By Leonard Okachie
The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises – Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) has commenced disbursement of the cash component of its empowerment package to agribusiness beneficiaries in Abia.
The beneficiaries received the support after completing intensive training at various incubation centres across the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 100 out of the 276 selected beneficiaries received cheques of N472,000 each as start-up capital during the graduation ceremony of Additional Financing (AF) Batch 1 ‘Incubatees’ held in Umuahia on Tuesday.
The State Project Coordinator, Dr Uchenna Onyeizu, said LIFE-ND trained beneficiaries in processing and marketing enterprises.
He added that the remaining beneficiaries would be empowered in their various communities.
Onyeizu disclosed that an additional 332 beneficiaries engaged in production enterprises would be supported with inputs.
He said that in total, 608 beneficiaries working in poultry, rice, cassava, and fishery value chains would be empowered under the project’s Additional Financing for the 2025 incubation year.
NAN reports that LIFE-ND is a collaborative initiative of the Federal Government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The project targets youths aged 18 to 35 and women-headed households, focusing on poverty reduction, job creation, sustainable income, and food sufficiency in the nine Niger Delta states.
Describing the ceremony as “a celebration of transformation,” Onyeizu said it demonstrated measurable impact.
“We are witnessing the product of deliberate policy direction, strategic investment, and an unwavering commitment to empowering the people of Abia, especially our youths and women,” he said.
He noted that since inception in 2021, the project has empowered over 4,379 beneficiaries across rice, cassava, poultry, and oil palm value chains in 100 communities across 10 LGAs.
He commended Gov. Alex Otti for creating an enabling environment where agriculture can thrive as a business and pathway to wealth creation.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Cliff Agbaeze, said LIFE-ND has remained a catalyst for equipping young people with practical skills, resources, and the confidence to thrive in agribusiness.
He disclosed that the state government plans to go beyond counterpart funding to collaborate on ‘LIFE-ND Plus’ to expand the project to all 17 LGAs.
“What LIFE-ND is doing does not cover all the 17 LGAs and communities in the state, so what we are trying to do is make sure that all the LGAs and communities benefit.
“We will continue to support initiatives like LIFE-ND that align with our vision of a prosperous and food-secure state,” Agbaeze said.
The LIFE-ND National Project Coordinator, Dr Sanni Abiodun, represented by Mr Olatunde Ogunleye, thanked the state government for providing an enabling environment for the project.
He urged the beneficiaries to leverage agricultural seasons for maximum production, noting that transforming the rural economy remained a key project goal.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Chinedu Okorie, a rice processor in Amamba-Uzuakoli, Bende LGA, expressed gratitude to LIFE-ND, saying the programme had given him greater exposure and made life easy for him.
Highlights of the event included the presentation of dummy cheques and certificates to the graduating beneficiaries.
(NAN)
