By Rosemary Okoduwa
The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project has sought stronger collaboration with the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to expand economic opportunities for women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and other vulnerable groups.
The Edo State Project Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Mr. John Omoruyi, made the call during a courtesy and advocacy visit to the Ministry in Benin City.
Omoruyi said the initiative, supported by the Federal Government, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), seeks to reduce youth unemployment by promoting sustainable livelihoods through agribusiness.
He disclosed that over 5,000 rural youths and women across 10 Local Government Areas and 100 communities in Edo had benefited from the programme through training, mentorship and financial support.
According to him, beneficiaries undergo two to three months of apprenticeship and incubation in value chains such as cassava, rice, poultry and fisheries before receiving seed capital to establish their businesses.
He said LIFE-ND was seeking the Ministry’s support to identify more PWDs and female-headed households for participation in the programme.
Responding on behalf of the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Eugenia Abdallah, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Joy Ihensekhien, welcomed the initiative and commended LIFE-ND for its inclusive, community based approach.
She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting and empowering women, children, PWDs and other vulnerable groups, assuring the delegation of its readiness to collaborate to ensure that vulnerable persons, particularly those in rural communities, benefit from the programme’s training, stipends, mentorship and start-up support.
Also speaking, Edo State Chairperson of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Comrade Ann Ojugo, expressed support for the initiative, noting that it aligns with community based rehabilitation principles that promote sustainable livelihoods for PWDs within their communities.
Omoruyi, while highlighting the impact of the initiative, cited Grace Isuzoo, a physically challenged poultry farmer, who progressed from an apprentice to a successful agribusiness entrepreneur through the programme.
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