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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Partners in the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), comprising the Federal Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), have expressed their commitment to empower women and youths to strengthen agribusinesses in communities.
They affirmed their commitment at the wrap-up of the fifth Joint Supervision Mission of the project, where the Edo State Government reiterated its commitment to sustain and expand the project.
The objective of the project is to enhance income, food security and job creation for rural youth and women through agri-enterprise development on a sustainable basis in the nine Niger Delta States of Abia, Bayelsa, CrossRiver, Delta, Edo and Ondo states, which are IFAD funded states and Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Rivers, funded by the NDDC.
In her speech at the event which was held in Benin City, the Country Director of IFAD, Mrs Dede Ekoue, described LIFE-ND as more than a development intervention, describing it as a movement of hope, resilience and transformation for young Nigerians.
Represented by the Country Programme Analyst, Dr Ogunniyi Adebayo, Ekoue expressed IFAd’s readiness to scale up the successes recorded in the programme and commended the enterprise displayed by beneficiaries across the benefiting areas
“From our field visits, LIFE-ND stands as a living testimony of how targeted investments in youth and women can transform communities. IFAD remains committed to scaling this success through additional financing to reach more youths and women and deepen the impact that has already begun,” she said.
In her remark, representative of the NDDC, Stella Manureh, said the LIFE-ND was contributing to the growth and stability of the region and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to its success.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the project, Dr. Abiodun Sanni, explained that the supervision mission was to diligently assess the progress of project implementation across participating states, review achievements and challenges and engage with beneficiaries, project staff and partners. She added that the meeting provided them the opportunity to consolidate key findings, reflect on lessons learned and agree on actionable recommendations that would further enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of LIFE-ND interventions.
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He identified finance, market linkages and climate resilience, as some of the challenges faced by the project, which according to him, were extensively discussed at the meeting.
On his part, the Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Jerry Uwangue, said the mission marked another milestone in the collective efforts of partners to enhance rural livelihoods.
He reaffirmed the state’s collaboration with the partners under the proposed LIFE-ND Plus Initiative for the state, which is designed to consolidate achievements and extend project benefits to more communities and beneficiaries.
Edo State Project Coordinator, Mr. John Omoruyi, in his closing remarks, expressed appreciation to the Mission Team for their professionalism, dedication and constructive feedback, noting that their insights would strengthen project delivery and sustainability.
“As we conclude this mission, we reaffirm our commitment to implementing the agreed action points with renewed energy and accountability. Edo State will continue to prioritize transparency, efficiency and inclusiveness in driving the goals of rural transformation, poverty reduction and agricultural development for our people,” he assured.
The LIFE-ND project is an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria. In its first phase, it was funded with a $60 million loan from the IFAD.
After six years of successful implementation in the six states of the Niger Delta, the project impacted on the lives of over 26, 400 direct beneficiaries, surpassing an initial target of 25,500 beneficiaries.
For the continuation of the project, the donor (IFAD) has made available an additional finance of $32 million with the approval of the Federal Government of Nigeria. This is to enable the project to continue implementation in the region for another three years commencing on March 31, 2025.
This additional funds is expected to be deployed in consolidating the gains from the first phase and bringing on board an additional 13,050 new incubates and supporting 51,775 business development services beneficiaries across the six IFAD funded states.
