The LIFE-ND project funded by IFAD aimed at enhancing income, food security and job creation is pulling young Nigerians into agricultural farming activities.

This was the observation of IFAD Nigeria Country Programme Manager, Mr. Patrick Habamenshi, who spoke when a team of the joint International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Federal Government and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) 2nd Supervision Mission to the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) inspected incubation centres spanning across different communities in Delta, Bayelsa and Ondo states where youths are undergoing training on different agricultural enterprises.

The team commended the achievements made by the project. The LIFE-ND project funded by IFAD is aimed at enhancing income, food security and job creation for rural youths within the age bracket of 18-35 years and women-headed households with children below 15 years through the incubation model in Niger Delta states of Abia, Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Ondo, Cross River, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Rivers. 

Habamenshi said he was particularly impressed at the performance of the incubatees and the way the agricultural potential of the youths in the communities were being harnessed by the project. He noted that the project was designed to address the challenges of youth restiveness and other social vices in the Niger Delta region.

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“We are very pleased with everything we are seeing at the incubation centres. When the Federal Government was thinking about the project with NDDC, they were looking at finding activities for young people who might otherwise go and find themselves in trouble,” he said.

According to him, “the project is pulling young people into agricultural farming activities. When we look at what we are seeing on the ground, it is very encouraging. You see young people explaining in their own words what they learnt in this incubation. They are also demonstrating and practicing what they learnt, which gives us confidence that they can stand on their own when they graduate and pull other young people into agriculture.”

In the same vein, the Director, Project Coordinating Unit, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Bright Wategire, stated from his assessment that the LIFE-ND project was gradually delivering on its goals and mandate.