New IFAD LIFE-ND phase to support 14,800 beneficiaries in Ondo

By Boye Oyeyemi –

No fewer than 14,800 residents of Ondo State are expected to benefit from the Additional Financing phase of the FG/NNDC/IFAD Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises–Niger Delta (LIFE–ND) project over the next three years.

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

Olawale stated that the initial phase of the programme, which began in 2020 and ended in October 2025, recorded over 4,000 beneficiaries across five batches in the state.

According to him, the new phase, which will run until 2028, will focus on value chains such as cocoa, fisheries, poultry, and cassava, covering production, processing, and marketing.

He explained that beneficiaries would undergo intensive training and receive support within three months to enable them to establish sustainable enterprises.

The coordinator added that while some participants would receive cash support, others would be assisted through equipment provision and business development services.

Also speaking, the State Rural Institution, Gender, and Youth Officer, Mrs Bolanle Akinyede, said the programme prioritises youths and women, noting that provisions have been made to accommodate persons living with disabilities.

One of the beneficiaries, Daniel Omoniyi from Akure North Local Government Area, described the project as life-changing, urging youths to embrace agriculture as a profitable business rather than a subsistence activity.