Mr Amos Ebiowei, Bayelsa State Project Coordinator for the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in Niger (LIFE-ND), has said the project has contributed to the reduction of youth restiveness in Bayelsa.
Ebiowei made this known in an interview with reporters in Bayelsa during a media tour of some of the project’s facilities in the state.
He explained that LIFE-ND has helped curb crime and promote economic stability by positively impacting lives across the eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Bayelsa.
Through the incubator-incubatee model, the project trains and empowers youths in rural communities in areas such as cassava processing, poultry, and fishery. Beneficiaries receive startup capital, feed, and other incentives upon completing their training.
“We adopted the incubator-incubatee model, training interested individuals across the eight LGAs and providing them with resources to establish their own businesses. In the past five years, the project has empowered 4,500 people, including youths, women, and persons with disabilities,” Ebiowei said.
He attributed the project’s success to its community-centred approach, understanding of local needs, and effective use of waterways and roads to reach beneficiaries.
Ebiowei noted that the interventions have discouraged many youths from engaging in violence, oil bunkering, and other societal vices, redirecting their energy toward profitable and constructive ventures.
“Bayelsa has stood out among the nine Niger Delta states where the project operates. Many youths have been taken off the streets and are now thriving in their respective areas of interest. The incubator-incubatee model has gone a long way in curbing violence and youth restiveness in the state,” he said.
He added that LIFE-ND also focuses on human capacity building, community development, infrastructure, nutrition, and economic empowerment.
Miss Juliet Amakoromo, Managing Director of PTADELA Farms in Yenagoa, praised LIFE-ND for transforming her life through fishery. She said that before the project, she had very little, but now she owns 36 earthen ponds for catfish and tilapia production, supplying over one million fingerlings to farmers across Nigeria.
“Through the project, I engaged with organizations such as the Plant Base in Addis Ababa and participated in stakeholders’ meetings on nutrition and social welfare. I supply fingerlings to LIFE-ND incubatees, the FADAMA project, cooperatives, and clients in Enugu,” she said.
Mr George Wonyengifie, another LIFE-ND beneficiary, said he received N200,000 in starter support, 1,000 juvenile fish, and 50 bags of feed after three months of training. He reported making N979,000 profit from sales of 950,000 fish, which he reinvested, though he faced losses due to high feed costs.
“Thanks to the project, I am now financially independent and can support my mother comfortably,” he added.
The LIFE-ND project continues to provide training, resources, and mentorship to youth and vulnerable groups, helping them achieve economic self-reliance and contributing to social stability in Bayelsa State.
