The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to expand the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises – Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project, with a target of creating over 38,250 new youth-led agribusinesses across the region.
The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this at a one-day workshop on Scaling Up Youth Agripreneurship for Food Systems Transformation held at the Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Represented by the Acting Director of the NDDC Abuja Liaison Office, Mrs Mary Nwaeke, Ogbuku said the commission is leveraging agriculture to address food inflation, ageing farming populations, climate risks, weak value chains, and limited access to finance.
He described these challenges as opportunities to empower young people to drive rural development and transform Nigeria’s food system, stressing that the LIFE-ND initiative goes beyond farming to long-term wealth creation.
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According to him, NDDC’s $30 million counterpart funding reflects its strong commitment to youth agripreneurship as a pathway to economic growth, peace, and stability in the Niger Delta.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to enhance national food security.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, commended the NDDC and LIFE-ND partners for supporting government-led food security initiatives.
