….target to reach 900 enterprises, 38,250 apprentices

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – WITH resolve to boost food security, enhance income, food security and job creation for rural youth and women through agri-enterprise in the Niger Delta region, the Federal Government, International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, and Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, disclosed implementing a six-year FGN/NDDC/IFAD assisted Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises – Niger Delta Project, LIFE-ND.

This is to support Nigeria’s Food Systems Transformation through creation of a critical mass of youths in agri-enterpreneurship.

The specific objective of the project is to enhance income, food security and job creation for rural youth and women through agri-enterprise development on a sustainable basis in the nine Niger Delta States of Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Ondo States (IFAD financed) and Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Rivers (NDDC financed).

To realize this objective, the project uses an innovative enterprise development model that leverages investments from SMEs in the region to support unemployed youth and women in high income and job creation enterprises.

The project targets to reach 900 matured enterprises (incubators) and 38,250 apprentices. It will work through the incubators to mentor the 38,250 apprentices (comprising 25,000 in the six IFAD States and 12,750 in three NDDC States) to engage in agribusiness.

It is expected that the apprentices (incubatees) will mature to become incubators. In this manner, the innovative LIFE-ND project is a sustainable instrument to create gainful jobs for women and youth. In addition to being in sync with the traditional enterprise development model of the region, it is consistent with the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy, NATIP, of the government, which emphasizes economic diversification through agriculture and job creation for youth and women. Overall, the project targets 50 per cent male and 50 per cent female participation.

It works on seven priority commodities including Rice, Cassava, Plantain, Oil Palm, Cocoa, Poultry, and fishery (aquaculture and artisanal).

On the heels of the ‘Joint FGN/IFAD 4th Supervision Mission for Livelihood Improvement and Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) of Nigeria’, held in Abuja on Tuesday, the Country Director, IFAD, Nigeria, Dede Ekoue, in an opening remarks expressed optimism, “We look forward to a scaling up of LIFE-ND results in the other three States that to the funding of NDDC as originally planned.

“This supervision mission provides us with an opportunity to support LIFE -ND to catalyze additional progress, youth and women agribusiness, food security, and inclusive and sustainable economic growth through the agri-food sector in the Niger Delta.

“We will review the progress made since the Mid-Term Review (MTR), and identify additional strategies to deliver more value to the youth and women agribusinesses and to the Niger Delta communities served by the project.

However, Ekoue said, “Despite the impressive results of LIFE-ND, there is always room for continuous improvement and innovation to achieve greater scale, efficiency and impact.

The Representative of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mounet Sadiku described the LIFE-ND Project as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s strategy to tackle bedeviling unemployment, boost food production and security.

“Our primary objective during this mission is to assess the implementation progress and the achievement of outputs by component and outcome indicators post the Mid Term Review in accordance with the project’s logical framework.

“Additionally, I am pleased to inform you that the Ministry of Finance is working closely with IFAD to secure the approval of additional finance. This will further enhance our capacity to address the challenges faced by our farmers and expand the positive impact of the LIFE-ND project”, Sadiku said.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Director, Agric and Fisheries Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, representing the Managing Director, MD, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, Dr Olumide Epebinu, said, “Definitely, we are bringing the remaining three States on board, originally, NDDC covers nine States, and this Programme has started in six States, and the Managing Director, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has approved that the remaining three States will come on board, and that will be very soon.

“I want to sincerely congratulate IFAD and the team for a very good work in the Niger Delta region. What we find in the Niger Delta region today is a marked departure of what it used to be.

“Under the LIFE-ND Project, we have seen what is on ground, what is going on and we are anticipating a better intervention. The summary of it is what LIFE-ND Project stands for is our focus in the Niger Delta Development Commission, and what do we stand for?

“We stand for development. We have been seriously committed to building the capacity of youth, women and vulnerable in the Niger Delta region. I want to announce that IFAD occupies a special position in the heart of my MD, and I want to reiterate that he is strictly committed to the implementation of all that have been outlined for execution in the Niger Delta region.”

He also assured that the NDDC boss is committed to the partnership as far as LIFE-ND Project is concerned and added that, “You can be rest assured that everything expected of the Commission will be done.”

On the speedy passage of the NDDC budget recently by the Senate, he said “I want to assure that the Niger Delta Development Commission is going to ensure the impact of the budget is massive. Let us just wait and see the transformation; the Board, Management and everything is going to be done as expected of the region.”

Also, on the sidelines, LIFE-ND National Project Coordinator, Dr Abiodun Sanni, spoke on the Joint FGN/IFAD 4th Supervision Mission for LIFE-ND Project, “LIFE-ND for the past five years has contributed significantly to meeting the Programme’s development objectives in ensuring food security, creating jobs, and also reasonable income for the rural youth and women in the Niger Delta region through agricultural sustainable development as a modality for achieving this.

“We are quiet hopeful after visiting the sites and reviewing all we have done the people and government will be impressed with what LIFE-ND has done for the past five years.”

Meanwhile, he expressed joy over the coming on board of the remaining three States, Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Rivers, the NDDC financed States to join the LIFE-ND project.

“I am quiet elated knowing fully well that these three States are also yearning for the kind of support we have provided to the six States, and the youth are in dare need of support towards ensuring that employment is created. We are happy that NDDC has given assurances that these three States will come on board”, he said.

He also commended the Tinubu-led administration for its support in terms of counterpart funding of LIFE-ND, while at the States have substantial compliance in counterpart funding but there is still so much room for improvement.