Yakumbur Donald, the International Fund for Agriculture(IFAD) Agrifood Systems Consultant has expressed satisfaction on the evaluation of the Nutrition Study Follow-up in Abia State.
Yakumbur and his team who are on a Nutrition Study Follow-up assessment in Abia State, connecting with the Abia Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Niger-Delta LIFE-ND office in Umuahia said, with what his team have seen in Abia during the tour, reflects what was provided for the nutrition study follow-up.
“We’re satisfied with what we have seen on ground and what we have seen in the state coordinating office of Abia LIFE-ND. What we have seen aligns with what we have provided in the study, we’re impressed”. Yakumbur told newsmen.
Yakumbur also added that IFAD is just concerned about participating in agriculture but also much interested in nutrition sensitivity by ensuring production of the right crops with the nutrition components to be consumed in the right way and the appropriate time.
The IFAD team visited some school gardens where pupils have been taught the benefits of gardening and farming, as well as the importance of plants nutrition.
PHOTO: Ezekele community primary School 1 at Umuokpara, Umuahia South LGA.
PHOTO: Umuajata Community Primary School, Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA.
The team also visited the greenhouse farming project at Obi Mbutu, Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia state, facilitated by Abia LIFE-ND, which is cultivation protected.
PHOTO: Greenhouse farming project at Obi Mbutu.
While also speaking to newsmen about the visit, the Abia State LIFE-ND Project Coordinator (SPC) Dr. Uchenna Rowland Onyeizu said the project identified Abia State because of its activities while also giving credit to the Abia State government for the intervention of paying the counterpart fund to keep the project running in the state.
Dr. Onyeizu added that nutrition mainstreaming is an additional support of LIFE-ND Project in Abia State to give additional training to the beneficiaries of LIFE-ND Project and to ensure they understand and practice the needs for a balanced diet.
Dr. Onyeizu also reminded that the project is much fixed on those in the rural communities who lack the basic knowledge of the modern way of farming as well as nutrition mainstreaming.
“We’re focused on rural communities and IFAD is also on the same track. If you come to the rural communities, you will see that they lack the knowledge of nutrition and the resources to provide these for themselves. That is why LIFE-ND is coming up with all these enterprise groups where we support them with all the crops so that they can increase their daily income and ensure they take the balanced food”. Dr. Onyeizu said
Dr. Onyeizu also expressed satisfaction on the assessment done by the IFAD team as facilities on ground were inspected as well as having interactions with the stakeholders of the project.
“I was happy they saw this and they were excited with what they saw”. Dr.Onyeizu said.
On how to expand the project from 10 LGA’s and 100 communities in Abia State, Dr. Onyeizu said he has submitted a proposal to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State on the need to extend the project to all the communities in Abia.
Mrs. Nwanyioma Nji, the Home Garden Incubator (trainer) in Obi Mbutu, Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia state spoke to newsmen during the tour. She narrated how she came across LIFE-ND and since after the agro intervention, she has received seedlings on, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and okro which was planted and yielded much produce. With her farm records handy, she narrated her gains since she came across LIFE-ND. She revealed that since the LIFE-ND intervention in the year 2023, she has made over 5 million naira profit which has enabled her to fund three of her children’s education in the university.
In her words: “I have three children in the university that I’m sponsoring, we also eat from it. If you look at me well, you can testify how healthy I am, so my millions are not mismanaged”.
The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta of Nigeria (LIFE-ND) aims to address the growing numbers of restive youth by sustainably enhancing incomes and food security, and by creating jobs for rural women and youth in the Niger Delta. The project is expected to build on the successes of earlier IFAD-supported projects to develop the supply of skilled youth labour, and strengthen the capacity of institutions at the state and community levels to work with private-sector actors.
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