At 18, Eka Jefferson Kenny was not chasing millions. He was simply waiting—for university admission, for direction, for something meaningful to do with his life. Today, he stands beside a fish pond in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, counting not just fish, but possibilities. From that pond alone, Jefferson has earned about ₦1.9 million, a transformation he describes as nothing short of life-changing.
Jefferson is one of hundreds of young people whose stories are quietly unfolding across the Niger Delta through the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises for the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project, supported by the Federal Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
“I had just left school and didn’t want to sit idle,” Jefferson recalled. “When LIFE-ND came to our community, I decided to try—even though I wasn’t sure at first.”
That decision changed everything.
Through LIFE-ND, Jefferson received hands-on training in aquaculture, along with 1,000 juvenile catfish and 60 bags of feed. What followed was a steep learning curve, managing water quality, coping with rising feed costs, and dealing with inevitable fish mortality. But with persistence and guidance, he succeeded.
“This is my second production cycle,” he said proudly. “I’ve sold over 700 fish already, made about ₦1.9 million, and I still have 992 fish in the pond.”
For a teenager once uncertain about tomorrow, the pond has become a classroom, a workplace, and a future.
From Street Hustle to Cassava Fields of Hope
In the same local government, David Akpan Uwem tells a different but equally powerful story. Before LIFE-ND, David described himself as “just hustling on the streets,” struggling to survive day to day. Today, he is a cassava farmer with one hectare of land under cultivation.
“The training showed us modern ways of planting cassava that give better yields,” he said. “It completely changed how I see farming—and life.”
With tools, fertilizer and technical support from LIFE-ND, David now looks ahead to his first harvest in April 2026 with confidence. “People are even jealous,” he laughed softly. “They wish they had this kind of opportunity.”
New Direction, New Dignity
For Uduak Emmanuel Okon, once a schoolteacher and later a security guard, LIFE-ND offered more than skills, it offered purpose. Trained in modern poultry management, Uduak now understands bird health, sanitation, housing design and disease prevention.
“In just weeks, I learned things I never knew before,” he said. “I believe in two or three years, I won’t just be self-reliant—I’ll be training others.”
Another poultry beneficiary, Abasifreke Johnson, turned early losses into lessons. Empowered with 250 broiler birds, feed, drinkers and feeders, he now runs production cycles timed for festive demand. The business feeds him and supports his younger siblings.
“This programme changed my life,” he said simply.
Palm Oil, Tomatoes and the Power of Incubation
Beyond fish, cassava and poultry, LIFE-ND’s impact stretches into palm oil processing and vegetable production.
At an incubation hub in Oruk-Anam LGA, trainer Mr. Goodnews Ediene is grooming young men and women to move beyond traditional palm oil processing into industrial-scale agribusiness. Beneficiaries graduate with skills, financial literacy and ₦333,000 seed capital—closely monitored to ensure sustainability.
One beneficiary who recently graduated, Mbiata Abasi Wilson, has already made profits while funding her education. “The money helped me pay my acceptance fee at Akwa Ibom State University,” she said. “This business is real.”
Similarly, Aniekpeno Idara Jacob, once running a low-income POS business, now earns steady income from palm oil and kernel by-products. “Before LIFE-ND, survival was hard. Today, my family eats better, and my siblings’ schooling is supported.”
In vegetable farming, incubator Dr. Idongesit Ekanem said the goal is simple but powerful: move people from subsistence to sustainability. And it is working.
Beneficiaries like Nsense Sunday, Ikwo Daniel, and Christana Richard-Etham speak of renewed confidence, improved incomes and financial independence through tomato and vegetable farming.
Trust Rebuilt, Futures Reimagined
According to Mrs. Mfon Anietie Umoeka, Akwa Ibom State Knowledge Management and Communications Officer for LIFE-ND, early skepticism in communities has given way to belief.
“People were doubtful at first because of past experiences,” she said. “But now they can see the results. Some beneficiaries have completed two production cycles and are already making money.”
The project targets unemployed and underemployed youths aged 18–35, women-headed households and persons with disabilities—regardless of academic qualifications.
“If you are willing to learn, LIFE-ND is for you,” Mrs. Umoeka added.
A Quiet Revolution
Across Akwa Ibom’s ponds, farms and processing centres, a quiet revolution is underway. It is not driven by slogans, but by skills. Not sustained by promises, but by profits. And not measured only in naira, but in dignity, confidence and hope.
For Eka Jefferson Kenny, the 18-year-old fish farmer, the numbers still amaze him—but the meaning goes deeper.
“I’m no longer just waiting for life to happen,” he said, watching the water ripple in his pond. “Now, I’m building it.”
