With the end of the first phase of it’s project in 2025, and commencement of the second phase in Delta State, The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND Project), yesterday rolled out it’s score card, saying, “LIFE-ND Project has successfully contributed to the attainment of food security and economic growth in Delta State in the past six years”.
This, it attained, through job creation, as well as value addition and promotion of business enterprises in agriculture that have ushered in a new lease of life, improved livelihood, and wealth creation to the beneficiaries of the project, thus giving credence to the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori’s Smart Agenda of prosperity for all Deltans.
Disclosing this at a Media Round Table Meeting at the Prof. Chike Edozien State Secretariat in Asaba, the Delta State Capital, the States Project Coordinator (SPC), Mr. Collins Ashoro said, within the six -year period of the first phase of the LIFE-ND Project in the State, 143 incubators were trained and 4,373 incubatees reached on the state’s priority commodities of Oil palm processing, Fishery, Cassava production/processing and Poultry, while 28 high performing incubatees were upgraded to incubators in 10 Local Government Areas.
In addition, Mr. Ashoro disclosed that, within the said phase of the project in the state 4,275 enterprises, and new jobs in Cassava, Oil palm, Poultry, and Fishery value chains were created, with over N2.7bn gross income generated between 2020 and 2024 across the State’s commodities value chains.
“It is, therefore, gratifying that, at the end of the first phase of the project, Delta State has a total of 2,077 (44.5%) producers; 961 (21.98%) processors, 1,182 (27.03%) service enterprises, and 153 (3.5%) other Nutrition Intervention beneficiaries (Community women/youth)” , Mr. Ashoro said.
In the area of support to Rural Agribusiness Production and Marketing Infrastructure, Mr. Ashoro revealed that, LIFE-ND Project had rehabilitated 5.25km of Farm Access Roads in Ossissa in Ndolawa East LGA, and Urhuagbesa in Ethiope East LGA. “This is in affition to rehabilitating interval Farm Roads in the developed lands in Ossissa, Urhoka, and Urhuagbesa farms”, he said.
A total of 1,280 hectares of land, he said was secured across the 10 participating LGAs in the State, out of which, 114.8 hectares were developed.
In addition to this, he said, was the construction/completion of a Battery Cage Poultry building in Ozanogogo Community, Ika South LGA (currently in use by incubatees); and the construction of Mini-Poultry Pens at Ogbe-Ogume Community in Ndokwa West LGA, and Oha Community in Okpe LGA (completed and in use).
Mini-Poultry Pens, Mr Ashoro also disclosed are also being constructed at Agbarha and Evwreni Communities in Ughelli North LGA, Okpara – Inland, and Eku communities in Ethiope East LGA.
