Kashim Shettima Launches $500 Million Niger Delta Agricultural Fund

Vice President Kashim Shettima launched the $500 million Niger Delta Agricultural Investment Fund (NDAIF) on July 15, 2026, during a summit in Abuja. The commercial, returns-driven fund aims to reduce the Niger Delta's reliance on oil by attracting investment into aquaculture, palm oil, cassava, cocoa, rice, and livestock across nine states.

To manage the initiative, Shettima inaugurated the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Council, which he will chair. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will serve as the council's secretariat. The program includes the distribution of 680 tractors, entrepreneurship training for more than 20,000 youths, and the provision of organic fertilizers and credit schemes for cooperatives.

Funding for the initiative is coordinated by the Nigerian government and includes commitments from the World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. This effort supports President Bola Tinubu's 2023 food security state of emergency and a broader national strategy to deploy 10,000 tractors over the next five years. To sustain these agricultural livelihoods, the NDDC will also focus on developing solar power, roads, and waterways.