Asaba: The Delta Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Val Arenyeka, has announced that the LIFE-ND agribusiness incubation model is producing significant outcomes. Arenyeka made this statement during the pre-wrap-up meeting of the Sixth Joint Supervision Mission of IFAD and LIFE-ND stakeholders.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the mission evaluated the progress and challenges of implementing the project across nine states in the Niger Delta region. Arenyeka described the annual supervision exercise as beneficial, providing a platform to review the project’s successes and challenges. He emphasized that LIFE-ND is a crucial interventionist agricultural programme in the participating states.
The supervision team, Arenyeka indicated, visited several Delta communities to gather firsthand insights from incubators, incubatees, and community leaders. They toured Agbor-Obi and Ekuma in Ika South Local Government Area and Emu-Obodeti in Ndokwa West LGA. The team inspected greenhouse facilities where habanero and bell peppers, along with vegetables like Amaranthus, pumpkin leaf, and Corchorus olitorius, were cultivated.
Additionally, the team reviewed a poultry facility at Ekuma, featuring advanced systems like a biogas brooding system and a Black Soldier Fly facility, promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The mission also evaluated a mini oil-palm processing facility and market infrastructures at Emu-Obodeti, engaging with beneficiaries to assess the interventions’ impact and future sustainability.
Arenyeka pledged the state government’s commitment to continue the incubation model, aiming to train 10,000 youths in agriculture across Delta. The state exceeded its initial target, reaching 4,373 beneficiaries during the project’s first six years. The ongoing Additional Financing Phase targets 10,805 beneficiaries.
The commissioner highlighted the collaboration between the Delta Government and the LIFE-ND Project Steering Committee as pivotal to the project’s success. He emphasized the importance of strengthening community institutions like CADA and LABIF to ensure sustained impact and resource mobilization.
Arenyeka expressed gratitude to various government bodies and stakeholders, including the Federal Government, NDDC, IFAD, and the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Finance, for their support. Dr. Abiodun Sanni, the LIFE-ND National Project Coordinator, praised the project’s achievements, noting it had met over 85% of its objectives.
Mr. Collins Ashoro, the State Project Coordinator, called for additional funding to expand the programme to more local government areas, focusing on value chains like cassava processing and fisheries. The LIFE-ND project is a collaborative effort sponsored by the Federal and state governments, financed by IFAD, and supported by NDDC.