The Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has lauded the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), while calling for the sustainability of the project.
The governor made the call during a two-day inspection of projects undertaken under the project by an inspection team, noting that the project has been very beneficial to the participating states, including his own state of Abia.
The LIFE-ND project was designed to facilitate farmer producers’ engagement with the government and private sector on policy dialogue and business transactions in addressing youth restiveness by sustainably enhancing their incomes, reducing food insecurity, and creating jobs for young rural people and women in the Niger Delta states.
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Six of the nine Niger Delta states—Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Delta, and Ondo—are participating in the project, excluding Akwa Ibom, Imo, and Rivers states, whose counterpart funds of $30 million have yet to be paid by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to qualify them for enlistment in the project
Governor Ikpeazu disclosed that while modern techniques of agriculture were taught, rural roads were built and rehabilitated in communities, which facilitated access to farms and enabled the transport of planting materials and harvests from farms.
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The IFAD Team Lead, Mr. George Polenakis, while speaking after the inspection of the project sites in four different villages, noted that poor finances and a lack of insurance coverage were major challenges facing farmers in the program.
The National Project Coordinator, Engr. Sanni Abiodun, called on the Federal Government to emulate Abia State, while commending the complementary role of the Abia government towards the realization of the LIFE-ND program.
