Agric Dev: NDDC Harps On Skills, Techniques

The Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Nsima Ekere, says external support and collaboration are needed to enable the agency deliver its core mandate to develop the region.
Ekere disclosed this during the signing of two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between the commission and Facility for Oil Sector, Transparency and Reform in Nigeria (FOSTER) and Market Development Project in the Niger Delta (MADE) at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt last Monday.
While stressing the need to diversify the nation’s economy, Ekere said the signing of the MoU would further boost efforts at stimulating sustainable growth in selected agricultural and other inputs markets.
According to him, this would create jobs and boost the employment profile of the region.
“We might have cases, probably due to the method farmers are using in farming and even the skills, you may have some challenges in terms of profitability.
“I am sure that with the right skill and employing the right methods and techniques, agriculture can be very profitable”, he said.
He explained that it was due to these challenges facing farmers in the region that the commission opted to partner MADE.
Ekere noted that the present board of the NDDC was committed to establishing instruments and institutions vital for fulfilling the expectations of the people.
In their separate speeches, representatives of the two organisations, Mr Henry Adegun and Mr Tunde Oderende, pledged to assist NDDC, in developing the region through programmes targeted at stimulating the local economy.