The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises for Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) has impacted 4,373 youths, women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Delta State during the first phase of its programme.
Mr. Collins Ashoro, Delta Coordinator for LIFE-ND, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the project’s achievements and its transition to the second phase. LIFE-ND is a tripartite agribusiness initiative sponsored by the Federal Government of Nigeria in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The project, which began in 2019 across 10 pilot Local Government Areas, trained beneficiaries in four priority commodities and their value chains: fishery, oil palm processing, cassava, and poultry production. Employing an agribusiness incubator model of “Oga and Boy” (Master and Apprentice), the first six-year phase concluded in March 2025.
Ashoro highlighted key achievements of phase one, including:
- Training 143 incubators and 4,373 incubatees, with 28 high-performing incubatees promoted to incubators.
- Creation of 4,275 enterprises and new jobs across the four value chains.
- Generation of over N2.75 billion in gross income between 2020 and 2024.
- Construction of earthen ponds, lock-up and open market stalls, cassava processing plants, drainage systems, and mini-poultry facilities.
- Planting of economic trees to help curb environmental degradation and facilitation of financing and insurance services for beneficiaries.
The second phase, funded with additional financing starting October 2025 and running through 2031, has selected 630 regular incubatees and 2,685 business development service beneficiaries.
Ashoro appealed to the Delta State Government to settle its outstanding counterpart fund, last paid in 2020, to consolidate the gains of phase one. He also cited challenges such as low literacy levels in rural communities, bureaucratic hurdles in accessing bank loans, and funding constraints.
“The project responds to the limited availability of agricultural entrepreneurial skills among youths, women, and PWDs in the Niger Delta, and with continued support, we aim to expand its impact in the second phase,” Ashoro said.