Livelihood Restoration Programs (LRP): Ifesowapo Fish Farm and Agbelere Market Garden

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Livelihood Restoration Programs (LRP): Ifesowapo Fish Farm and Agbelere Market Garden

On the 27th of October 2023, Segilola Resources Operating Limited (SROL) commissioned its Livelihood Restoration Programs (LRP) fish market and vegetable garden in Iperindo, Osun State for its project affected persons (PAPs). The LRP is done in addition to the already fulfilled compensation payment requirements. The fish market and vegetable garden are created in furtherance of our commitment to ensuring that the inhabitants of the communities have a sustained means of livelihood.

The project commenced with a needs assessment in August 2021, where we undertook a survey to determine the pain points in the communities and identify the best economic ventures to empower the PAPs.

After this, we commenced the specific programs planning and documentation in October 2021, then implementation started in 2022. From socio-economic studies in the three host communities, the PAPs were classified for the different LRP programs based on their level of vulnerability.

For the vegetable garden, SROL initiated the project by providing the following:

  • Greenhouses for nursery purposes
  • Seedlings
  • Agrochemicals which include herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers
  • Irrigation systems, and
  • Allowances for 40 PAPs involved in the market garden for the first phase.

For the fish farms, SROL provided the following:

  • 100 fishponds
  • Water supply system
  • Fish feed (enough for 8 months)
  • 700 Juvenile fish for each PAP to manage and
  • Allowances for 45 PAPs for eight months

Additionally, SROL facilitated the Cocoa Rehabilitation Program (which was commissioned on the 30th of May 2023) by providing:

  • 500 improved Cocoa seedlings for each PAPs,
  • Agrochemicals which include herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers that will be enough for one farming season and
  • Sprayers for 50 PAPs.

SROL trained PAPs with hands-on training in skill development, entrepreneurial capacity building, training on cooperative management and agricultural business practices, particularly in Fish Farming, Market Garden and Cocoa Rehabilitation.

PAPs were organized into cooperatives, with elected executives within each cooperative. These cooperatives correspond to the different LRP programs (Ifesowapo for fish farm, Agbelere for market garden, and Asejere for cocoa rehabilitation). These cooperatives were registered with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative in Osun State. SROL further assisted each cooperative in opening bank accounts and personal accounts for individual allowance payments.

SROL will be involved in supervising them on the project and providing moral, and technical support for the project for two years to enable them gain stability.

The market garden currently comprises four vegetable farms, with two in active use. More PAPs will be incorporated into the market garden, utilizing the available farms. Furthermore, additional PAPs will be incorporated in the Ifesowapo fish market, and a new rollout for PAPs will be initiated yearly to support their cocoa farming through the Cocoa Rehabilitation Program.