The National Project Coordinator of Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger Delta, (LIFE-ND) Project, Engr. Sanni Abiodun, Ph.D, has conceived LIFE-ND Agribusiness Innovative Forum, LAbiF, a mechanism to consolidate the six-year Project's achievements of 25,000 Agribusiness and more than 11,000 youths and women, into profitable enterprises in the Niger Delta region.
In a three-day stakeholders' meeting held in Port Harcourt from January 15 - 17, 2025, Dr Abiodun assured the participants who were drawn from six IFAD-sponsored states of Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta and Ondo of his support, encouraged them not only to create awareness in every household, but also advance the successes of the Project.
In her keynote, Mrs Anthonia Esenwa, the Agribusiness Coordinator, explaining the purpose of the meeting, noted the need for harmonization, creation of vision, inclusive growth, resilience and economic employment, through cohesive strategy and standard operation in the Niger Delta region.
Mrs Esenwa further advocated for open communication channels which would advance understanding, responsibilities of stakeholders at all levels - community, local government, state and national, including creating opportunities, innovation and bargaining power for better market prices.
"The harmonization process will address discrepancies in operational methods, strengthen communication channels and established a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities across all levels," she said
She equally revealed the plan to showcase possible LAbiF achievements, including its impacts at all levels - national and international, in a National Agribusiness Summit.
Addressing the concerns of LAbiF, Dr Clement Uwem, the Rural Institution, Youth and Gender Coordinator, described the Forum as an assemblage of professionals to assist the Smallholder Farmers in food system and value chains, who would address the multi-dimensional challenges of low productivity, lack of access to credit, climate change, lack of offtaking, under pricing, but not involved in the running of its daily activities.
According to Dr Uwem, this institutional members are, Ministry of Agriculture, NAFDAC, Nigeria Export Production Council, ADP, Private Extension Agents, adding that the input suppliers, farmers and offtakers are the major players in the decision- making of the Forum.
"Stakeholders in Agric is an innovation in its own and LAbiF is banking on being an institutional responsibilities of being an institutional framework of sustainability and response to exit strategy," he explained.
The communique reached at end of the meeting adopted the draft constitution of single state registration within six weeks, National LAbiF Summit in 2025, among others.
Electing an eight-man executive, Mr Ogar Julius from Cross River State emerged as President, Mr Ovuru Tariowie, Bayelsa State, Secretary, while Ikoro Kanu, Abia State became treasurer. LAbiF was first launched in Cross River State on February 29, 2025, with exit strategy objective of sustaining the successes of LIFE-ND Project at its winding up.
