By Joseph Kanjo, Benin

The State Project Coordinator, Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE–ND), Mr. Jude Ekpu, says no fewer than 250 persons known as ‘incubatees’ have been trained in various agric businesses such as fishery, poultry, cassava production and rice production in Edo State within one year.

According to him, under the project in Edo State, no fewer than 82 incubates have been disbursed working capital after the training, adding that when others are done with their training, they would be disbursed too.

He added that 10 local government areas out of the 18 in the state have been selected for the implementation of the project with 10 communities selected in each LGA for the project.

INFO DAILY reports that LIFE-ND is a Project for the Niger Delta designed in collaboration with Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with counterpart fund from Edo State Government.

The state Project Coordinator who disclosed this in Benin, during the weekend, at an interactive session with newsmen, noted that the project is aimed at “developing supply of skilled youth labour using the incubation model which, according to him, is to ensure a successful rural agrobusiness.”

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He noted that this is to be “conducted in a way to mentor neighbouring youths to produce greater volumes, leading to higher value enterprises and community incomes, and jobs for the youth.” (sic)

“Within a year of our activities as a project office, the State Project has trained 250 incubatees and 50 incubators, with 125 incubatees and 25 incubators trained in two sets.

“Over 50 communities have donated land resource for effective project implementation. Over 1800 hectares of land has been secured under our land identification and land securing process as farmland for the incubatees. (sic)

“The target beneficiaries of the LIFE-ND project are youths and women in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. The target beneficiaries are the unemployed and under-employed youth aged 18-35 years and unemployed women who are heads of household with children less than 15 years of age.

“The percentage distribution of targets beneficiaries are as follows: -50% male youth, -20% female (women) and -30% female youths,” he said.

On her part, the National Agrobusiness Promotion Coordinator, LIFE-ND, Mrs Esenwa Anthinia, said, “Our target is for about 4,250 youths and women-headed households to benefit from the project. Some of the incubatees, it is hoped, will later become incubators in the project after being empowered.”

She noted that, “The project came to Edo State following the success of the previously sponsored IFAD Programme, Community Based Natural Resource Management Programme – Niger Delta (CBNRMP-ND).”

Earlier, the Communication Officer of the project in Edo State, Mr. Benedict Akhamie, solicited media support and cooperation, stressing that if LIFE-ND is not projected to the public through the media, no one will know such project exist.

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