A person living with disability, Grace Nwaozuzu, seems to be the happiest among the beneficiaries of the Federal Government Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger Delta, LIFE-ND, project in three communities in Edo State.
Despite moving around on crutches, she was not inhibited, as she interacted freely with members of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Federal Government team, who came to the state to inspect the projects that they had provided funds for.
Projects inspected by the IFAD/Federal Government team include: a 10-pen poultry facility, constructed at Ugbineh in Ovia North East Local Government; two hybrid gas kiln processors in Uteh in Ikpoba Okha Local Government; and cassava processing facility and hectares of cassava farm at Obiogba community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State.
Nwaozuzu, 37-year-old incubator in the project, enthused that the intervention has lifted her family out of poverty, adding that her poultry business has also recorded tremendous boost.
Trained and empowered in poultry farming, Nwaozuzu, told the team that there were lots of untapped potentials in poultry farming in the state.
Noting that she started the business in 2022, after undergoing the training, she informed that she has now expanded to stocking between 250 and 350 day-old-chicks in six two-month circles each in a year.
She said, “I make up to between N180,000 and N200,000 per one circle of stock, after removing the cost of feeds and other expenses. Within two years, my husband and I bought a small car that we use in supplying to our customers.
“I have offtakers, like Amo and Uwa farms, who come here to buy off my poultry birds, so I have a ready market for my business, which is also a big plus, as I don’t need to suffer before I sell my birds.
“My husband and I can conveniently pay our children’s school fees and settle other bills. This project is a dream come true for my family.”
