WorldStage Newsonline– The Federal Government of Nigeria and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have urged state governments under the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in Niger Delta (LIFE-ND)- Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta and Ondo to pay up their counterparts fund to ensure project sustainability.
Mrs Dede Ekoue, IFAD Country Director, made the call at the Wrap-up session of the 4th Supervision Mission of the LIFE-ND project on Saturday in Abuja.
She commended Edo Gvernment for paying up its counterpart funding.
Ekoue, who commended the concerned state governments for their unwavering support so far, called for their continued support including payment of the counterpart funding.
“The insights gained from this mission will be invaluable in guiding future project implementation as we look forward to the second phase.
“We will work together to address any challenges and capitalise on existing opportunities to maximise the project’s impact.
“The payment of counterpart funding is critical for ensuring sustainability and getting required approval of the second phase/additional financing of the project.’’
Ekoue said IFAD remained a steadfast partner in supporting the development of sustainable rural livelihoods in the Niger-Delta region and the country as a whole.
According to her, the organisation is confident that through continued collaboration and innovation, LIFE-ND will continue to empower rural communities and contribute to a more prosperous and food secure-future for all.
Ekoue said the supervision mission had been a resounding success, solidifying the positive trajectory of the project.
The director highlighted some of the impressive results of the project in Ondo State in the areas of outreach, access to farmland, market infrastructure development, among others.
“LIFE-ND has intervened in key infrastructures like roads, processing facilities and made the following achievements like 83.78km earth roads, 51 culverts, two landing jetties and rehabilitated two small bridges rehabilitated.
“40 processing facilities, 15 drying slabs for quality rice executed, 14 market store facilities constructed.
“40 mini poultry production cluster facilities and eight poultry clusters building constructed; 71 poultry buildings rehabilitated for graduated incubatees.
“15 fishery production cluster facilities and 92 earthen ponds with capacity of 184,000 fish constructed and rehabilitated and put into use.
“Provided 16 rain water harvesters, seven small scale irrigation sites developed, 30 irrigation tools/equipment provided to 30 women for dry season vegetable production among others, ” she said.
Mr Bukar Musa, Director, Projects Coordinating Unit, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAF), said the mission engaged in field visits and evaluation in Ondo which aimed at assessing the progress and impact of the LIFE-ND initiative.
Musa said the mission had provided stakeholders with invaluable insights into achievements and challenges faced by the project and reaffirmed the collective resolve of partners to improve the livelihood of people in the Niger-Delta region.
“LIFE-ND project is not just about numbers and reports; it is about transforming lives of the rural youth and women while fostering development.
“We have witnessed firsthand the positive changes brought about by the FG/IFAD LIFE-ND interventions-young people adopting new techniques, communities benefiting from improved infrastructure and women and youth gaining access to income generating opportunities.
“I acknowledged the unwavering support of our partners IFAD, NDDC, stakeholders and state government, whose collaboration has been pivotal in the implementation of the project.
“Together, we have laid a strong foundation and it is our shared responsibility to build upon it.
“The journey of development is a continuous one; while we celebrate our successes, we must also remain vigilant and proactive in addressing any obstacles that may arise.
“I am confident that with our collective dedication and concerted efforts, we will achieve the transformative impact that the LIFE-ND project envisions.
“By expanding the project reach and effectiveness, we can contribute significantly to achieving the goals outlined in both the President Bola Tinubu’s eight point agenda and the National Agricultural Transformation Implementation Plan (NATIP), “he said.
The supervision team included representatives from IFAD, FMAFS, Federal Ministry of Finance and LIFE-ND National Project Coordinator (NPC), staff of NPC office and NDDC.
Others are Commissioners of Agriculture from IFAD-LIFE-ND funded states of Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Ondo, State Project Coordinators (SPCs) and staff of project monitoring units and Country Programme Advisory Team (CPAT).
