Officials and trainees at the ceremony
By Tina Ezin
The Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have advised newly selected beneficiaries of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project in Cross River State not to regard the opportunity as free government largesse.
National Project Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Dr. Sani Abiodun, gave the charge on Monday during a one-day orientation for 630 new incubatees in Calabar, under the FGN/NDDC/IFAD additional financing programme.
Represented by Dr. Chinwe Onyegbula, Liaison Officer of the FGN/IFAD Country Programme Advisory Team, Abiodun said the initiative was designed to nurture rural youths and women into sustainable agribusiness owners.
“This is not a national cake but a lifetime opportunity. Agriculture is a business, produce to sell, increase productivity, and strengthen your local economy,” he said.
The LIFE-ND project, a partnership between IFAD, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, has operated in Cross River for six years, empowering more than 4,300 rural youths and women. It has now been extended to 2028 with additional funding.
Declaring the session open, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo, encouraged participants to embrace agriculture as a profitable venture. He likened the LIFE-ND incubation process to the Igbo apprenticeship model, where mentorship leads to entrepreneurship.
Ebokpo announced a N500,000 reward for the best-performing incubatee, saying: “Your success will inspire others across the Niger Delta. Let’s make Cross River the model state.”
State Project Coordinator, Mr. Innocent Ogbin, said the new phase targets youths, women, and persons with disabilities across Biase, Akpabuyo, Yakurr, Obubra, Ogoja, and Yala local councils.
He cautioned beneficiaries against selling inputs or abandoning their farms after empowerment, stressing that the programme’s success depends on “dedication, passion, and accountability.”
Also speaking, Programme Manager of the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Mr. Bassey Emogor, described LIFE-ND as an “apolitical and impact-driven initiative” aimed at building real farmers and job creators.
“This project is not about giving out millions in cash. It gives you tools, knowledge, and opportunities, use them wisely,” Emogor advised.
