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From Joe Effiong, Uyo
The organising committee of the Niger Delta Food Security Summit & Expo has intensified efforts to promote youth participation in agriculture and address critical challenges affecting food security across the Niger Delta region.
This was the fulcrum of discussions during the committee’s visit to the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Agriculture, where key areas of collaboration and partnership were explored ahead of the maiden edition of the summit.
The Team Lead of the Organising Committee, Mr Emmanuel Robert, said the summit was conceived as a strategic platform to address pressing issues, including limited access to agricultural financing, low youth participation, and gaps across the agricultural value chain.
Robert explained that the summit, scheduled to hold from 22nd–24th April this year at Ceedapeg Hotels in Akwa Ibom State, would convene key stakeholders, including policymakers, development agencies, financial institutions, agribusiness leaders, and young entrepreneurs, to drive practical solutions that will enhance food production, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth in the region.
He noted that the event is being organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), and would have Dr Hussein Gadain, the Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, as keynote speaker.
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According to him, a major focus of the summit is empowering young people with the knowledge, tools, and access needed to capitalise on emerging opportunities in the agricultural sector.
He described the initiative as “a results-driven platform designed to unlock investment opportunities, strengthen value chains, and reposition agriculture as a viable and profitable venture for youths in the Niger Delta.”
Responding, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Akwa Ibom State, Dr Offiong Offor, commended the initiative and stressed the importance of sustained youth engagement in agriculture. She noted that government interventions in the provision of improved inputs, access to financing, and capacity development programmes are already creating an enabling environment for increased participation in the sector.
The Commissioner also expressed the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the Organising Committee to ensure the success of the summit and its long-term impact.
The Niger Delta Food Security Summit & Expo is expected to serve as an annual platform for advancing sustainable agricultural development, fostering partnerships, and delivering practical solutions to food security challenges in the region.
