…Trainees to receive practical skills, mentorship before empowerment

The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises for Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project has inaugurated 1,020 new beneficiaries in Abia State to commence formal training in agricultural enterprises.
The beneficiaries, drawn from 10 Local Government Areas and 100 communities, will undergo practical training at designated incubation centres before being empowered to establish businesses in their chosen areas.

The LIFE-ND Project is being implemented through a partnership involving the Federal Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to improve livelihoods and promote agricultural entrepreneurship among youths and women in the Niger Delta region.
In Abia, the programme focuses on cassava, fishery, poultry and rice production and processing.

The project has identified seven major commodities—cassava, rice, plantain, oil palm, cocoa, fishery and poultry—from which participating Niger Delta states select areas based on their comparative advantage.
The inauguration ceremony was held at the Bishop Anthony Nwedo Pastoral Centre (BANPAC), Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

Speaking at the event, the LIFE-ND National Knowledge Management and Communication Coordinator, Dr Jerus Uvieghara, said the programme was designed to bring youths and women in the Niger Delta into agri-entrepreneurship through practical, hands-on training.
Uvieghara explained that the beneficiaries, known as incubatees, would be clustered and attached to experienced agri-entrepreneurs, known as incubators, who would provide practical training along their chosen commodity value chains.

He said the latest batch represented an increase from the previous phase, which had slightly more than 600 beneficiaries, adding that additional financing for the project commenced on April 1, 2025, following the Federal Government’s approval for its continuation in the Niger Delta.
He attributed the extension to successes recorded in the previous phase, which sought to reduce poverty through agriculture, and noted that participating state governments had been fully involved in implementation by providing basic facilities and other support for the programme.

The Acting Abia State LIFE-ND Project Coordinator, Mr Azubuike Ogbonna, described the initiative as a significant intervention in addressing unemployment and underemployment by equipping youths, women and other vulnerable groups with practical agricultural and enterprise development skills.
Ogbonna said the beneficiaries would receive hands-on training and mentorship in cassava, rice, poultry and other agricultural value chains, including processing, marketing and related services.

He said the training was designed to equip participants with the knowledge and practical experience needed to establish sustainable businesses, become self-reliant and contribute to the state’s economic development.
Ogbonna expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would take the training seriously and make good use of the opportunities provided by the project.

He added that those who successfully completed their apprenticeship and mentorship programmes would be empowered and monitored to ensure they established sustainable enterprises.
He commended the Federal Government, IFAD, NDDC and Abia State Government for supporting the initiative.

The Abia State LIFE-ND Agribusiness Promotion Officer, Mr Chukwuemeka Godwin, said the inauguration and orientation were organised to ensure that the trainees understood the objectives, expectations and operational procedures of the programme before commencing their training.
Godwin said the beneficiaries would be assigned to incubators who would sign memoranda of understanding outlining their responsibilities and commitments.

He said the incubation training was scheduled to commence on Monday, August 31, 2026, after which the incubatees would proceed to their respective centres for practical training in their chosen enterprises.
The 1,020 beneficiaries would be deployed across three incubation centres in Umuahia, Isiala Ngwa North and Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Areas.

Godwin added that the trainees would be closely monitored by the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation, Audit, Knowledge Management and Communication, and Agribusiness Promotion teams to ensure compliance with programme requirements.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Nnadi Benita Chidera and Orihe Precious, expressed appreciation for the opportunity, pledging to apply the knowledge and empowerment received to build profitable enterprises and create opportunities for others.