By: Mandy Willy
About 1,500 students of the Rivers State University (RSU) have applied for the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), while 10 local government areas in the state have so far benefitted from the LIFE-ND programme introduced under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This was disclosed during a one-day sensitization campaign organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation at the Federal Secretariat, Port Harcourt.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, represented by the Head of the Information Centre, Port Harcourt, Gabriel Obokuru, said the sensitization was aimed at educating Nigerians on the importance of supporting government initiatives at both state and local levels rather than antagonizing them.
“Every administration comes up with policies and responsibilities basically to please the citizenry which in some cases are proved to nullity. This message today aimed at educating citizens on how we can support government plans to our respective states, constituencies and localities other than criticizing.
“In most cases unbelief comes as a result of ignorance, it is time we resist such thoughts of can it be true? Try something rather, if you do! You will be surprise with the results.
“We do not need to the told about the challenges and hardship people are going through this period, but we cannot fold our arms and keep doubting policies and programs formulated by the federal government. Our full participation is required at this point otherwise we will continue to doubt and there will be no solution to solve the problem of hardship,” he stated.
The NELFUND Coordinator at RSU, Professor Sunny Orike, and the Rivers State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Paul Bazia, commended the federal government’s economic policies, stressing that more awareness was needed so that vulnerable citizens could take advantage of the programmes.
Similarly, the Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to improving livelihoods in the Niger Delta through the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project and other intervention programmes.
The Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Dr. Jarus Uvieghara, hilighted projects, which covers the nine Niger Delta states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers, designed to empower young people and women in rural communities through agriculture.
According to him, LIFE-ND focuses on seven commodities: cassava, rice, cocoa, oil palm, plantain, fish and poultry, with each state selecting four commodities based on local demand. He said the project runs on an incubation model, which links youths with experienced agri-preneurs who train them to become agricultural business experts.
“We have a situation where youths who had no prior knowledge of fish farming or poultry now become trainers themselves. It is a continuous process that builds an ecosystem of agribusiness experts across the value chain,” Uvieghara said.
He added that President Bola Tinubu recently approved an additional $32 million through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to upscale the project across the Niger Delta states.
Also speaking, Dr. Helen Nsirim, Public Relations Officer of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, highlighted key achievements of the Tinubu-led administration in the South-South region over the past two years.
These include the payment of a new ₦70,000 minimum wage to civil servants, the ongoing construction of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the passage of four new tax reform bills to boost revenue and investments, the disbursement of ₦500 million to 1,797 farmers through LIFE-ND in Edo State, and the rollout of the Students’ Loan Scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
She also listed the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme, and financial support through the Bank of Industry as other major initiatives impacting lives in the region.
“In just two years, the Tinubu administration has delivered tangible programmes and reforms that are touching lives in the South-South. What is left is for citizens to key into these opportunities by registering and applying for them,” Nsirim said.
The sensitization campaign featured testimonies from beneficiaries of LIFE-ND and other federal programmes, who shared how the initiatives had improved their livelihoods.
