The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project has commenced training for 655 agribusiness entrepreneurs in Edo State on international best practices in packaging, branding and product standardisation.
Declaring the training open for Edo South Senatorial District, the Edo Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Mr John Omoruyi, said the initiative is designed to upscale beneficiaries’ enterprises to meet global certification and export requirements.
Represented by the State Agribusiness Promotion Officer, Mrs Grace Iredia, Omoruyi explained that the programme forms part of a broader human capacity development plan targeting 655 beneficiaries across the state.
“This programme is aimed at supporting and capacitating our beneficiaries in business.
“LIFE-ND has trained entrepreneurs from 2021 to 2025, but we need them to upscale their businesses to meet export standards and certification requirements,” he said.
Omoruyi noted that the training focuses on measurement standards, product standardisation, packaging and branding. According to him, the goal is to help participants move from selling only in local markets to accessing international markets.
He said officials from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria were invited to guide beneficiaries on certification procedures, regulatory compliance and export requirements.
Omoruyi disclosed that 60 incubatees would benefit in the first phase of the training, with 20 participants drawn from each of the three senatorial districts.
“Edo South participants are being trained in cassava, fish, and poultry value chains, while Edo Central will focus on cassava and poultry, and Edo North on cassava, poultry, and rice,” he said.
He added that the training would be replicated across the other districts in the state.
Omoruyi said the programme is expected to improve livelihoods and increase income for beneficiaries, describing it as strategic for boosting the competitiveness of Made-in-Edo products.
“With the knowledge acquired, they should be able to package rice, frozen birds, and processed fish to meet export targets,” he stated.
He further revealed that 4,337 people had benefited from earlier phases of the programme, while an additional 665 entrepreneurs are being supported under the current financial cycle.
“Edo State is the first among six supported states implementing this activity, and we believe others will follow suit,” Omoruyi added.
Officials from NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria facilitated sessions on regulatory compliance, certification and product standardisation to ensure participants meet national and international quality benchmarks.
