The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project for the Niger Delta has said the failure of the Niger Delta Development Commission to release its $30m counterpart funding into ongoing LIFE-ND has denied 13,500 women and youths in three state the empowerment benefits. The LIFE-ND National Coordinator, Abiodun Sanni, disclosed this during the launch of the certification of the project into an Entrepreneurship Development Institute by the Nirsal Micro Finance Bank in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Sanni said Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Imo states were yet to come on board because the NDDC defaulted, while six others state had gained so much. “We are supposed to interface with nine states in the region, but currently running in six. NDDC is expected to pay a counterpart fund of $30m within a span of six years, just as IFAD is promptly putting in $60m for Abia, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Edo, Delta and Ondo states.”

Source: Punch August 12, 2022 10:10 UTC