, leading to increased dependence on food imports despite Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential.

Shettima said the new investment fund is expected to attract public and private sector capital into key agricultural value chains, boost productivity, create jobs and accelerate economic growth across the nine Niger Delta states, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.