Farmers in some Local Councils in Imo State have begun to feel the impact of the $30m fund executed by the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), aimed at boosting agricultural productivity in three states.

The project, under the funding ambit of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), is being executed under the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the LIFE-ND.

Some of the farmers, who have started training in various forms of agric entrepreneurship, commended IFAD/FG/NDDC initiative, expressing optimism of breaking through in the course of the business.

An incubatee in cassava value chain, Mrs Mercy Ifeoma Njoku, a resident of Obollo in Isiala Mbano local council, who said the business is profitable, expressed hope of earning at least N200,000 every month, though the business has seasons and varieties.

Her incubator (trainer), Prince Mbaeyi Alison Emeka, who also runs a cassava value chain business in Obollo, with the company name – Prince Mbaeyi Farm, said he returned from Europe to find an escape route from poverty in the cassava business.

Another incubatee, who specialised in poultry, based in Egbelu Nguru, Umuowa Ngor-Okpala, said the LIFE-ND has galvanised the community by mopping up young people and women into an agric army. He described the scheme as a very lovely programme, noting that the trainer is working very hard to groom them.

The trainer, Tubonimi Soseipiri who said he is an assistant farm manager at Petros Farms, said he was approached by the LIFE-ND team at Obike community and currently acting as the incubator for the community. He said they have exposed the 17 incubatees under his farm to all aspects of poultry business, including layers and broilers production methods.

To Ogechi Faustina Ifeanyichukwu, another incubetee, who has huge interest in poultry business, the initiative has served as a life changer.

It was gathered through the initiative, there is prospect for Imo State to become one of Nigeria’s fish value chain hubs.

This was confirmed at the Amaukwu centre in Amaukwu Obollo, where Ken Njoku, an incubator in the 13-year-old Samtirice Farm, said he found fish farming as a big business because of the gap in the state. “So, I decided to go into agriculture. If you look around, you will see that I am not into fish farming only, but also in other areas of agriculture. So, I have passion for it and I am doing it not only because of the passion but as an agric business.”

He said almost all his 14 incubatees were working very hard, and would teach the secrets of the fish business by registering them into the association. He thus appealed to the Federal Government to continue with this and do more because there are many idle youths in the communities.

Another beneficiary of fish farming, Miss Ajunwa Precious, confirmed what the incubator said. “They have thought us many things on fish farming, types of fish, maturity duration, treatment of the pond, stocking of fish and others. I believe this skill will help me in life.”

Another incubatee, who is living with disability, David Chimaeme, said he expects to become an employer instead of begging to feed himself. He expressed hope that the necessary tools to start a fish farm would be extended to him and others to make their area a fish hub.

The Team Leader, Farms Monitoring of the project, Dr (Mrs) Chioma Ukwuoma, explained that the state was given five local council areas to focus, but three were added later to make it eight.

She added that four commodities were allocated to the state – cassava, rice, poultry and aquaculture, to be covered from production, processing, to marketing value chain, with each community given one commodity.

“This is a new programme mainly targeted at the youths, female-headed homes, and people with disabilities. It is yielding the desired fruits in the sense that as we are touring around now, you see people selected that they are happy and enjoying the programme. And they are also saying the programme should continue because they are seeing the benefit of being in agriculture.”

Giving a general background, she said the agric programme covers the nine Niger Delta states with IFAD’s $60m covering six, while NDDC’s $30m is now backing three states.

Each state chose 10 LGAs and 10 communities per LGA. “The project goal is the transformation of the rural economy in which all rural population can derive prosperity and equal benefit.

The primary targets are the unemployed youths (aged 18-35), as well as women-headed households with children under the age of 15 willing to engage in the production, processing and marketing of the selected commodities. Each state is targeted to impact on 4,250 direct beneficiaries within a period of six years in the first instance.”