AF: 14,800 people will benefit within 3 years in Ondo – IFAD LIFE-ND

FG/NNDC/ IFAD Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises- Nigeria Delta (LIFE-ND) Project says no fewer than 14,800 people would benefit in its new phase of Additional Financial (AF) programme in Ondo State.

Dr Ademola Olawale, State Project Coordinator, made this known during a media roundtable meeting organised by the Ondo State Project Coordinating Office on Thursday in Akure.

Olawale, who said the first phase of the project started in 2020 and ended in October 2025, explained that it’s comprised five batches with over 4,000 people benefitting within five years across the state.

The coordinator said the new phase would end in 2028, while the programme focused mainly on cocoa, fishery, poultry and cassava by specialising in the production, processing and marketing.

He said the beneficiaries would be trained and empowered within three months to start up their own enterprises provided by the project.

Olawale also said some of the beneficiaries would be empowered partially by cash, while some would be informed of equipment needed by the beneficiaries.

“For this AF programme, 5,800 will benefit as regular incubates and 9,000 as Business Development Service (BDS) in the next three years .

“IFAD LIFE-ND goals are to remove poverty from society, particularly rural areas and to ensure that there is positive transformation by lifting people out of poverty.

“Before now, incubates were trained by farmers called incubators but we have added another area called BDS.

“The BDS are individual agencies or corporate bodies that will add value to what our beneficiaries are doing,” he said.

The coordinator, therefore, appreciated the state government for its support, especially in providing security, working environment and paying the counterpart funds.

Earlier, Mrs Bolanle Akinyede, State Rural Institution, Gender and Youth Officer, said the programme would capture more beneficiaries in phase one, while 5 per cent would be People living With Disabilities (PWDs)

Akinyede said the project, mostly targeted youths aged between 18 and 35, while 2142 were female, 76 PWDS and the remaining were male.

“So, 50 per cent of females and 50 per cent of males will be captured in the AF programme within the three years,” Akinyede said.

One of the beneficiaries, Daniel Omoniyi, from Igoba Community in the Akure North Local Government, commended IFAD LIFE-ND Project for counting them worthy, and urged youths to join the programme for their benefit.

“I graduated from an Ondo polytechnic in 2007. I always thought that agriculture was just a culture but when I got to know this programme, I realised that it is a business, not a culture,” he said. (NAN)