The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises-Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), an International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) project, has so far trained 1,033 incubatees out of the 4,250 targeted in Edo State, in various agribusinesses since the initiative came on board in 2020.
Jude Ekpu, Edo State coordinator of the project, disclosed this on Thursday at an engagement session with media stakeholders in Benin City.
Ekpu stated that the project was conceived to address poverty, boost food security, and create jobs for youths and women in rural communities through agribusiness development on a sustainable basis.
Ekpu who, was represented by Benedict Akhamie, communication officer, Edo State LIFE-ND, said the project adopted an incubation training model wherein youth and women learn under the tutelage of experienced agribusiness owners.
He added that 116 trainers were engaged to train the beneficiaries on four priority commodities namely cassava, rice, poultry and fishery.
The state coordinator said the capacities of the participants were developed on record and book-keeping, agricultural entrepreneurship, agricultural enterprise development, food and nutrition as well as environment and climate change.
He noted that the target beneficiaries were unemployed and under-employed youth who are between 18 and 35 years as well as unemployed women who head households.
He further explained that the project, which is designed by the Federal Government, IFAD and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), operates in nine states within the Niger Delta region and was planned to be implemented over a period of 12 years with a financing gap of six years in the first instance and additional six years to be financed by other partners or an additional IFAD loan.
According to him, the Edo State coordinating office of the LIFE-ND project implementation started in July 2020 in Edo, and, within two years, the beneficiaries were paid monthly stipends, seed capital and working capital to incubatees to set up their independent businesses.
“The goal of the LIFE-ND project is the transformation of the rural economy in which all the rural population can derive prosperity and equal benefit. The project has as its development objective to enhance income, food security and job creation for rural youth, women and the vulnerable through agribusiness development.
“The project is implemented in 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) per state and 10 communities in each local government areas, giving a total of 100 communities in Edo State alone,” he added.
He listed participating local government areas as Akoko Edo, Esan North-East, Esan South-West, Esan West, Etsako Central, Ikpoba Okha, Orhionmwon, Ovia North-East, Owan West and Uhunmwonde.
The LIFE-ND state coordinator equally solicited support from media practitioners in promoting the activities of the initiative and ensuring wider visibility of the project implementation.
