Stakeholders have sought the intervention of the Niger Delta Development Commission to extend the coverage of the Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) to the states of Imo, Akwa Ibom and Rivers.
The programme has been implemented by the Federal Government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the nine Niger Delta states of Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Ondo States (IFAD financed) and Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Rivers (NDDC financed).
But Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Rivers states, which are supposed to be financed by the NDDC, could not join due to funding challenges.
The project seeks to enhance income, food security and job creation for rural youth and women through agri-enterprise development on a sustainable basis.
Speaking at the Joint FGN/IFAD 4th Supervision Mission for the LIFE-ND meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the Country Director, IFAD Nigeria, Mrs Dede Ekoue, said she looks forward to a scaling up of the project results in the remaining three states to be funded by NDDC as originally planned.
Mrs Ekoue said that this supervision mission provides the stakeholders the opportunities to assess and “identify additional strategies to deliver more value to the youth and women agribusinesses and to the Niger Delta communities.”
The National Project Coordinator, LIFE-ND, Dr Abiodun Sanni, said bringing the three states on board will scale up the success of the project in the entire region.
“I’m quite elated knowing fully well that these three states are also yearning for the kind of support we have provided for the six states and the youth are quite in need of support towards ensuring that employment is created for the teeming youths in these three states. We are happy that NDDC has given assurances that these three states will come on board,” Dr. Sanni stated.
He said the project in the past five years has contributed significantly to meeting the development objectives of ensuring food security, creating jobs and reasonable income for the rural youth and women in the Niger Delta region.
The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries of the NDDC, Dr Olumide Epebinu, who spoke on behalf of the Managing Director of the NDDC, said the commission will definitely bring the three states onboard to expand the benefit of the project.
“Originally, you know NDDC covers about 9 states, and this program now has started in six states. Now the NDDC has approved that the remaining state will come on board very soon,” he said.
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