BATN Foundation empowers internally displaced farmers

The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) Foundation joined the global community to celebrate International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism, held recently.

On significance of the commemoration, the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said: “We must lift up the voices of victims and survivors of terrorist attacks, who consistently call for accountability and results. When we respect the human rights of victims and provide them with support and information, we reduce the lasting damage done by terrorists to individuals, communities and societies. The primary responsibility to support victims of terrorism and uphold their rights rests with Member States.”

At the event, Executive Director, BATN Foundation, Abimbola Okoya, said: “Sometimes, we forget that our experience of security, peace and tranquility is not shared by all. In crisis areas, many families experience violence, fear and uncertainty. For those who survive, many are displaced from their homes with their livelihoods destroyed.

“There are over two million people internally displaced by Boko Haram crisis. But beyond terrorist attacks, we take this moment to remember those who have been victims of any form of crisis. These include the hundreds of people killed in Benue State and the thousands of people displaced as a result of inter-communal crisis in Jos, Plateau State, as well as others, who have been victims of religious uprisings, farmer-pastoralist conflicts or extreme ideologies.”

With a mandate to empower smallholder farmers, 300 internally displaced farmers in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States were supported with agricultural inputs and livestock as startup kits for economic empowerment and to build resilience.