Throughout the Niger Delta states, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is empowering approximately 25,500 women and youth to pursue entrepreneurial careers in agriculture.

The International Fund for Agriculture Development is funding the working session under the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Niger Delta project, according to National Project Coordinator Dr. Abiodun Sanni, who was speaking to reporters on Friday during the technical working session on group savings and loan and record/bookkeeping in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.

According to him, participants came from all six of the Niger Delta’s states.

“The project has participating states from Niger Delta, which would access the $60 million loan funded by IFAD,” stated Sanni, through the intermediary of Mr. Bunmi Ogunleye, his technical assistant. Phase one of the project, which consists of two six-year stages, began in 2019 and will last a total of twelve years.

The states Abia, Bayelsa, Ondo, Cross River, Edo, and Delta were among the six that got underway in 2019. In 2024, Imo, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers were made active. Thus, the project is taking place in nine Niger Delta states.

The project’s main goal is to give young people and women the tools they need to become self-sufficient and sustainable in the agricultural industry.

Participating women and youths are being empowered in relation to a few chosen commodities, including rice, fish, cassava, plantains, cocoa, oil palm, and poultry.

Sanni went on, “Building their capacity to market the products and empowering them will happen across the value chain, from production to processing.” With the goal of having a chosen few people with greater ability for good record keeping and documentation in business, the training will help them advance their expertise and teach others in the same field.

“Those undergoing training are involved in the project. Living in rural communities and being unemployed or underemployed are prerequisites for participation in the initiative.

According to Obiageli Ekwelie, the National Financial Inclusion Specialist, “The participants learn under an expert on the commodities for a period defined by the commodity’s gestation period.”

They will learn how to operate a firm successfully with the initial investment—which is typically insufficient—after completing the course. They will have a greater understanding of the necessity of fostering a culture of saving, improving their capacity to document business activity, and enhancing their credit rating with financial institutions.