How Akwa Ibom youths take up more ventures in agric

Aniekpowe Idara Jacob, 32, has found value in oil palm processing, selling palm oil, palm kernel and other products derived from the oil palm value chain. The HND graduate of Business Administration, along with other youths, was drawn into the oil palm business, courtesy of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) apprenticeship programme […]

Aniekpowe Idara Jacob, 32, has found value in oil palm processing, selling palm oil, palm kernel and other products derived from the oil palm value chain.

The HND graduate of Business Administration, along with other youths, was drawn into the oil palm business, courtesy of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) apprenticeship programme for young people interested in agriculture in Akwa Ibom State, across poultry, cassava, fishery and oil palm value chain.

The LIFE-ND  is a tripartite programme of the federal government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Mr Jacob is now on his own, buying bunches of oil palm fruits from farmers in communities around him and processing them in a mill where he served as an ‘incubatee’ undergoing practical training for many months.

• Strike impinges Nigeria’s sovereignty — ARDP
• Nigeria’s youths are being lured into a war that’s not theirs

He processes six jerry-cans (25 litres each) of palm oil per production and sells them under a registered brand name, both in the open market and online. He makes additional money from the kernel and chaff.

Although he currently rents a mill at Ata Obio Akpa community in Oruk-Anam Local Government Area of the state to process his products, he said his dream was to own a small mill where he could employ other youth too.

In a recent media tour, Weekend Trust spoke with many of the youths like Jacob who are making gains in poultry farming, oil palm processing, cassava processing and vegetable farming under the LIFE-ND farming scheme.

Miss Mbiata-Abasi Anita Wilson is a 19-year-old young woman who is also into oil palm processing, going to communities around her to buy bunches of oil palm fruits at N35,000 (per bunch) and processing them into palm oil and kernel.

Currently, she has 75 litres of palm oil and 10 bags of kernel in her storage.

She told Weekend Trust that her admission into the Akwa Ibom State University would not affect her venture since production is not daily, adding that the venture will help to relieve her of financial stress in school.

Nsisong Okon Johnson is another young man who has decided to take up poultry farming under the scheme in Ukat Nsit community in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of the state.

Empowered with 100 point-of-lay birds and 58 bags of feed, he has already begun to harvest two and half crates of eggs daily and hopes to double that when the birds reach their peak of production.

The 28-year-old OND holder earns approximately N10,000 each day selling eggs from his 100-bird farm.

He told the Weekend Trust that he learnt a lot throughout his on-farm training programme and managing his little farm, which helped him achieve zero mortality.

He said his goal was to increase to 300 birds by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

However, his 27-year-old brother, Abassey Johnson, raises 250 broiler birds. He has completed around three rounds using the initial 300 birds and feed provided by the LIFE-ND initiative.

He said his major concerns were space for expansion and feed cost. He is sharing a modest place in the family compound with his parents and brothers.

Ms Emem Akpan Udoka is nearing the end of her poultry production training at the Ibetu Poultry Farm in the Ukat Nsit area of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.

The 30-year-old woman expressed her excitement about having her farm and said that with the information she gained in the last several months as a ‘incubatee,’ she can confidently run her own enterprises.

Beside the poultry and oil palm business, .a group of young women have also found value in vegetable production focusing majorly on tomatoes.

With rising demand for tomatoes in the region, women are making a career by cultivating high-quality tomatoes for consumers.

Some of the women who spoke with Weekend Trust said their eyes had been opened to many previously missed opportunities in the community.

However, their main challenge is to obtain irrigation facilities that would ensure all-tear production and supply as demand grows.

Ms Mfon Umoeka, the state knowledge management and communication officer for the LIFE-ND programme, said that so far, many young people who have benefitted from the project in the state had achieved success in their chosen sector under the initiative.

The LIFE-ND project communication officer, Dr Jerus Ovieghara told Weekend Trust that the current managing director of the commission, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, pushed for the addition of Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers states, which are Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)-funded, adding that he has seen great potential in agriculture.

The LIFE-ND project is an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria. In its first phase, it was funded with a $60m USD loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The project became disbursement effective on February 21, 2019.

The LIFE-ND project aims to improve income, food security and job creation for rural youth and women through long-term agri-enterprise development in the 9 Niger Delta states of Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ondo (IFAD-funded states), and Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Rivers (NDDC-funded states).