The Nigerians in the Diaspora Chamber of Commerce (NiDCC), based in Washington, DC and Abuja, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Chief Audu Innocent Ogbeh, former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who died recently at the age of 78. In a heartfelt condolence message signed by its President and CEO, Patience Ndidi Ofure Key, and made available to journalists in Nigeria, the organization extended its sympathies to Chief Ogbeh’s family, the people of Benue State, and Nigerians across the globe, describing his death as a profound loss to the nation.
Chief Ogbeh was remembered as a principled statesman and a visionary advocate for Nigeria’s agricultural renaissance. According to NiDCC, his tenure in public service marked a pivotal shift in the nation’s approach to agriculture transforming it from a subsistence activity into a strategic growth industry. Under his leadership, policies were formulated to drive food security, strengthen rural livelihoods, and enhance agro-industrial value chains. His reforms encouraged local production, improved resilience among smallholder farmers, and attracted significant private sector investment into processing, storage, and market access.
NiDCC highlighted that Chief Ogbeh consistently championed backward integration, import substitution, mechanization, improved input availability, and greater youth participation in farming. His voice, the organization noted, was firm, thoughtful, and deeply patriotic, elevating agriculture into a national economic priority essential for Nigeria’s sovereignty. Among his landmark contributions was the 2016 Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI), which revived dormant blending plants and expanded affordable access to quality fertilizers, thereby boosting smallholder productivity and laying the groundwork for increased yields and sustainable growth.
The statement emphasized that Chief Ogbeh understood food security as economic security, advocating for stronger value chains, affordable agricultural inputs, and export-driven ambitions. His vision was to ensure farmers earned more, industries invested with confidence, and Nigeria maintained a resilient and self-reliant food system.
Patience Ndidi Ofure Key further stated that the diaspora business community sees Chief Ogbeh’s legacy as a call to deepen investment in agribusiness, logistics, technology, and financing systems that connect farmers to markets both locally and internationally. She affirmed that NiDCC would honor his legacy by mobilizing diaspora capital and expertise into areas he passionately supported such as agro-processing, storage and cold-chain logistics, input manufacturing, extension technology, and export standards, creating an inclusive and self-sustaining agricultural economy.
While praying for the peaceful repose of Chief Ogbeh’s soul, NiDCC expressed hope that his contributions would continue to inspire policymakers, entrepreneurs, and future leaders to build a food-secure Nigeria. The organization reaffirmed its mission to connect people, capital, and ideas across continents, accelerating trade, investment, and innovation to create jobs and shared prosperity goals that resonate deeply with the agricultural transformation Chief Ogbeh envisioned.
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