From left, Imo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security,Hon Cosmos Madugba, (Ebube Isu), Imo State LIFE-ND Coordinator, Mrs Victoria Igboanugo and Imo State NDDC Representative,Dr Kyrian Uchegbu during the programme. Photo by Everest Ezihe, Owerri
From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Imo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Chief Cosmos Madugba has revealed how the State government have adopted strategic approaches in securing and boosting agricultural food production.
Madugba disclosed this in Owerri recently while representing Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State in flagging off a 3 days orientation training for the 3rd batch of incubatees and incubators, a world class youth agricultural skills empowerment programme being sponsored by the State government, NDDC, IFAD and Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta, LIFE-ND.
The Commissioner expressed gratitude to Governor Uzodimma for paying the counterpart funding that necessitated the participation of the State as well as his examplary leadership and visionary governance that he equally pointed out as having helped in leap frogging the State in socioeconomic and infrastructural developments.
”So far this the third batch of Imolites that have participated and benefitted from the programme and cumulatively over 1,400 youths have so far benefitted in the agricultural, manufacturing and skills acquisition programme.
” So many donor agencies supports Agricultural programmes and projects in Imo State, but without missing words, this is the most successful, the most encouraging, very robust and fantastic project. The youths who are within the ages of 18-35 are the major targets in the usage for modernized agricultural implementations and sufficient food production. This is the most critical age in the life of individuals. The operators of the program are properly focused” he attested.
Madugba enjoined NDDC to expand the project beyond only 10 LGA in Imo State by getting the entire 27 council area to be beneficiaries, noting that the programme have tremendous economic impacts to the populace.
He further applauded Imo State government for creating an enabling environment for the execution of the programme, as well as NDDC for collaborative partnership especially as they are financing the program in States like Imo,Akwa Ibom and Rivers as they made the needed sacrifices that include payment of counterpart funding.
The Commissioner noted the youths as the pillar of any nation while advising them on the need to be serious and put their communities on the parts of progress, just as he reminded them that the programme is envisioned towards the transformation of rural economy.
He also enjoined the participants on the need to give the government and their communities a reciprocal commitment in appreciation of the energy and the resources invested for them, noting that, to whom much is given, much is also expected.
Madugba who’s popularly known and addressed as Ebube Isu, re-assured of the commitments of his Ministry, NDDC, IFAD and LIFE-ND in ensuring doing the needful with the participants so as to encourage the continuous organization of the programme in the State.
He reiterated that the programme is one of the strategic ways of the State’s plans in boosting sufficiency in food production, stressing that, food is essential in every life endaevour, because life without food is death.
The Commissioner further applauded Imo State government for choosing the area of agriculture and food production as areas of special intervention, reiterating that food is very inevitable and passionately advised all to put their hands on deck in ensuring that the nation’s vision of generating food sufficiency in terms of volume and quality,so as to nourish human body is achieved.
He reiterated the need for the participants to take the programme serious so as to put into practice all they’re taught and benefit adequately from the empowerment schemes.
In his remarks, Engr. Sani Abiodun, the National Project Coordinator of LIFE-ND as ably represented by his Technical Officer, Mr. Bunmi Ogunleye enjoined the participants to consider themselves lucky as over 3,000 of them applied and less than 20% of them were selected.
Abiodun described youths as the pillar of any nation while equally advising them on the need to be serious and put their communities on the front burner of progress, just as he reminded them that the programme is envisioned towards the accelerated transformation of rural economy.
He extolled their State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Igboanugo, the NDDC Board, IFAD and Imo State government for their concerns in investing and empowering the youths through agriculture and entrepreneurship.
Adding his voice, Dr. Kyrian Uchegbu, the Commissioner representing Imo State at NDDC Board expressed gratitude that the programme is assisting in mobilizing the youths towards agricultural engagements and adequate food production.
Uchegbu observed that the State government is equally committed in programmes that encourages food productivity and availability, insisting that as the motivational force that compelled the State government in being the first to pay for the programme’s counterpart funding.
He also thanked Imo State government for buying into the programme noting the programme as a hallmark of development and self independent empowerment of the youths.
While encouraging the participants, the NDDC Commissioner revealed that efforts are being made towards expanding the scope of participation, even as he further described the program as life changing, noting the demands for participations as encouraging.
Uchegbu who’s also an astute politician, informed that every year, about 200 indigenes of Niger Delta region are offered oversea scholarships, revealing also that the scope has been expanded to 400 so as to accommodate those who wants to do their Masters Degree within the confine of Nigeria Universities as well as their light up program which he said is for every community within the Niger Delta region.
He further observed that since 2006, there have not been any impactful program like this for the populace despite the existence of several administrations and NDDC Boards.
The NDDC Commissioner further pointed out that Senator Hope Uzodimma as the Chairman of NDDC Governor’s Advisory Council understands the importance of the program to the youths of his State, thus why, he was the first to pay the needed counterpart Funding ,which he said enabled his subjects to participate and be beneficiaries of the goodies.
Uchegbu attested that in a State like Ondo, many people have become millionaires courtesy of practicing what they learnt from the programme and encouragement they received from the sponsors of the programme.
The Commissioner said it point blank that he’s proud of being Imo State representative in NDDC, an organization he prided as making lots of difference in impactful living and developments.
He further informed that the present programme participants as the third batch since he came on board as Imo State NDDC Representative while commending Imo people for being intelligent, resourceful, hardworking, enterprising as well as having the intelligent quotient(IQ) in bettering the world.
He re-advised the participants on no account should they see the program as part of the national cake sharing, that whosoever have such perception should please disengaged immediately, that the programme is a tutelage life changing programme built on commitments and willingness to excel with various patriotic interventionistic and empowerment tools.
According to him, “If after training and you’re empowered for fishery, poultry, farming, bakery etc and you are doing well, more money will be given to you to expand. All is for your own interest in terms of productivity and jobs creation.
”Business grows with capital not with initial empowerment. This is an opportunity for you to be somebody. If you don’t work, you should not eat, but if you work, you will not only eat but you will provide opportunities to other people to eat.
” NDDC as life changing organization, and the State government is prepared to make you people progress through this economic viability and independence programme, for now, you are the architect of your own destiny. All we are doing, is in your overall interest” he stated.
Uchegbu further informed that the programme is geared towards addressing rural hunger and economic viability, even as he reiterated the need for the beneficiaries to be serious in their participations noting that the State government has the vision of producing over 30 millionaires from the program on or before, 2027.
He also extolled President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Governor Hope Uzodimma and NDDC Board for their visionary leadership and governance as witnessed in their transformational legacy and empowerment projects and programmes.
Earlier in her welcome address, Mrs. Victoria Igboanugo, the State Project Coordinator, Imo LIFE-ND noted that the orientation training programme marks the beginning of participants journey in the LIFE-ND Project.
Igboanugo observed that participants will be exposed into key areas like environmental and climate change awareness, nutrition mainstreaming, record keeping, gender inclusion, and the use of technology in managing agribusiness as an upcoming agripreneurs.
She informed that LIFE-ND Project is jointly implemented by the Federal Government, NDDC, IFAD and the State governments across the 9 Niger Delta States, and the project adopts the Igbo apprenticeship model of pairing incubators and incubatees from the same communities for effective learning and mentorship.
The State Project Coordinator while congratulating the selected participants, informing that many applied but few were chosen, even as she re-advised them to make out the best from the life changing opportunities, noting also that their monthly stipends which serves as transport allowances are provided through out their training duration.
Igboanugo further expressed profound gratitude to the National Project Coordinator, Engr. Sani Abiodun and his team for their strong coordination, even as she appreciated the financiers, NDDC,IFAD and Governor Hope Uzodimma for his unwavering commitment as the first NDDC Governor that paid his State’s counterpart funding.
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