Delta Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Val Arenyeka, has said that the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises-Niger Delta Project (LIFE-ND)’s agribusiness incubation model has produced tangible results in the Niger Delta region.
Arenyeka stated this on Tuesday in Asaba at the pre-wrap-up meeting of the Sixth Joint Supervision Mission of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and stakeholders in the implementation of the LIFE-ND Project in nine participating states of the Niger Delta region.
He said that the annual supervision exercise was a welcome development aimed at assessing the progress and the challenges faced by the projects across the participating states, adding that it was an honour for Delta State to host this version.
According to Arenyeka, LIFE-ND is a major interventionist agricultural programme in the states in recent times.
He said that the joint supervision team for the past two days had visited various communities, including Agbor-Obi and Ekuma communities in Ika South Local Government Area, and Emu-Obodeti Community in Ndokwa West LGA to get firsthand information from the incubators, incubatees and the community leaders.
“They visited the three-greenhouse facility at Agbor-Obi Community, where specialized crops including habanero and bell pepper are cultivated, alongside open-field production of Amaranthus, pumpkin leaf, Corchorus Olitorius (Ewédú) and other vegetables.
“They also visited the poultry facility at Ekuma Community, which comprises a five-compartment poultry pen and demonstrates innovations such as the biogas brooding system and Black Soldier Fly facility, promoting waste-to-wealth and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.
“The Mission visited the mini oil palm processing facility, open market, and lock-up shops at Emu-Obodeti Community.
“They interacted with incubatees, community leaders and other stakeholders to assess the growth of beneficiaries, the impact of the interventions, and the functionality of the institutions and structures established under LIFE-ND,” Arenyeka said.
He said the state government would sustain the model and deploy them in training 10,000 youths in agriculture across the state.
According to the commissioner, during the initial six-year implementation period of LIFE-ND, Delta State surpassed its target of 4,250 beneficiaries, reaching 4,373 beneficiaries, while under the Additional Financing Phase, targeting 10,805 beneficiaries.
“This achievement demonstrates the commitment of the State Government, project team, incubators, beneficiaries, and communities to the successful implementation of the Project.
“This success has also been supported by the strong collaboration between the Delta State Government and the LIFE-ND Project Steering Committee, which I have the privilege of chairing.
“This makes sustainability a critical consideration as we look at the future of the Commodity Apex Development Association (CADA), LIFE-ND Agribusiness Innovative Forum (LABIF), Enterprise Groups, incubatees and other community structures established through the Project.
“These institutions must be sufficiently strengthened and positioned to take ownership, mobilize resources, maintain the facilities and continue providing value to beneficiaries and communities beyond the life of LIFE-ND”.
Arenyeka thanked the Federal Government, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), IFAD, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Federal Ministry of Finance, National and State Project coordinators, Country Programme Advisory Team (CPAT), who undertook field visits to assess the progress, impact and sustainability of the Project in Delta State.
Speaking, the LIFE-ND National Project Coordinator, Dr Abiodun Sanni, lauded the project’s achievements across the states.
He noted that the project has achieved over 85 per cent of its objectives across the nine participating states in the region.
According to Sanni, the visit allowed the team to see things and talk with the stakeholders: incubatees, the incubator, and the community leaders and other stakeholders in Delta State.
“We have been in Delta State for the past six days, and we have seen; we have experienced what LIFE-ND has done
in improving the livelihood of our rural youths and women.
“And we are very much encouraged with the enthusiasm that we experience on the field, the buy-in that we saw from the rural community, and most importantly, the support and the encouragement we have gotten from the Delta State government,” Sanni said.
The State Project Coordinator, Mr. Collins Ashoro, said that with the visible achievements, the state government should endeavor to provide additional funds to extend the programme to other local government areas not captured by the programme.
The project is focusing on four products and their value chains: cassava production and processing, oil palm processing, fisheries and poultry.
The LIFE-ND Project is sponsored by the Federal and State governments, financed by IFAD and supported by the NDDC.
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