350 agric trainees impress NDDC, LIFE-ND joint inspectors as another 500 warm up

The first batch of 350 youths and women in rural areas of Rivers State seem to impress inspectors from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (Life-ND).

Both teams, working with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), embarked on inspection tour across several communities to assess the progress of the initiative’s first batch of 350 while another 500 participants have been profiled to begin. These are early batches of the 4,250 participants from the state.

The inspection exercise which began on Wednesday, June 24, 2025, has just been concluded, with inspection team highly impressed.

The visit, which covered 12 communities across five local government areas, revealed a vibrant display of skills, innovation, and business readiness among the 350 incubatees who have been trained under the project in areas such as aquaculture and poultry.

LIFE-ND is being funded by the NDDC and the IFAD as well as the Federal Government in a partnership tagged FG/IFAD/NDDC/LIFE-ND project.

Incubation centres visited included aquaculture hubs, poultry farms including brood-and-sell broilers. There are also various categories fish business such as fish production, processing, marketing.

One such location was Megalakes Fish Farm in Ogu Bolo, where Ayinde Peter, the farm manager, stated, “We have the capacity to handle over 3 million tilapia at once.”

The trainees known as incubatees on the programme expressed thanks to NDDC for the training with high hopes to establish theirs.

Mary Ishmael from Ogu Bolo, in fish production department, described how the programme gave her the skills to be able to manage her own fish pond in the future.

Also, Ereyika Harrison in fish processing revealed how the project helped her not only process and spice fish but also develop a brand and register her business.

Darling Oruitemeka in fish marketing, said the training changed her perspective. “I now understand the importance of keeping records, marketing on social media, and growing my business to reach rural areas where fish is scarce.”

Incubatees like Ben-Iwo Charity and Isaiah Ibim in poultry farming spoke passionately about their newly acquired skills.

The LIFE-ND project is designed to reduce youth unemployment, enhance food security, and empower rural families across the Niger Delta through sustainable agriculture and agribusiness.

The programme targeted 4,250 beneficiaries in each of the participating states of Akwa Ibom, Imo, and Rivers over a six-year implementation window of the first phase.

Each state has its priority commodities: Cassava, Oil Palm, Poultry, and Aquaculture for Akwa Ibom; Cassava, Rice, Poultry, and Aquaculture for Imo; and Cassava, Plantain, Poultry, and Aquaculture for Rivers. These are implemented across the full agricultural value chain of production, processing, and marketing.

Speaking during the visit to the centres, the Rivers State Project Coordinator, Loveday Itatat, expressed satisfaction with the implementation so far.

“We’ve reached 66 communities in just six to eight months. The first batch involved 350 incubatees and 25 incubators. We have now selected the second batch and are currently profiling them.

“Hopefully, results will be out by the first week of July, and we are targeting additional 500 youths”.

According to Itatat, the purpose of the inspection was to provide evidence that the initiative is yielding tangible results.

Also speaking, Assistant Director at NDDC and the organisation’s representative on the project, Stella Manureh, described the visit as a technical oversight function.

“We asked the incubatees questions. They were confident, knowledgeable, and grateful for the training they’ve received. It’s important we see things ourselves since NDDC is the donor and head of the technical support committee.”