BY CAROLINE AMEH/ OMOYE AMINU
ABUJA: The Executive Director, Commercial and Environmental Development, South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Hon. Joseph Ayegbeni Ugheoke, has called for a united regional approach to achieve sustainable food security and agricultural transformation across the South-South region.
He made the call in Abuja while speaking on the 2025 World Food Day, themed, “Water is Life, Water is Food — Leave No One Behind.”
Hon. Ugheoke said the theme aligns with the SSDC’s ongoing programmes aimed at boosting food production, supporting farmers, and improving rural livelihoods across the Niger Delta and the South-South states.
“Our region is richly blessed with fertile land and abundant water resources. Yet, millions still face food insecurity due to poor agricultural infrastructure, limited irrigation systems, and environmental degradation. The time has come for the South-South to move from potential to productivity,” he stated.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to championing regional agricultural initiatives such as irrigation farming, agro-industrial clusters, youth-in-agriculture empowerment programmes, and climate-smart farming practices.
According to him, achieving food sufficiency is not merely an economic goal but a crucial step toward restoring dignity, reducing poverty, and fostering peace across communities.
“The South-South Development Commission, under the leadership of our Managing Director, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, is working closely with state governments, local farmers, and private investors to transform agriculture into a wealth-creating sector,” he noted.
“We are prioritizing sustainable irrigation, fishery development, cassava processing hubs, and oil palm revitalization projects.”
Hon. Ugheoke also appreciated President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his continued support for regional development through agricultural reforms and empowerment programmes targeted at farmers across the country.
He urged all stakeholders, including government agencies, private investors, development partners, and local communities, to work together to make the South-South region a model of food sufficiency and agricultural resilience in Nigeria.
