The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises-Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), an International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) project, has so far trained 1,033 incubatees out of the 4,250 targeted in Edo State in various agribusiness since the initiative came on board in 2020.
Jude Ekpu, Edo State coordinator of the project, who disclosed this on Thursday at an engagement session with journalists in Benin City, said the project was conceived to address poverty, boost food security, create jobs for youths and women in rural communities through agribusiness development on a sustainable basis.
Ekpu, represented by Benedict Akhamie, communication officer, Edo State LIFE-ND, said the project adopted an incubation model of training wherein youth and women learn under the tutelage of experienced agribusiness owners, adding that 116 trainers were engaged to train the beneficiaries on four priority commodities namely cassava, rice, poultry and fishery.
The state coordinator, who said the capacities of the participants were developed on record and book-keeping, agricultural entrepreneurship, agricultural enterprise development, food and nutrition, environment and climate change, noted that the target beneficiaries were unemployed and under-employed youth who are between 18 and 35 years as well as unemployed women who are heads of household.
He explained that the project, which is designed by the Federal Government, IFAD and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), operates in nine states within the Niger Delta region and was planned to be implemented over a period of 12 years with a financing gap of six years in the first instance and additional six years to be financed by other partners or an additional IFAD loan.
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According to him, the Edo State coordinating office of the LIFE-ND project implementation started in July 2020, and, within two years, the beneficiaries were paid monthly stipends, seed capital and working capital to incubatees to set up their independent businesses.
“The goal of the LIFE-ND project is the transformation of the rural economy in which all the rural population can derive prosperity and equal benefit. The project has as its development objective to enhance income, food security and job creation for rural youth, women and the vulnerable through agribusiness development.
“The project is implemented in 10 local government areas (LGAs) per state and 10 communities in each local government areas, giving a total of 100 communities in Edo State alone.
