BAT NF - About Us
The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) was established as an independent charity by British American Tobacco Nigeria in November 2002, with a start-up grant of US$1 million.
The Foundation promotes sustainable agriculture and rural development in Nigeria. In providing this support, the Foundation is focused on enhancing the livelihood of smallholder farmers, who form the bulk of the rural poor, in a way that is technically, economically, and environmentally sustainable.
From a decade-long history of rural community development that has focused on potable water supply, environmental conservation, vocational skills acquisition and agricultural development, since 2013 the Foundation (BATNF) has been focused solely on developing sustainable agricultural enterprises and creating agro-entrepreneurs out of rural smallholder farmers. Despite our evolution to a pure focus on agriculture, our objective remains the same: to improve the lives of people living in rural areas; but with special emphasis on smallholder farmers, their families and communities.
Our new focus came about because of the enormous potential that agricultural enterprise has to simultaneously lift those in rural communities out of poverty, sustain food security, generate employment and ultimately contribute to the national economic growth of Nigeria and reduce the nation’s dependency on oil revenues.
Our strategy
We support rural farmers to make the transition from subsistence farming to sustainable commercial agriculture. With our help the farmers have opportunities to earn their livelihood through agricultural practices that are more productive, efficient, environmentally-friendly, and thus more sustainable in the long term. Specifically, we:
- Fund agricultural inputs and farming-related expenses : We provide seed funding through the supply of agricultural inputs, land preparation and technical assistance to rural small holder farmers to enable them cultivate food crops on a minimum of one hectare per farmer
- Build capacity through training and mentorship : We fund the establishment of model enterprise farms and partner with third-party organisations to provide and transfer technical skills on good agricultural practices to the rural farming communities. In addition, we introduce the farmers to the concept of agricultural value chains and the various stages required to get their produce from the farm to the consumer.
- Promote inclusiveness : We work with agricultural cooperatives or, where none exist, organise the smallholder farmers into groups to work on the model farms. We also encourage the cooperatives to include vulnerable groups such as women and youths as members.
- Assist with market access and information : We provide support and create business platforms for market linkages.
- Promote agriculture enterprises : we provide infrastructure for cottage industries processing cassava, maize and palm kernels. We support fish farmers with smoking kilns for fish processing.
- Provide access to clean water : we fund water projects to support farming activities.
Till date, the Foundation has invested N4 billion in development activities, impacted the lives of over 1.7 million beneficiaries, implemented about 300 projects nationwide, supported over 300,000 smallholder farmers, planted over half a million trees for environmental sustainability, constructed and installed over 105 solar powered boreholes.
Mission
To focus on projects that reduce poverty and make positive, sustainable impacts on our communities.
Vision
A Nigeria in which poverty is significantly reduced in rural communities.
Strategy
Sustainable agriculture in rural communities.