The Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have cautioned 630 newly selected beneficiaries of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project in Cross River State not to perceive their inclusion as a share of the “national cake,” but as a life-changing opportunity for agribusiness growth.

National Project Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Dr. Sani Abiodun, gave the charge in Calabar during a one-day orientation for the new cohort under the FGN/NDDC/IFAD-assisted LIFE-ND additional financing programme.

Represented by Dr. Chinwe Onyegbula, Liaison Officer of the FGN/IFAD Country Programme Advisory Team, Abuja, Abiodun urged the participants to approach the scheme with discipline and commitment.
“We want you to see agriculture as a business, not subsistence farming. Produce to sell, improve productivity, and grow your local economy,” he said, stressing that success in agribusiness requires patience, consistency, and time.

The LIFE-ND initiative, a partnership among IFAD, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, has been operational for six years in Cross River, empowering over 4,370 rural youths and women. With new funding, the project will continue until 2028.

Declaring the session open, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo, urged the beneficiaries to discard the notion of agriculture as “a dirty job,” describing it instead as a profitable enterprise.

He likened the LIFE-ND model to the Igbo apprenticeship system, where learners progress through mentorship to become business owners. He announced a ₦500,000 prize for the best-performing participant to inspire excellence.
“Your success stories will become a beacon for other Niger Delta states. Let us make Cross River the best-performing state,” Ebokpo said in a word of encouragement.

In his remarks, Mr Innocent Ogbin, State Project Coordinator, stated that the new phase, referred to as the Additional Financing Component, targets youths, women, and persons with disabilities in Biase, Akpabuyo, Yakurr, Obubra, Ogoja, and Yala local government areas.

He warned beneficiaries against selling farm inputs or abandoning their ventures, stressing that “government will not tolerate misuse of project resources.”

Also speaking, Programme Manager of the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Mr. Bassey Emogor, described LIFE-ND as “an apolitical initiative focused on empowering real farmers.”
“This project is not about giving millions in cash, it’s about giving you knowledge, tools, and opportunities to grow, use them wisely,” he told the incubates.