The Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) has announced plans to establish the largest Agricultural hub and logistics system in the Niger Delta region. This initiative aims to minimize waste of agricultural produce in the region. The proposed hub will operate on a "farm to supermarket or export terminal" concept, with aggregation centers set up across the nine states of the Niger Delta. The project is expected to commence with a take-off agreement with small farmers' cooperatives.
The Chairman, Board of Directors of NDCCITMA, Idaere Gogo Ogan, revealed this information at the maiden edition of the Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit in Port Harcourt. He emphasized that the next agricultural revolution is about to begin in the Niger Delta. Ogan also disclosed that the chamber, in partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has facilitated over #5 billion to four thousand Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) operators across the nine states of the region.
The Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit was held at a decisive moment in the region's history, according to Ogan. He stated that the summit would not be a typical talkshop, but rather a platform for maximizing investment opportunities and creating value. The focus of the event was to shift the conversation from resources to productivity, from extraction to value, and from dependence to sustainable economic diversification.
The Niger Delta region is endowed with numerous investment opportunities across various sectors, including technology, agriculture, oil plant value chains, gas utilization, petrochemicals, maritime, tourism, and digital technology. Ogan emphasized that the region's high youth population is a significant asset that requires investment. He also highlighted the need for collaboration between the government and the private sector to drive development in the region.
The NDCCITMA Board Chairman expressed his determination to bridge the GDP gap between the South West and the Niger Delta regions. He stated that the chamber aims to work hard to close this gap, which currently stands at N30 trillion. Ogan believes that achieving this goal will lead to growth and development in the region.
Aigbote AiG-Imoukuede, the Chief Executive Officer of Acess Holding, decried the high level of poverty in the region during his guest speaker address at the summit. Despite receiving over $140 billion in federal allocations since 1999, Imoukuede noted that the region's people are multidimensionally poor. He stressed that natural resources alone cannot translate into wealth and advocated for a development and investment compact to drive economic growth.
Imoukuede challenged the elites in the region to embark on soul searching and examine their level of contributions to the region's development. He emphasized that it is time for the region to move away from a rent economy to a productive economy. Meanwhile, the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, noted that the Niger Delta region certainly needs regeneration.
Key points
- The Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) is planning the largest Agricultural hub and logistics system in the Niger Delta.
- The proposed hub aims to minimize waste of agricultural produce in the region and will operate on a "farm to supermarket or export terminal" concept.
- The NDCCITMA has facilitated over #5 billion to four thousand Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) operators across the nine states of the region.
