Abia Life-ND Coordinator, Dr. Uchenna Onyeizu Addressing Selected Incubators At the Workshop.
The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta region(Life-ND) has signed a memorandum of understanding with business owners(Incubators) to transfer their wealth of experience and agribusiness expertise to the apprentice(Incubatees) that would be assign to them for economic enhancement and food production in the state.
In his remarks at a workshop organise by Life-ND at the Confidence Hotel, Umuahia, the Abia state capital, the Project Coordinator of Life-ND in Abia state, Dr. Uchenna Onyeizu, explained that Life-ND is an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the participating states in the Niger Delta region and NDDC with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development ( IFAD ) to revive the rural economy through agribusinesses in the country.
The reason for this workshop is after painstaking exercise of selecting you as business incubators, we want you to mentor and transfer your agribusiness ideals to the incubatees who will in turn become business owners and rural entrepreneurs.
Onyeizu, said that the first phase of the projects is to work in 100, communities from 10, local government in the state of which five communities has started from which those selected are currently receiving training.
According to the state project coordinator, “we will use your facilities to train our potential incubatees and establish them after which a stipend would be paid to you the incubators for mentoring them so I encourage you to take today’s workshop very serious”.
At the workshop, the state Agribusiness Promotion Officer, Mr. Chukwuekezie Godwin, advised that as an incubators your roles are to mentor, train and recommend the incubatees for funding and establishment so that they will succeed in their own business.
In their separate contributions, while the state Rural Infrastructure Engineer, Mr. Chukwumaobi Otutubuike, said that the project with support from IFAD was designed in such away that it adds value and develop the community where in they operate for easy evacuation of agric products and added that if we get it right at this stage, there shall be food security, job creation and economic enhancement for all.
His colleague, the state Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr. Azubuike Ogbonna, expressed that cordial relationship with the host communities and records keeping are key to the success of the project.
He advised that if we do not keep and report accurate informations to our funders, the project stand a chance to lose funding and fail.
Earlier, the Chairman of the State Steering Committee on Life-ND, Prof. Ikechi Mgboji, said that as people selected as incubators, a lot are expected from you in terms of knowledge transfer and expertise to be impacted on the incubatees.
However, one of the participants who spoke with National Ambassador, Mr. Longman Emeka Nwachukwu, the owner of Ohiya Farms, said that it is a win win situation where if the project could identify the actual farmers with this support and sustainability that Nigeria would become a major exporter of agric products.
Abia Life-ND Coordinator, Dr. Uchenna Onyeizu Addressing Selected Incubators At the Workshop. 
