IMO State trainees of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) are targeting N200,000 income when they graduate from their agric entrepreneurship grooming to start up their own businesses.

The trainees made the projection as entrepreneurship training opens for them in different locations of the state on various investment opportunities across the agribusiness chain.

The partnership intervention is coming with funding from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), executed on special purpose vehicle (SPV) of the LIFE-ND.

Mrs Mercy Ifeoma Njoku, one of the incubatee (trainee) undergoing grooming for opportunities in cassava value chain at Obollo, Isiala Mbano LGA location, attested to the viability of the business, hoping to make minimum N200,000 monthly and more in peak season.

Her incubator (trainer), Prince Mbaeyi Alison Emeka, a Europe returnee who runs ‘Prince Mbaeyi Farm said, “I don’t see it as a hard job. I started cultivation in the dry season and tilled with the shovel.

“I planted the cassava stems myself, did the first weeding when the dews were dropping down. If you plant cassava, you do not need to go always to monitor for pests attack.”

At Egbelu Nguru in Umuowa Ngor-Okpala, Chisom Nwosu, who trains in poultry management at Petros Farms Young-man Soseipiri tutelage said the scheme is building youths and women into an agric army with 17 incubatees exposed to his farm.

Ogechi Faustina Ifeanyichukwu, another incubetee with keen interest in poultry business acknowledged that LIFE-ND scheme has become life changing to the beneficiaries.

Dr Chioma Ukwuoma, an official of the scheme explained that Imo State engagement covers eight LGAs focused on cassava, rice, poultry and aquaculture with training transcending production, processing to marketing value chain, each chosen community given one commodity.

She said the regional programme has IFAD’s $60M funding covering six states of the Niger Delta and NDDC’s $30M backing three states, each state choosing drawing engagement from 10 LGAs and 10 communities per LGA.

“The project goal is transformation of the rural economy in which all rural population can derive prosperity and equal benefit. The primary targets are the unemployed youths (aged 18-35).

“There are also women-headed households with children under the age of 15 willing to engage in production, processing and marketing of the selected commodities. Each state is targeted to impact 4,250 direct beneficiaries within a period of six years in the first instance.”