The Federal Government says it has so far invested N60b into the rural economy of the Niger Delta, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture with a loan from the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD), in partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The project, which has created 26,100 jobs in the rural economy, is being implemented through a special purpose vehicle, Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND).
The National Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Abiodun Sanni, disclosed these figures in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during the flag-off of the second batch of orientation camp for the state.
Sanni said the project aims at improving the lives of youths and women in the Niger Delta region. “For years, we’ve been operating in the six IFAD-funded states. We recorded appreciable success, creating sustainable jobs to over 26,100 beneficiaries and we’re also impacting heavily by injecting large number of funds.”
He said now that the three NDDC-funded states – Imo, Rivers and Akwa Ibom have joined, the figure would shoot to 38,250 new jobs soon, all aimed at ensuring that rural poverty is brought to the minimal level, while also ensuring that the social inclusion in the economy brings prosperity, growth and process in our rural community.
“The NDDC now is to compliment with the additional 12,750 and we’ve started the journey. What we’re trying to do is to scale up our operations and see that largely, we bring more youths onboard and address the issue of our beneficiaries having the feeling that largely, what we’re doing is not real”
“For this particular phase we’re targeting over 500 beneficiaries. We’re the first set, I’m sure by tomorrow another set will come and participate in this orientation training.”
Sanni said Life-ND is a collaboration of these different partners and people can see that the Nigerian government is quite ready and quite focused and positively impressing and developing the youths of the Niger Delta region. “Today we are focusing on Rivers State, in the next few days we’ll be Akwa-Ibom and also in Imo.”
He commended the present leadership of the NDDC for putting their money where their mouth is, adding that when the project was introduced, some were doubting it. “We don’t have doubting Thomases in Life-ND again. Life-ND is a permanent project, Life-ND is a talk and do project.”
Speaking at the event, Stella Manureh, who represented Winifred Madame, the NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, expressed warm greetings from Samuel Ogbuku, the NDDC Managing Director, said to be full of passion for the agric programme in the Niger Delta.
She observed that the selection exercise was very rigorous and congratulated those that scaled through. “The first batch of incubatees has already completed their apprenticeship phase and are currently undergoing mentorship under the LIFE-ND Project. We are confident that you too will make the most of this opportunity and follow in their successful footsteps.
