As part of efforts to reduce youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region, the international Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), through the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project, has supported 2,250 women and youths in Edo State.
The National Project Coordinator, LIFE-ND, John Omoruyi, while conducting journalists round their projects in Edo communities, stated that it was co-funded by IFAD, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Federal and Edo State government.
He mentioned that objective of the LIFE -ND project across the nine Niger Delta states is to check youth unrest across the region, promote rural economy through agripreneurs and agribusinesses.
Omoruyi explained that the project is fashioned around the incubator model, whereby you have the big farmer that is already established and all potential farmers across 10 councils in each state comprising about 100 communities.
“The youths from these 100 communities undergo training for certain weeks, graduated and then supported across four commodities being promoted in the state, including Cassava, fishery, rice and poultry.”
Omoruyi stated that the 2,250 women and youths from 600 communities in the state were supported across the four commodities, along with their value chain.
He stated that the project is generating more employment because they are using sustainable and practical farm technologies to support their farm enterprise, adding that to promote echo- friendly, the programme is supporting 13 women to farm vegetables using the water released from the fish ponds.
One of the beneficiaries, Stella Maris Ololume, a resident of Uteh Community, Benin City, noted that prior to the project she was a full housewife doing nothing, but after receiving support from the LIFE –ND, she started with one pond and now it has grown to four ponds.
