The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger-delta ND federal representative on inspection tour in Abia State has expressed satisfaction on the level of progress achieved in the second phase kickoff of the agro project implementation in the state.
According to Mrs Antonia Esenwan, the Agro Business National Coordinator of LIFE-ND while responding to questions fed during a live radio interactive program in Umuahia on Thursday said the assessment tour revealed that the current beneficiaries of the project went through with their agro business training and now moving to the mentoring stage which interprets a significant progress in the life line of the LIFE-ND project.
‘‘We had team that went to different local government areas and the reports I have received so far showed that they have done well.
“It became imperative for us to come and see how ready they are to venture into their own business, to receive the working capital, but however to educate them that whatever that is given to them should be judiciously used’’. Mrs Esenwan said.
Mrs. Esenwan also revealed that the current training for the incubatees started last year and now progressing to the mentorship stage.
CANDID REPORTERS recalls that livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger-Delta LIFE-ND project in Abia State late last year commenced the training of 3,000 agro beneficiaries in a fresh agro training program scheduled to run three years.
According to Abia LIFE-ND State Project Coordinator, Dr. Uchenna Rowland Onyeizu, during the live radio interactive program said the incubators (trainers), were selected from ten local government of Abia State based on the community where they are available and doing well, thus the incubators agro facility automatically becomes a training centre after proper assessment.
Dr. Onyeizu however listed other criteria for choosing an incubator which he mentioned as; “At least three years in business, good financial records and business registration. The inspection of the facility was also listed as a necessity before approval.
Dr. Onyeizu however narrated how previous beneficiaries of the has benefited for the training and financial empowerment to start their business.
Dr. Onyeizu also explained that LIFE-ND is not an infrastructure based project but organised to empower young person’s between the ages of 18-35 years with agricultural trainings and inputs, as well as stipends also referred to as running cost for the beneficiaries to go into agricultural business.
Dr. Clement Owem in his response on how the project connects the Abia state government,he said the are established to work with a steering committee which has members from the state agriculture ministry.
The LIFE-ND agro expert uses incubator model copied from the Igbo trading pattern to train 18-35 years with financial support to make them independent.
The project is currently running in nine Niger-delta states in Nigeria.
The project is said to be currently running 100 communities in 10 LGA’s of Abia state through the incubator and incubatee model.
The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project is primarily sponsored and funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). The project aims to empower rural youths and women through agri-business, covering nine states in the Niger Delta region.
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