Strengthening Livelihood Opportunities This project, Strengthening Livelihood Opportunities in the Niger Delta (SLOPIND) is a continuation of the livelihood programme started 2009 to 2014, which has been able to reach 6,480 beneficiaries. LITE-Africa made significant progress in achieving the project goal which was to improve socio-economic and political participation of women in the Niger Delta. The strategy used in reducing poverty, engendering social, economic and political equality in the Niger Delta include: (1) strengthening the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihoods, (2) promoting gender rights, (3) providing micro credits to cooperatives, (4) exploring alternative income generating activities, (5) promoting active community engagement in local government and oil industry revenue expenditures, and promoting initiatives related to transparency and accountability.
The intervention specifically focused on women and was able to address the majority of the challenges affecting community women in decision making in the Niger Delta region. This was possible through capacity building of women on livelihood and leadership skills, establishing cooperative societies for their livelihoodactivities across all 19 project communities.

This project builds upon the successes LITE-Africa has recorded over the years whileimplementing the Oxfam Novib Livelihood and Governance programme in 19 communities in Delta and Bayelsa states and Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) project in Warri South West L.G.A. in Delta state implemented by West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP). The project facilitated the strengthening of local governance systems, improved inclusiveness, strengthened access to finance for women and girls and provided linkage with the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) Extension workers, which was not the case before the implementation of these programmes.

The ONLAG programme intervention provided agro-processing centres to support income generation activities and job creation, established structures such as women led cooperatives, Women Support Networks (WSN) which has been extremely useful platforms for community women to speak with one voice on common issues and to ensure their participation andleadership on various issues that affect them and their families.

The SLOPIND strategy has four approaches that have been developed with lessons learned from the ONLAG programme implemented from 2009-2015 and the WIPNET intervention.

1) Using the Making Market work for the Poor Approach, this programme will catalyse change by linking women entrepreneurs and wholesalers. This will be achieved through hosting of meetings in project communities that will bring market actors to the same forum to facilitate synergies that will encourage them to align their incentives for a mutually beneficial outcome.

2) Capacity strengthening on livelihood skills trainings to cooperatives and beneficiaries who have been trained before and those that require additional skill support

3) Synergy withrelevant government agencies such as ADP and Delta state Micro Credit Agency to facilitate access to market and finance for women and youth. This will ensure that the groups that are the most marginalized are also benefitting from community development strategiesand are able to lift themselves out of poverty.

4) Providing access to credit and supporting group-based savings to guarantee sustainability and ensure beneficiaries who have gone through livelihood trainings have the finance to expand or start up their businesses.


This programme will achieve the above through: (1) expanding the livelihood skills training, (2) provision of market access tosource for raw materials, (3) expand micro credit to accommodate short, medium and long-term loans, (4) provide business advisory and support within the programme,(5) support the advocacy effort of the cooperative groups to advocate for government takeover of theadult education programme and other identified challenges that hinder access to markets.  Proper coordination with other NGOs who work on similar interventions will help to sustain successes and impact achieved through this programme.

This programme will also work across sectors through public-private partnerships. Some development partners, multilateral and bilateral, have supported a number of programmes on economic empowerment of women and youth and peace building in communities where this project will take place.  LITE-Africa will engage these organizations to seek for areas of synergy. This synergy is important because development actors are beginning to realize that working in concert within and across sectors, is the only way to overcoming the region#s monumental development deficit