BENIN CITY: The Edo State office of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) has commenced a capacity-building programme for 655 beneficiaries across the state, with focus on international best practices in product packaging, branding and standardization to enhance export readiness.
The initiative, designed to improve product quality and position beneficiaries for competitiveness in both local and global markets, was flagged off in Edo South Senatorial District.
Speaking at the event, the State Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Mr John Omoruyi, represented by the State Agribusiness Promotion Officer, Mrs Grace Iredia, said the training would be implemented in phases across the three senatorial districts, beginning with 20 incubates per district in the first round.
Omoruyi explained that the programme targets beneficiaries engaged in cassava, fish and poultry value chains, with emphasis on measurement standards, product certification processes and compliance requirements.
He noted that although LIFE-ND had trained beneficiaries between 2021 and 2025, the new phase aims to upscale existing enterprises to meet export targets and required certifications.
According to him, officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) were invited to equip participants with practical guidelines on certification, regulatory compliance and proper packaging to enable them access external markets.
Beneficiaries in Edo South are being trained in cassava, fish and poultry value chains; those in Edo Central in cassava and poultry; while participants in Edo North will cover cassava, poultry and rice value chains.
Omoruyi disclosed that Edo is the first among the six participating states to implement the activity under the current phase.
He added that 4,337 persons benefited in the first phase of the programme, while 665 persons were captured in the additional financing phase.
Presentations at the training were delivered by NAFDAC and SON officials on registration processes, regulatory compliance, product standardization and certification for manufacturers and distributors.
