In a strategic move to shift the Niger Delta’s economic dependence from crude oil to sustainable commerce, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Senate Committee on Local Content have launched a high-impact “Linkage Capacity Building Programme” in agribusiness.
The initiative, hosted in Oleh, Delta South Senatorial District, marks a significant expansion of the “Local Content” philosophy traditionally reserved for the oil and gas sector into the multi billion naira agricultural value chain.
Representing the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, Senior Special Adviser Paul Emumena Michael emphasized that the region’s fertile soil and water resources are underutilized assets.
“Agribusiness today is not just about the hoe and machete; it is about data, processing, quality control, and entrepreneurship,” Senator Thomas stated. “Our goal is to transform Delta South into the agricultural hub of the Niger Delta.”
The program, supported by technical partners including Eone Agri Products Limited, focuses on reorienting local farmers and youths to view agriculture as a professional, technology-driven enterprise rather than a struggle for survival.
Key pillars of the training include:
Value Chain Integration: Moving beyond primary production into processing, packaging, and quality control.
Modernization: Introducing mechanization, soil testing, irrigation systems, and agritech solutions.
Market Linkages: Connecting rural farmers to structured supply chains and professional financing.
Entrepreneurial Mindset: Breaking the stigma that farming is an “occupation for the poor” to attract young graduates and professionals.
Franklin Agatemor, speaking on behalf of NCDMB Executive Secretary Felix Ogbe, noted that the knowledge shared is “priceless” and essential for correcting long-held misconceptions about the sector’s profitability.
Participants are already reporting immediate benefits. Kelvin Oghenero Ahomafo, a veteran poultry and crop farmer, noted that the training provided “practical solutions” to decade-long challenges. Similarly, young graduate Otagba Elo Cynthia shared a shift in perspective, stating, “I previously viewed agriculture as an occupation for the poor… I now see the profit potential and want to venture into it.”
The NCDMB and its partners aim for this program to serve as a blueprint for rural development across the Niger Delta. By empowering locals with the technical structure to turn farming into a profitable enterprise, the initiative seeks to ensure long-term food security and national stability
