Kumo Ambare

From the 25th june to 19th july 2024, a team of experts are in Ondo state to embark on a joint super vision mission exercise to the livelihood improvement family enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project.

The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in Niger Delta ( LIFE – ND) is a project initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria with funding support from the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the Niger Delta Development commission (NDDC).

The project is aimed at sustainably enhancing income, job creation, food security for women and youths through agribusiness enterprise using the incubation model.

The overall objective of LIFE-ND is the transformation of rural economy such that rural dwellers can derieve prosperity and equal benefits.

The incubation model has been deployed in the past five years of existence of the project to create massive jobs for the youths of Niger delta and it function by way of placing an unemployed youth interested in agribusiness under an experience farmer or master trainer in a particular agriculture commodity over a period of time for knowledge transfer and capacitation.

The project is currently being implemented in six states of Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Ondo .

The project focuses on seven commodities- Cassava, Rice, Plantain, Oil palm, Aquaculture, Cocoa, and poultry.

The essence of the joint super vision mission is to review the performance of the project across the various commodities of intervention and also provides technical support to the project where necessary.

The visit also provided stakeholders the opportunity of assessing the achievement of the project vis a vis the objective of empowering 25,500 youths and women across the catchment areas.

The mission team was lead by Mrs Adeline Muheebwa, a gender and agriculture specialist, a team of other experts drawn from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security, Federal ministry of finance, LIFE ND officials lead by the National Project coordinator, Dr, Sanni Abiodun.

While in Ondo state, the team visited beneficiaries in their various agribusiness ventures covering commodities such as cassava, cocoa, aquaculture and poultry.

In all the locations visited, the team was visibly delighted with the achievement especially with the mainstreaming of nutrition, environment and climate change by the beneficiaries.