Nigeria has launched a $500 million agriculture investment ​fund for the oil-producing Niger ‌Delta region, seeking to raise food output, attract private investment and strengthen food ​security, Vice President Kashim Shettima ​said on Wednesday.

Speaking at an investment ⁠summit for the region in ​Abuja, Shettima said the fund would ​invest in areas including aquaculture, palm oil, and marine resources, leveraging financing from multilateral ​lenders and private investors.

• The fund ​will operate as a commercial, returns-driven investment ‌vehicle spanning crops, livestock, fisheries and marine resources.
• Shettima did not disclose the fund's financing structure, but said it ​would pool ​commitments from the World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development ​Bank and private investors.
• The fund ​aligns ⁠with Nigeria's food security drive, which includes plans to deploy 10,000 ⁠tractors ​over five years and ​expand farm mechanisation.