The Niger Delta Development Commission has partnered with the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, in attempt to ensure food security.

As claimed in a statement by Pius Ughakpotenihe  NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs,  the commission’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, revealed this during a strategic meeting with  delegations of the farmers association, led by its Deputy National President, Mr Victor Korede, in  Rivers State.

Samuel,  who represented the NDDC Executive Director of Projects, Sir Victor Antai, noted that the commission was ready to partner with RIFAN to promote rice cultivation in the region.

“With the new drive in NDDC, we are ready to go into partnership with RIFAN. We have two rice mills in Elele-Alimi, Rivers State, and Mbiabet-Ikpe in Akwa Ibom State. We are interested in the smart agriculture approach of the farmers’ association.

“The NDDC Managing Director is determined to execute legacy projects which will impact positively and directly on the people of the region,” he stated.

The NDCC  had introduced a pet programme known as Holistic Opportunities, Projects and Engagement; agriculture is one of its key components, in accord with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President  Tinubu.

“The Project HOPE’ initiative seeks to engage youths of the region by creating employment opportunities for them. We have collated the data of the youths in the region and so many of them are interested in agriculture.

“The NDDC is resoluted in the quest to provide food security in the Niger Delta region, and the youths needs to be engaged  in agriculture to achieve this goal”.

It was said by the NDDC boss, that the Niger Delta region is endowed with the right ingredients for rice growing.

He said, “The Niger Delta region, due to the arable wetlands, rainfalls and other ecological factors in its favour, provides the window to plant rice at least, twice within a farming season. Therefore, it is incumbent on us to engage the rice farmers meaningfully as they have shown a strong desire to grow more rice.

“We are trying to move away from the oil economy and the sector which can accommodate our youths in large numbers is the agricultural sector. We also want to move from subsistent agriculture to mechanised farming to harness all the opportunities that the Niger Delta region has to offer.”

RIFAN’s South-South Vice President, Emmanuel Anoh,  declared during the meeting that the association was ready to demonstrate local production of food in sufficient quantity is possible in the country.

He explained, “We are here to discuss partnership with the NDDC on how best the region can feed Nigeria and contribute to the President’s agenda of self-sufficiency in food production. Rice is a global staple crop eaten by every home at least, thrice a week.”