By Felicia Imohimi
Mr Amos Ebiowei, Bayelsa State Project Coordinator, Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), says the project has helped in the reduction of youth restiveness in Bayelsa.
Ebiowei said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bayelsa on the sidelines of the media tour of some of the project’s facilities in the states.
He said the project had helped in curbing crime and promoting economic stability in the region by impacting lots of lives across the eight local government areas (LGAs) in the state.
Ebiowei said that LIFE-ND, through the incubator-incubatee model, trained and empowered a large number of youths in the rural communities on cassava processing, poultry and fishery.
He said that beneficiaries were given startup capital, feeds, among other incentives on completion of their training.
“We adopted the incubator and incubatee model training interested individuals across the eight LGAs and giving them resources to set up their own business.
“In the past five years, the project has empowered 4,500 persons including youths, women, and persons with disabilities across the LGAs.
‘The project’s success is attributed to its community-centred approach, understanding local needs, and leveraging waterways and roads to access beneficiaries,” he said.
He said the project’s interventions have dissuaded many youths from violence, oil bunkering and other societal vices who have channelled their energy to wholesome and more profitable ventures.
“Bayelsa stood out among the nine Niger Delta States where the project is being implemented.
“Bayelsa has some of the best beneficiaries with regards to youth and we have so many of them that have been taken off the streets and are currently doing very well in their respective areas of interest.
“This is one of the models that is incubator/incubatee model that has gone a long way to curb violence and youth restiveness in the state,” he said.
The SPC explained that LIFE-ND was involved in human capacity building, development of the community, infrastructure, nutrition and economic gains.
Miss Juliet Amakoromo, Managing Director, PTADELA Farms, Yenagoa, commended the LIFE-ND intervention for transforming her life through fishery.
Amakoromo said prior to being involved in the project she had nothing but her fortunes had improved a lot.
She further said that at the moment, she owned over 36 earthy ponds for catfish and tilapia production, supplying over one million fingerlings to farmers in different parts of the country.
“Through the project I met different organisations such as the Plant Base in Addis Ababa; and featured at the stakeholders meeting on nutrition and social welfare.
“I supply fingerlings to incubatees of LIFE-ND, FADAMA project. l do production for cooperatives and some clients in Enugu.
“I have supplied over a million because the FADAMA project I supply 200,000 and sometimes l supply about 60,000, some 80,000 to clients in Enugu depending on their farms,” she said.
Mr George Wonyengifie, another LIFE-ND beneficiary, said after three months of training he got N200,000 starter pack, 1000 juvenile fish and 50 bags of feed in incentives.
“I realised N979,000 profit at the sales of 950,000 and decided to stock another 1000. I could not make enough profit due to high cost of feed and l incurred a 35 per cent loss,” he said.
According to him, he is now financially independent and can conveniently support his mother. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Uche Anunne
