The State Coordinator of Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger Delta, LIFE-ND, Uchenna Rowland Onyeizu, Ph.D, CEnv, has lauded Governor Alex Otti for stimulating agriculture in the state, prioritising it as a major source of job creation, sustainable income and food security.
Onyeizu said this while addressing over 350 youths and women-headed households at LIFE-ND orientation ceremony held in Umuahia, Wednesday.
He compared Otti's interest in agriculture with the objectives of International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, implementing policy frameworks directed at addressing nutrition, hidden hunger, food security and combating criminality through investing in agic-related enterprises.
He said Otti's prompt payment of Abia LIFE-ND Project's counterpart fund last year, was a genuine testament of his drive for food surplus and job creation in the state.
"It's also of note that for any of you to be directly involved in this project is the partnership of the governor with IFAD.
"Dr Alex Otti graciously supported this project by funding last year's counterpart fund that has made this activity possible today. Let's thank him for the promises he has made in supporting LIFE-ND in Abia State, " he said.
Onyeizu explained the process of the Project's incubation model of apprenticeship, mentorship and empowerment, a model adopted by international community from Igbo tribe of Nigeria, where youths are economically made independent through strict tutelage by an established entrepreneur before empowerment.
Examining the success of the incubation model, Onyeizu hinted that the summit of the Project's achievement was to see incubatees whose communities earlier rejected the project, now graduating to employers of labour in their various agribusinesses, advising new intakes to conform with ethical standards of the project, else risking underlined disciplinary measures laid down in the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, of the project.
Otti's vision on agriculture manifested in the payment of N500m counterpart fund to energize an arrangement with New Partnership for African's Development Agency and West African Department Agency, a commitment to prioritize agriculture.
Representing the National Project Coordinator, Engr, Dr Sanni Abiodun, Mrs Ngozi Ohaechesi attributed the huge turnout of participants at the venue as an indication of the project successes over the years, leading to IFAD's Additional Financing.
Mr Ufoma Umolo, the Environment and Climate Change Specialist of Country Programme Advisory Team, CPAT, addressed climate change mitigation and adaptation plans focus on agriculture and food security through climate-smart agriculture.
Different agriculture specialists had turns to emphasis the need for record keeping, business plan, nutrition and financial inclusion matters.
Mr John Okechukwu, representing State Director NDDC, Dr. Anderson Uken
The Abia State Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Anderson Uken was represented by John Okechukwu at orientation ceremony.
