OWERRI – Non oil sector contribution to Imo state economy is witnessing a boost with the state’s trainees (Incubatees) of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) gearing to stimulate intensive cassava export across the value chain.

The entrepreneurship grooming scheme at enhancing livelihoods, promoting peace and security in the Nigeria Delta is an initiative of the International Fund for Agric Development (IFAD) and Federal Government with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) partnership funding targeting 4,250 Imo youths and women grooming in enterprise development in diverse agribusiness interests and same for Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

In the ongoing monitoring and evaluation by the LIFE-ND/NDDC inspection team at Izombe, Oguta Local Government Area (LGA) in Imo, Okorie Emmanuel, an incubator (Trainer) highlighted the drive towards cassava export.

Emmanuel told the inspectors, “Things we didn’t know before, we now know. We want to tell you to continue this. Nigeria will be a garri-exporting country and would be a hub of the garri industry with huge value chain”.

He explained that from March 2025 takeoff, they have known varieties of high yield cassava stems as incubatees can now process cassava to gari, extract starch, and prepare fufu to sell in the market and make some money through the value chain.

At the incubation center for aquaculture under Uchegbu Chijioke (incubator) mentorship, Nwoke Ifeanyi (incumbatee) said, “We can now stand on our own. We can now do direct and indirect fish marketing businesses as well as handle digitalized fish marketing business.

“We can feed fish. We have learnt so much from hatching, how to separate and handle fingerlings, processing, fish smoking, packaging and marketing. We can adopt face-to-face marketing and advertising and apply customer service models that boosts business relationships.

“We known how to make the price affordable for both the rich and the poor. We can manage this enterprise to feed our families.”

Incubator Chijioke, National Vice President, Catfish and Allied Fish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFFAN) described the project as life enhancing, devoid of nepotism, tribalism or political manipulations.

They beneficiaries collectively appealed for the sponsors’ assistance to form cooperatives for the various training groups to ease startups and exploring the export market, just as they pleaded to be equipped with modern farming tools for intensive agriculture.

The project inspection team to Imo, led by Wale Oretan, Deputy Director, Agric & Fisheries NDDC, commended the incubators and incubatees for cassava and aquaculture at Nnebukwu where the cassava hub is made up of 27 incubatees, 15 males and 12 females.

On the monitoring team assessment, NDDC’s Oretan told the beneficiaries, “Carry on with same zeal you had from inception. In cassava, no part of it is a waste. Try as much as possible to invest more.

“I see this programme has come to add value to your life. We are so impressed with what you are doing to be complete business men and women. LIFE-ND wants success stories from you”.

Experts project Nigeria’s best hope on boosting non-oil export rest in agriculture, banking on improved crop production, preservation and processing methods to minimise rejection of Nigerian agro outputs in the international market.

The IFAD/NDDC scheme is rising to the occasion with a new army of export-minded agri-preneurs with the Imo team excelling in high profile cassava production.