3500 Ondo youths get FG, IFAD’s agric empowerment

The Federal Government in collaboration with International Fund for Agricultural Development and Niger Delta Development Commission have empowered over 3500 youths in agriculture, in Ondo State through their Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises-Niger Delta project.

It was gathered that almost 7million dollars had been spent in providing the necessary support for the beneficiaries.

The National Project Coordinator, FG IFAD/LIFE-ND, Dr. Abiodun Sanni made this known in Osi Community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State on Thursday, during an inspection to farms of the beneficiaries in the state.

He recalled that the IFAD/ LIFE-ND project started since 2019 and was targeted at training and empowering about 4250 youths in agriculture within the space of six years. He expressed delight that the organisation had successfully empowered over 3500 so far.

He said, “Basically in Ondo State, for now, the target is 4250 beneficiaries in terms of providing the required support, we are over 3500 beneficiaries and we are aware this project is still ongoing.

“Close to 7 million dollars have been expended in the state in providing the infrastructures and also supporting the incubatees(beneficiaries) in terms of capacity buildings and providing for them in means of sustenance as agro- entrepreneurs.”

Speaking on the reason behind the inspection, the project coordinator explained that it was mainly to assess what the project had done so far and to give room for improvement so that the project would be able to achieve its aim and largely contribute to the wealth and the rural economy of the state and the region at large.

He noted that the youths have impressed them by demonstrating capacity in what they have learnt during the apprenticeship and mentorship stage.

“This exercise is basically to access what the project has done within the last twelve months. We have a team of expert in various areas from the international funds, they have come to see what we have done, identify where we have comparative strength and where they need to provide advice on how we need to do certain things better so that at the end of the day, the project will be able to achieve its aim and largely contribute to the wealth and the rural economy of Ondo State and the region at large.

“I am quite impressed with what I have seen so far, it shows largely that the youths and the beneficiaries of LIFE-ND project are ready to go and contribute substantially to food security within Ondo state, Niger Delta and Nigeria in general, and it also goes to indicate that the LIFE-ND as a project has all what it takes to achieve its project development objectives.

“We have seen how the youths have demonstrated capacity in what they have learnt during the apprenticeship and mentorship stage and we are quite hopeful that these are potential super entrepreneurs in future and will serve as a model for other youths to embrace agriculture and see it as a sustainable means of livelihood,” Sanni averred.