By Egufe Yafugborhi

UYO – AKWA Ibom State Government says $97.8Million Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta, LIFE-ND, agribusiness empowerment would leap the state  to top sister states in the region in Oil Palm, Fish, Cassava and Poultry production.

Mrs Rosemary Ubia, Permanent Secretary, Akwa Ibom Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, reflected on the rating yesterday in Uyo as orientation training opened for 350 trainees (incubatees) and 32 incubators, first batch of 4250 beneficiaries to gain the empowerment in the state under Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) $30M counterpart funding for three states.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria conceived LIFE-ND in 2019 to stimulate prosperity in the Niger Delta by establishing a total 38,250 poor rural youths, women and the physically challenged in sustainable incubation model enterprise development to boost income, ensure food security and job creation across the agribusiness value chain.

By conception, at total project cost of $97.8Million, the first phase ran from 2019 to 2025 with IFAD contribution of $60Million to engage 25,500 beneficiaries in six states of the region except Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers where NDDC should provide $30Million for 12,750 persons with FG and the state governments remitting $3.057 and $554.877 respectively.

At the gathering in Akwa Ibom, Mrs Ubia stressed that, “By focusing on commodities such as oil palm, fisheries, cassava and poultry, this initiative places Akwa Ibom State in an advantageous position as we are already a major producer of these key agricultural products.”

She noted that LIFE-ND entry in Akwa Ibom would amplify the call by Governor Umo Eno for renewed focus on farming to boost food sufficiency in the state through support to farmers in areas of improved inputs and skill gap training.  

Ubia said, “The LIFE-ND programme directly supports Nigeria’s Green Alternative Roadmap for Agriculture, as well as the Strategic Framework for Youth empowerment and Job Creation in Nigeria.”

She said agric is a key development factor and source of food security policy of the government and that LIFE-ND’s target, the youths, women and the vulnerable must be taken off the street, away with restiveness.

Evong Evong, Akwa Ibom State Director in the NDDC, said, “As part mandate of the NDDC, we decided to partner with agencies and institutions for agric development to ensure resources would be committed to helping the youths.”

Dr Abiodun Sanni, National Project Coordinator of LIFE-ND, represented by the Project’s Agric Business Coordinator, Mrs. Antonia Esenwa, said: “This is the orientation aspect while the beneficiaries would move down to the training proper in smaller units. In other models, they empower the trainees from the onset, but in this one, we train them first then equip them.”

Akwa Ibom State Project Coordinator, Solomon Joe, said: “This is a training in entrepreneurship. At the end, their welfare will improve because we will empower them. It’s the incubation model and we will provide the inputs for them to avoid diversion of funds.”

An incubator, Hon. Goodnews Etiutom Ediene, who claimed vast experience in cassava processing, palm oil, and poultry processing over the years said he indicated interest because it’s a laudable one. 

“For the partners to come together is great. Government cannot employ everybody. It’s entrepreneurs that will push Nigeria up”, he evaluated.

Another incubator, Okpongette Friday Akpan, Chief Executive Officer, Signature Agro & Allied Services Ltd in Essien Udim Local Government Area, Ukana Nsasak community, said he will be training 20 persons in agricpreneurship. He was excited at the prospect of taking 20 youths off the streets, as “We are going to have support to expand the farm and have more products.”