Foundation reiterates commitment to Nigeria's agribusiness

BRITISH American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has reaffirmed its commitment to continuously support the agricultural sector in the country as a vital solution to poverty, dwindling economy and unemployment.Speaking at the BusinessDay 2012 Agribusiness and Food Security summit tagged: 'Enhancing Agriculture Value-Chain for Economic Prosperity,' in Lagos, the Executive Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Gbenga Ibikunle, said: 'It is imperative to note that agriculture is undoubtedly instrumental to national development for economic sustainability. It is in this vein that the nation needs to engage in national re-orientation, new thinking and new partnerships aimed at projecting and promoting agriculture'.Ibikunle explained that this year's agribusiness summit was a transformative initiative, focusing largely on growing food security concerns and more importantly about how to unleash the largely untapped potential of the Nigerian agribusiness sector in the area of value chain processes.'The agricultural support fund will spur investment into the agribusiness sector with the ultimate goal of inclusive job creation and promotion of innovative, environmentally sustainable approaches to agriculture value chain. BATNF belief that employment generation and poverty reduction are directly related informed the decision to collaborate with National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in creating employment opportunities by training indigenes on poultry enterprise management in Ondo State.'A three-year fish enterprise development project was also implemented in Araga farm settlement at Epe with collaboration from the Department of Fisheries, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture,' he said.
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