…As BATN foundation launches poultry project

Lagos State Government has set a target of increasing local food production in the state from the current 25 per cent to 50 per cent, with poultry production identified as one of the key sub sectors capable of driving the ambitious food security agenda.

 

The State government stated this at the launch of the ‘Chicks to Plate’ Project, an agricultural value-chain intervention initiated by the BATN Foundation in partnership with the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority (LSADA).

 

The three-day capacity-building workshop, is expected to train 200 prospective and practising poultry farmers in modern poultry production and management.

 

As part of the intervention, 40 outstanding layer farmers would also receive additional enterprise support to enable them expand their businesses and improve productivity.

 

The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, who spoke at the event through the Director of Agribusiness, Aramide Gansallo, said the initiative was in line with the administration’s determination to strengthen food production and reduce the state’s dependence on food supplies from outside Lagos.

 

Olusanya described poultry as a strategic component of the agricultural sector because of its potential to increase access to affordable animal protein, create employment and strengthen the agricultural value chain.

 

She assured that the government would continue to support initiatives that equip farmers with modern production techniques and agribusiness skills required to establish commercially viable enterprises.

 

According to her, the intervention also supports the state’s T.H.E.M.E.S. Plus Development Agenda, particularly its food security and economic development objectives.

 

She added that partnerships between government and private-sector organisations remained important to achieving sustainable agricultural development in Lagos.

 

Also, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Emmanuel Audu, represented by Bukola Idowu, described ‘Chicks to Plate’ as a natural progression of the partnership between the state government and BATN Foundation.

 

He said the success recorded under the earlier ‘Fingerlings to Fork’ programme had demonstrated the impact that well-designed public-private partnerships could have on agricultural development.

 

Speaking on the initiative, Executive Director of BATN Foundation, Oludare Odusanya, said the foundation was committed to developing resilient agricultural value chains by providing farmers with the knowledge, tools and market opportunities required to operate profitable and sustainable enterprises.

 

Odusanya said the foundation’s intervention went beyond conventional farmer training, stressing the importance of productivity, value-chain development and economic empowerment.

 

He said: “At BATN Foundation, we believe sustainable agricultural development goes beyond training. It is about equipping farmers with practical skills, improving productivity, strengthening value chains and creating opportunities that translate into lasting economic empowerment.

 

“‘Chicks to Plate’ builds on the success of our partnership with the Lagos State Government and reflects our continued commitment to advancing food security, supporting rural livelihoods and enabling the next generation of successful agripreneurs.”

 

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of LSADA, Mrs. Aderonke Toju Tubi, described the project as another milestone in the Authority’s efforts to strengthen agricultural extension services.

 

The initiative is expected to strengthen poultry production in Lagos by addressing some of the capacity and enterprise development gaps confronting farmers across the value chain.

 

The ‘Fingerlings to Fork’ initiative, which began in 2018, trained 1,436 fish farmers between 2018 and 2025 in modern aquaculture, value addition, processing, packaging, export readiness and farm management.

 

The programme also provided production assets, including fish-smoking kilns and tarpaulin ponds, to improve productivity and livelihoods.