The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to agricultural empowerment by successfully concluding the second batch of its Capacity Building Programme for Rice Farmers on a Commercial Scale in Umuahia, Abia State.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held at Kolping Guest House, Umuahia, NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, represented by the Commission’s Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Winifred Madume, highlighted the initiative’s goal of transforming agriculture into a sustainable economic driver in the Niger Delta.
Dr. Madume emphasized that the training was designed to equip farmers with modern rice farming techniques, processing skills, and agribusiness strategies. She urged the beneficiaries to maximize their newly acquired knowledge to increase rice production, form cooperatives, and engage relevant agencies and financial institutions for further support.
She also reiterated the Commission’s ongoing collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to provide apprenticeship training for Niger Delta residents, assuring participants of NDDC’s continuous commitment to food security, job creation, and poverty reduction in the region.
“It is important that participants fully utilize this opportunity to support the Federal Government’s efforts in boosting rice production and processing,” she stated.
Also speaking, Deputy Director of Agriculture & Fisheries, Mr. Wale Oretan, disclosed that 300 farmers from Abia and other Niger Delta states participated in the training, which combined theoretical and practical aspects of rice farming, processing, and entrepreneurship. He encouraged them to reinvest the empowerment support packages into their agribusiness ventures.
As part of the programme, each participant received a starter pack worth ₦200,000 and a certificate of completion. Expressing appreciation on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Uzoma Charity Ochulo, President of the Abia State Rice Farmers Association, pledged to replicate the training in various communities.
Professor Lovina Odoemelam, the training coordinator from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, commended NDDC for its commitment to agricultural development and advised the Commission to implement follow-up measures to sustain the programme’s impact. She emphasized the need for beneficiaries to effectively utilize the resources provided to achieve economic self-reliance.
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