ABUJA — The Edo State Government has announced plans to upscale the Federal Government-backed Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises–Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project to deepen youth agribusiness development and strengthen food security across the state.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Jerry Uwangue, disclosed this at a high-level national event on scaling youth agripreneurship for food systems transformation, held in Abuja.
Uwangue said the state, under Governor Monday Okpebholo, would extend the FGN/NDDC/IFAD-funded LIFE-ND project to the eight local government areas currently not covered, under a proposed LIFE-ND Plus Initiative.
The event, themed, “Scaling Youth Agripreneurship for Food Transformation in Nigeria,” brought together representatives of the Federal Government, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and participating state governments to review progress and chart expansion strategies.
In a keynote address, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, described LIFE-ND as a proven model for youth agripreneurship and a critical tool for transforming Nigeria’s food security landscape.
He stressed the need to scale the initiative nationwide, outlining plans to improve youth access to land, finance, digital platforms and smart agricultural innovations.
Uwangue said LIFE-ND had demonstrated strong outcomes in Edo, including practical agribusiness skills acquisition by youths, incubation and mentorship across priority value chains, improved household incomes, enhanced rural productivity, women empowerment, and stronger market and finance linkages for smallholder farmers.
According to him, the partnership among the Federal Government, NDDC and IFAD underscores the impact of coordinated development efforts, noting that Edo State remains a committed partner to the programme.
He explained that the proposed LIFE-ND Plus Initiative would consolidate existing gains and expand benefits to more communities, in line with Edo’s economic diversification agenda.
“Agriculture remains central to Edo State’s development strategy. We are committed to strengthening food systems, promoting value addition and creating sustainable market opportunities for our people,” Uwangue said.
He added that youth agripreneurship was vital to Nigeria’s future, describing the country’s youthful population as its greatest economic asset amid global food supply disruptions driven by climate change, conflict and rising costs.
Uwangue outlined Edo State’s commitments to agribusiness transformation to include expanding youth incubation programmes, developing agro-processing zones, improving rural infrastructure, supporting farmers with improved inputs and mechanisation, enhancing digital market linkages, promoting women’s participation, and collaborating with financial institutions to improve access to credit.
Also speaking, IFAD Country Director, Mrs Dede Ekoue, commended the achievements of the LIFE-ND project and called for stronger partnerships to expand incubation opportunities, close financing gaps and deepen youth inclusion in agribusiness.
