The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) has generated about N5 billion in agricultural interventions in Cross River over six years, the State Coordinator, Innocent Ogbin, has said.
Ogbin made the remarks on Friday in Calabar during a media roundtable on the project’s performance.
He said the agribusiness-driven programme targets youths, women, and vulnerable groups, boosting livelihoods through sustainable enterprise development in rural communities.
Cross River began implementing the second phase of the project in 2025 with additional financing, following the completion of the first six-year phase.
Ogbin explained that the initiative leverages the state’s agrarian potential to tackle unemployment through structured agribusiness value chains, focusing on cassava, rice, fish, and poultry production, processing, and marketing.
The programme yielded 6,900 metric tonnes of cassava, generating over N552 million, while rice production recorded 7,289 metric tonnes valued at N2.3 billion. Poultry output reached 658.68 metric tonnes, generating N923 million, and fish production contributed over N1.2 billion.
“The programme created 4,370 jobs for women, persons with disabilities, and female-headed households, with an additional 3,626 jobs projected under the ongoing phase. We train 630 beneficiaries under an incubation model pairing experienced agripreneurs with trainees,” Ogbin said.
He noted that 2,996 agribusiness operators were supported with business development services to enhance financial literacy, planning, and market access. Poor market access remains a key rural challenge, prompting the construction of 27.7 kilometres of roads and culverts.
“Over 1,100 hectares of farmland were developed, 2,769 beneficiaries became active savers, and over 2,500 accessed N28 million in credit. We also established 184 producer organisations, 178 enterprise groups, and 97 registered businesses,” Ogbin added, expressing optimism for improved food security and incomes.
