The Federal Government/Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises–Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project says no fewer than 14,800 people will benefit from the new phase of its Additional Financing (AF) programme in Ondo State.
The State Project Coordinator, Dr Ademola Olawale, disclosed this during a media roundtable organized by the Ondo State Project Coordinating Office on Thursday in Akure.
Olawale said the first phase of the project, which began in 2020, ended in October 2025 and comprised five batches, with more than 4,000 beneficiaries across the state within five years.
He explained that the new phase of the programme would run until 2028 and would focus on cocoa, fisheries, poultry and cassava value chains, with emphasis on production, processing and marketing.
According to him, beneficiaries will undergo training and be empowered within three months to enable them to establish their own enterprises under the project.
Olawale added that while some beneficiaries would receive partial cash support, others would be supported with relevant equipment based on their needs.
“For this AF programme, 5,800 people will benefit as regular incubatees, while 9,000 will be supported as Business Development Service (BDS) providers over the next three years.
“The goal of the IFAD LIFE-ND project is to reduce poverty, particularly in rural areas, and ensure positive socio-economic transformation by lifting people out of poverty.
“Previously, incubatees were trained mainly by farmers known as incubators, but we have now introduced the BDS component.
“The BDS are individuals, agencies or corporate bodies that will add value to what our beneficiaries are doing,” he said.
The coordinator commended the Ondo State Government for its support, particularly in providing security, a conducive working environment and the payment of counterpart funding.
Earlier, the State Rural Institution, Gender and Youth Officer, Mrs Bolanle Akinyede, said the programme would accommodate more beneficiaries in the AF phase, with five per cent reserved for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Akinyede said the project primarily targets youths between the ages of 18 and 35, noting that 2,142 beneficiaries were female, 76 were PWDs, while the remaining were male.
She added that the AF programme would ensure equal gender participation, with 50 per cent female and 50 per cent male beneficiaries over the three-year period.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Daniel Omoniyi from Igoba Community in Akure North Local Government Area, commended the IFAD LIFE-ND Project for the opportunity and urged youths to take advantage of the programme.
“I graduated from an Ondo State polytechnic in 2007. I always thought agriculture was just a culture, but when I got to know about this programme, I realized that agriculture is a business, not just a culture,” he said.
