From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

More than 2,000 youths from Bayelsa who were trained in agriculture on Monday were presented with working capital to start-up their own farm enterprise.

The youths are beneficiaries of Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

It was gathered that the working capital was presented to the beneficiaries.

On his part Dr Paniebi Ugo, State Project Coordinator of LIFE-ND and the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources presented the cheques to the beneficiaries in Yenagoa.

Ugo, said the agriculture mentorship programme for youths which has been ongoing in Bayelsa, since February 2020, for young people between the ages of 18 to 35.

He explained that the template of the programme is that the trainees are assigned to an established farm where they will be trained and mentored.

According to him, four commodities for Bayelsa are cassava, plantain, fish and poultry farming. “So far, over 4300 beneficiaries have been impacted by the project from inception till date”

Ugo advised the trainee farmers to take the project seriously and make a living for themselves.

He explained that the working capital was to enable the young farmers to start up their own farms under the mentorship of their master trainers.

“LIFE-ND the IFAD assisted project has as its objectives to increase income, guarantee food security and create jobs for youths between the age brackets of 18 – 35 years.

“This cheque presentation is an epoch-making event and a breakthrough for LIFE-ND, IFAD, and Bayelsa State.

“This programme has been going on for about four years and has two phases: apprenticeship and mentorship.

“This is the fifth batch of incubatees. The programme is that they are assigned into established farms where they will be trained and mentored and at the end of the training based on their enterprise, at the end of the training based on their enterprise, they are given working capital.

“The starter packs called working capital is a minimum of N250,000 and N500,000 per incubatee depending on the commodity.

“I want to charge the incubatees to take the project seriously because it is geared towards improving their livelihood,” he said.

On his part, Prof. Beke Sese, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural resources, commended the organisers on the 5th graduation of the LIFE-ND project on behalf of the Bayelsa government.

He said the LIFE-ND project is a good initiative of the federal government and funded by the NDDC amongst others.

According to him, since the programme started in 2020, it has enhanced income and provided food security and has been a huge success, as they have surpassed the expected target.

He said that the Bayelsa government has given top priority to Agriculture and Blue Economy in the agricultural revolution, to empower the youths through agriculture.

The Commissioner urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the fund and to multiple gains to better their lives.

On his part, one of the beneficiaries, Adonkumo Awara, commended the Bayelsa government and LIFE-ND for the opportunity given them to better their lives.

He promised that they will make good use of the fund given to them to invest in their different businesses, and promised to pay back the loan as when due.