The newly established cassava processing mill in Idoma, Biase Local Government Area, Cross River State, is set to create 1,000 direct jobs, according to Johnson Ebokpo, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development. The eight-metric-tonnes mill is part of a broader initiative under the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise for Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project, which includes a 1.3-kilometer farm road, a mini-bridge, and 15 hectares of cultivated cassava farmland.
Inaugurated on Thursday, the project is designed as an integrated approach to community development, addressing not only food production but also infrastructure needs like road access and flood control. Ebokpo noted that the government plans to replicate this model in other local government areas to further enhance community development.
Dr. Abiodun Sanni, the National Project Coordinator, emphasized the project’s aim to curb youth restiveness and empower women through agricultural infrastructure. The Paramount Ruler of Idoma, Chief Steve Omori, praised the initiative and pledged to protect the mill, similar to how the community safeguarded classroom blocks constructed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in 2010.
The LIFE-ND project has already trained 59 participants in Idoma, with 15 of them receiving farmlands for cassava cultivation using high-yield, disease-resistant TME 419 cassava stems. Beneficiaries like Ms. Comfort Anthony have reported significant improvements in their livelihoods due to the training and resources provided by the project.