The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project has begun training 655 agribusiness entrepreneurs in Edo on international best practices in packaging, branding, and product standardisation.
Declaring the training open for Edo South Senatorial District, Mr John Omoruyi, Edo Coordinator of LIFE-ND, said the initiative aims to upscale beneficiaries’ enterprises to meet global certification and export requirements.
Represented by the State Agribusiness Promotion Officer, Mrs Grace Iredia, he noted that the training forms part of a broader human capacity development programme 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,” Omoruyi said.
He explained that the training focuses on measurement standards, product standardisation, packaging, and branding to enable participants transition from local to international markets.
According to him, 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, compliance, and export requirements.
Omoruyi said 60 incubatees would benefit in the first phase, 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 added that the training would be replicated across the other districts.
Omoruyi said the programme would improve beneficiaries’ livelihoods and increase their income, describing the initiative 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 said.
He disclosed that 4,337 people had benefited from the programme in earlier phases, with an additional 665 entrepreneurs 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 both national and international quality benchmarks.
