Kehinde Fajobi
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is empowering over 25,500 youths and women in agricultural entrepreneurship across Niger Delta states through the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE-ND) project.
The initiative, funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), aims to foster self-reliance and sustainability among participants in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at a technical working session on Group Savings and Loan and Record/Bookkeeping in Owerri, Imo State, the National Project Coordinator, Dr. Abiodun Sanni, outlined the scope and goals of the project.
Represented by his Technical Assistant, Mr. Bunmi Ogunleye, Sanni noted, “The project involves Niger Delta states, which will access a $60 million loan funded by IFAD. The project is divided into two six-year phases, with a 12-year life span, and began in 2019.”
He added that the six initial states—Abia, Bayelsa, Ondo, Cross River, Edo, and Delta—began participation in 2019, while Imo, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers joined in 2024, expanding the project to nine Niger Delta states.
“The goal of the project is to empower youths and women in agricultural entrepreneurship through key commodities like cassava, plantain, fish, rice, cocoa, oil palm, and poultry,” Sanni explained.
“This empowerment will cover the entire value chain, including production, processing, and marketing. Additionally, the training focuses on enhancing their capacity in record keeping and documentation to ensure better business management.”
Sanni however noted that participants must be unemployed or underemployed and reside in rural communities to qualify for the programme.
National Financial Inclusion Specialist, Obiageli Ekwelie, explained further, saying, “The participants will undergo hands-on training with experts on the selected commodities for a period that aligns with the commodity’s gestation period. By the end of the training, they will have the skills to successfully run their enterprises, even though the startup capital may not be enough initially. Through this, they will understand the importance of saving, improve their creditworthiness with financial institutions, and enhance their ability to document business activities.”
The project aims to provide long-term economic benefits for participants, helping them achieve financial stability through agriculture.