Abuja: The Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the Livelihood Improvement and Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project, has begun orientation for 6,100 rural youth and women. This initiative is part of the Additional Finance (AF) Batch II agribusiness intake, which saw over 36,000 applicants vying for a spot in the program.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Abiodun Sanni, the National Project Coordinator for FG/IFAD-LIFE-ND, stated that the orientation is designed to equip the selected beneficiaries with the skills necessary for sustainable agribusinesses. The training will cover key areas in production, processing, and marketing value chains, focusing on seven priority commodities: rice, cassava, plantain, oil palm, cocoa, poultry, and fishery.
The program has also seen the selection of 3,974 new incubatees under the first batch of the Additional Finance initiative. These beneficiaries have already begun their training at designated incubation centers. The selection process achieved an impressive recommendation rate of over 80%, highlighting the potential and readiness of the rural participants.
Sanni further elaborated that the project has incorporated intensive enterprise training as a prerequisite for final onboarding, aiming to bridge any gaps in technical expertise among applicants. The program spans 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in each participating state, encompassing 10 communities per LGA.
The initiative has notably prioritized female participation, with more than 60% of selected candidates across the six participating states being women. In Abia, the Amaeke Community alone recorded an 89.3% female participation rate, with Obingwa and Mbawsi communities following at 65%.
The six states involved in the program are Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Ondo. The project is also making strides in inclusivity by partnering with local organizations to enhance the involvement of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the agribusiness program.
This phase of the project, running from 2025 to 2028, benefits from a 32-million-dollar IFAD loan as part of the additional financing strategy. The initial phase, spanning 2019 to 2025, was supported by a 60-million-dollar IFAD loan, 30-million-dollar parallel financing from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), 3.06-million-dollar counterpart funding from the Federal Government, and 4.9 million dollars from state governments.
Through this initiative, the project aims to bolster food security, drive economic diversification, and generate employment by fostering structured agribusiness development. It also seeks to encourage knowledge exchange, innovation, and sustainable economic opportunities for rural communities.