The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launched the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises-Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project for Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers states, in a bid to boost food security and employment in the region.
The LIFE-ND project aims to transform the lives of over 38,000 direct beneficiaries (25,000 in IFAD-funded states and 12,750 in NDDC-funded states) in over six years.
The programme, which has taken off in the six IFAD-funded states (Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Ondo), with Friday’s launch brought the remaining Niger Delta states (Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers – NDDC funded) on stream.
In an address at the launch in Port Harcourt, NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the LIFE-ND “ushers in fertile soil for growth and prosperity, for women and youths, in areas that were once dry and barren for the region’s youth and women.
“In the past, agribusiness seemed out of reach for many. But today, we bridge that gap, opening the doors to entrepreneurship, financial independence, and sustainable livelihoods.
“At the heart of this project Iies the principle that agriculture is more than planting seeds. LIFE-ND is a clarion call for our people to rise, to seize the tools and skills needed to navigate the value chains of agriculture and beyond,” he said.
He lauded the initiative, implemented by NDDC, alongside the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, with the support of IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development),” saying that it aligned with “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of Renewed Hope, by addressing unemployment, reducing youth restiveness, and fostering inclusion through profitable agribusiness ventures.
“The partnership with IFAD is a strong vine, one that will continue to grow and bear fruit. With IFAD’s investment of USS60 million and NDDC’s contribution of USS30 million, we are fertilizing the ground for a brighter future. Together, we aim to reduce rural-urban migration, decrease youth restiveness, and provide sustainable alternatives to unwholesome activities that too often plague our regon.
“This project is not just ploughing through the fields of agribusiness. It is breaking new ground, cultivating opportunities for wealth and stability. And as we launch this initiative, we are ushering in new possibilities. In the past, agribusiness seemed out of reach for many. But today, we bridge that gap, opening the doors to entrepreneurship, financial independence, and sustainable livelihoods.”
IFAD’s Country Director, Mrs. Dede Ahoefa Ekoue, said her organization’s collaboration with NDDC on the LIFE-ND project has been a huge success, with a direct impact on promoting youth and women agribusiness and boosting food production in the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole.
She said IFAD will continue to “supporting the development of sustainable rural livelihoods in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria. We are confident that through continued collaboration and innovation, LIFE-ND will continue to empower rural communities and contribute to a more prosperous and food-secure future for all.”
Minister of Finance, Olawale Edu, who was represented by Steve Ohaeri, described the LIFE-ND project as part of Nigeria’s strategy to boost national food production and also tackle unemployment in the Niger Delta.
While the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by Dr. Peter Kush, acknowledged the impact of the project in promoting agriculture-based enterprises and mentoring apprentices across the Niger Delta.
Representative of the Rivers State governor, Prince Achor, praised NDDC and IFAD for expanding the scope of the LIFE-ND project, while declaring Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s intention to boost agriculture in the state, while reviving state-owned enterprises, such as the Songhai farm.
NDDC’s Executive Director, Projects, Victor Antai, while describing the project as a beacon of hope and progress for the region, said the partnership with IFAD “has been instrumental in empowering our farmers and enhancing agricultural productivity.”
Giving an overview of the achievements recorded in the six states “where LIFE-ND has already taken root,” (Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Ondo), LIFE-ND’s National Project Coordinator, Abiodun Sanni, said the successes and standards so far set would be replicated in Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers.
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