LIFE-ND Orients 1,020 New Beneficiaries in Abia, Supporting Governor Otti’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda

LIFE-ND Orients 1,020 New Beneficiaries in Abia, Supporting Governor Otti’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda

As the Abia State Government under Governor Dr. Alex Otti intensifies efforts to reposition agriculture as a major driver of food security, employment generation and economic growth, the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises for Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project has commenced an orientation exercise for 1,020 new beneficiaries in the state.

The initiative aligns with the administration’s drive to move agriculture beyond subsistence production into profitable, commercial and value-chain-oriented enterprises. Governor Otti has consistently emphasised the need to transform agriculture into a viable business, while his administration has introduced data-driven farmer support programmes, partnerships and investments aimed at increasing productivity and creating opportunities for young people and other participants across the agricultural value chain.

Against this backdrop, the LIFE-ND orientation exercise is providing another platform for youths and women to acquire practical agricultural entrepreneurship skills and develop sustainable enterprises across selected agricultural value chains.

Speaking during the orientation exercise held in Umuahia, the Knowledge Management and Communication Coordinator of the LIFE-ND Project, Dr. Jerus Uvieghara, said the programme was designed to bring youths and women in the Niger Delta region into agri-entrepreneurship through practical, hands-on training.

Uvieghara explained that the project focuses on seven major commodities—cassava, rice, plantain, oil palm, cocoa, fishery and poultry with participating states selecting commodities based on their comparative advantage. In Abia State, the programme focuses mainly on cassava, fishery, poultry and rice production and processing.

According to him, the beneficiaries will undergo training under an incubation model, where they will be clustered and attached to experienced agri-entrepreneurs who will provide practical training in their chosen value chains.

He said the latest batch represents an increase from the previous phase, which had slightly more than 600 beneficiaries, adding that the new intake comprises 1,020 beneficiaries across the six states currently participating in the exercise.

Uvieghara further disclosed that Additional Financing for the project commenced on April 1, 2025, following the Federal Government’s approval for the programme to continue in the Niger Delta region.

He said the extension was based on the successes recorded in the previous phase and was aimed at bringing more people out of poverty through agriculture.
He noted that state governments are fully involved in implementing the programme by providing basic facilities and other support required for the project to operate effectively.

In his Remarks, The Acting State Project Coordinator,Life- ND,Abia. Mr. Azubuike Ogbonna Azubuike commended the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises for Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project for the successful selection and orientation of 1,020 new beneficiaries across 10 Local Government Areas in Abia State. He described the initiative as a significant intervention aimed at addressing unemployment and underemployment by equipping young people, women and other vulnerable groups with practical agricultural and enterprise development skills.

He explained that the beneficiaries would receive hands-on training and mentorship in various areas, including cassava, rice, poultry and palm oil production, as well as processing, marketing and other agricultural-related services. According to him, the training is designed to give participants the knowledge and practical experience required to establish sustainable businesses, become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the economic development of the state.

Mr. Azubuike expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would take the training seriously and make good use of the opportunities provided by the project. He noted that, after completing their apprenticeship and mentorship programmes, qualified beneficiaries would be empowered and continuously monitored to ensure that they successfully establish their enterprises.

He also commended the Federal Government, IFAD and the Abia State Government for supporting initiatives that promote youth empowerment, agricultural development and improved livelihoods.

Also speaking, the Abia State Agribusiness Promotion Officer of LIFE-ND, Mr. Chukwuemeka Godwin, said the orientation was aimed at ensuring that beneficiaries clearly understood the objectives, expectations and operational procedures of the programme before commencing their incubation training.

Godwin said the beneficiaries would be assigned to incubators, introduced to their trainers and required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining their responsibilities and commitments.

He explained that the incubation training was expected to commence the following Monday, with beneficiaries proceeding to their respective incubation centres to receive practical training in their chosen enterprises.

According to him, the 1,020 beneficiaries in Abia State were drawn from 10 Local Government Areas and 100 communities and are distributed across three centres, including the centre in Umuahia, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Hall, and White Castle Hotel, Osisioma, Aba.

Godwin added that the beneficiaries would be closely monitored by the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation, Audit, Knowledge Management and Communication, and Agribusiness Promotion teams to ensure compliance with the programme’s requirements.

Some beneficiaries expressed optimism about the opportunity.
Nnadi Benita Chidera from Umuejie in Osisioma, who is interested in poultry production, said she hoped to acquire the skills and capital needed to establish her own poultry enterprise.

Another beneficiary, Orihe Ikechukwu Promise, also interested in poultry, said his ambition was to establish a large poultry farm after acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills through the programme.

He pledged to take the training seriously and ensure that the efforts and resources invested in him by the programme would yield positive results.

The LIFE-ND Project is being implemented under a partnership involving the Federal Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), with the objective of improving livelihoods and promoting agricultural entrepreneurship among youths and women in the Niger Delta region.

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