By Richard Ndoma, Leadership
About $ 30 million has been injected into the rural economies of six States of Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Delta, and Ondo to boost agricultural productivity and value addition across seven commodities value chains.
National Project Coordinator of Livelihood Improvement Family Entreprises, Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), Engr. Sanni Fatai Abiodun disclosed this during the launch of the LIFE-ND Agribusiness Innovative Forum (LAbIF) in Calabar, Cross River State on Thursday.
Abiodun averred that with the launch, a large number of unemployed youths and women in the Niger Delta region could have the opportunity to be engaged in the value chain of agribusinesses of various commodities.
“LIFE-ND as of today has created and supported 22,150 enterprises out of targeted 22,500 across the participating six states in the Nigeria Delta.
“The Livelihood Improvement Family Entreprises Project for the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) directly supports Nigeria’s agricultural policy and the strategic framework for youth employment and job creation.
“It can therefore be understood why alleviating poverty and empowering people, especially youths and women are core of our project activities,” he said.
Abiodun added that the launch of the LIFE-ND agribusiness innovative forum becomes even more compelling when one considers the challenges associated with agribusinesses regarding the start-up status of most of its beneficiaries.
One of the beneficiaries of LIFE-ND project, Mr. Modey Andrew, from Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, who said he is a rice farmer, stated that through the financial aid given to him last year, he has expanded his hectares of rice field leading to increase in number of bags harvested.
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