By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AS 2025 rolls out, the National Project Coordinator of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD FGN/NDDC/IFAD Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises – Niger Delta, LIFE-ND Project, Engr Abiodun Sanni, Wednesday, unveiled strategic priorities for 2026 to upscale implementation in the nine States of the Niger Delta region.

Sanni made this known in a New Year message, while he acknowledged the efforts and contributions of every incubatee, incubator, producer, processor, marketer, extension agent, financial partner, and policy advocates towards the success of the LIFE-ND Project in 2025.

He commended their dedication to innovation, resilience, and inclusive growth, which had “laid a strong foundation for transforming agri-enterprise opportunities across the Niger Delta region.”

According to him, in 2025, there was expansion on training and mentorship for emerging agri-entrepreneurs, with a focus on youth and women including Persons with Disability (PwDs).

Implementation of scalable value chain initiatives that stepped up production, improved product quality, market access, financial inclusion and income stability for erstwhile unemployed/underemployed youths and women and smallholder farmers.

He also said the Project recorded acceleration on the adoption of sustainable farming practices, gender and nutrition sensitive agripreneurship, climate-resilient farming, and smart agronomy tools.

He added that there was strengthened partnerships with public institutions, private sector, and development partners to mobilize resources and share knowledge.

He said: “As we begin a new year, our vision remains clear: to realize a transformed rural economy in the Niger Delta from which the rural population can derive prosperity and equal benefit. We will continue to create an enabling environment where innovative beneficiaries/agripreneurs can thrive, contribute to food security, and drive inclusive economic growth.

“Scale up on the incubation model by making it more robust and deliberately supporting the business development services Expand hands-on training programs for incubatees, incubators, and mentorship networks.Provide practical, market-driven curricula that cover business planning, financial literacy, packaging, branding, and digital marketing.

“Support end-to-end value chain development from production to processing, packaging, and export readiness.Improve access to finance, warehouse facilities, warm/cold chain logistics, and collective marketing.Promote Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Practices by; encouraging agroecology, water-use efficiency, soil health, and reduced post-harvest losses.Foster the adoption of climate-smart technologies and digital decision-support tools.

“Foster inclusion and rural prosperity by ensuring youth, women, and marginalized groups have leadership roles and access to resources.Promote community-led cooperatives and farmer-led enterprises.

“Strengthen partnerships and accountability by deepening collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, industry players, and financial institutions.

“Maintain transparent monitoring and evaluation to track impact, share learnings, and continuously improve on ways of doing things.

“Promote digital transformation and market access by expanding online marketplaces, e-extension services, and data-driven advisory.

“Enhance traceability, quality assurance, and consumer confidence.”

Meanwhile, the LIFE-ND’s boss said there are goals expected to be achieved in 2026, including; Regional showcases and market linkages to connect producers with national and international buyers.

“More incubatee training hubs and processing centers to accelerate value addition across commodity lines

“An enhanced monitoring and evaluation framework to demonstrate impact and inform policy discussions.

“We invite all incubatees to participate actively: join training/knowledge sharing sessions, share insights, mentor aspiring youth agripreneurs, and engage in policy dialogues that shape a more resilient and prosperous agricultural economy in the Niger Delta region and beyond.”

In his call to action, he urged implementing partners on greater synergy to drive the Project for more penetration that would make enormous impact on the teeming young population in the region.

“To our implementing agencies – the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Niger Delta Development Commission, the donor – International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), partner institutions, communities, and the brave and resilient incubator/incubatee who innovate every day.

“Your work is the heartbeat of this project. Let us carry forward the momentum, stay collaborative, and remain steadfast in our commitment to sustainable growth and inclusive opportunity”, he added.